A closer look at the Primary text: Coriolanus

After returning to my play, and getting lost in it all over again, I reassured myself of my ideas and even found some new quotes to analyze here are a few of them.

At the beginning of the play there is a great piece of dialog that takes place between a few of the citizens about the intentions of Coriolanus.  Breaking down and analyzing this discourse would be a great way to introduce and ground my thesis regarding nature vs. nurture in the text:
-First Citizen

"I say unto you, what he hath done famously, he did it to that end: though soft-conscienced men can be content to say it was for his country he did it to please his mother and to be partly proud; which he is, even till the altitude of his virtue."

Second Citizen 
 "What he cannot help in his nature, you account a vice in him. You must in no way say he is covetous."

As my paper continues and I argue that Coriolanus is a victim of the dangerous nurturing practices of his mother and the Roman society here are a few passages that could help support this idea.

This discourse between his wife and mother reveals the way in which he was raised and, in part how his extreme pride was cultivated.
-Volumnia
To a cruel war I sent him; from whence he returned, his brows bound with oak. I tell thee, daughter, I sprang not more in joy at first hearing he was a man-child than now in first seeing he had proved himself a man.
VIRGILIABut had he died in the business, madam; how then?
 
VOLUMNIA

Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike and none less dear than thine and my good Marcius, I had rather had eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action.

As my paper progresses I will show how the tragedy lies not in the pride of Coriolanus but in the blind naivete of a society that cultivates its military leaders in such way that they expect hardness from them on the battlefield and prize their victories but off the battlefield they condemn the attitude that is necessary for such victories to be won.
This praise from Coriolanus's commanding officer shows this dynamic.

-COMINIUS If I should tell thee o'er this thy day's work, Thou'ldst not believe thy deeds: but I'll report it Where senators shall mingle tears with smiles, Where great patricians shall attend and shrug, I' the end admire, where ladies shall be frighted, And, gladly quaked, hear more; where the dull tribunes, That, with the fusty plebeians, hate thine honours, Shall say against their hearts 'We thank the gods Our Rome hath such a soldier.' Yet camest thou to a morsel of this feast, Having fully dined before.

Here, this dialog between a friend of Coriolanus and  two tribunes of the people displays this conflict.

MENENIUS The augurer tells me we shall have news to-night.
BRUTUS Good or bad? 
 MENENIUS Not according to the prayer of the people, for they 
love not Marcius.  
SICINIUS Nature teaches beasts to know their friends.
MENENIUS Pray you, who does the wolf love? 
 SICINIUS The lamb.  
MENENIUS Ay, to devour him; as the hungry plebeians would the noble Marcius.  
BRUTUS He's a lamb indeed, that baes like a bear. 
 MENENIUS He's a bear indeed, that lives like a lamb. You two are old men: tell me one thing that I shall ask you. 
 Both Well, sir. 
 MENENIUS In what enormity is Marcius poor in, that you two have not in abundance?  
BRUTUS He's poor in no one fault, but stored with all. 
 SICINIUS   Especially in pride.
MENENIUS Because you talk of pride now,--will you not be angry?
Both Well, well, sir, well.  
MENENIUS Why, 'tis no great matter; for a very little thief of occasion will rob you of a great deal of patience: give your dispositions the reins, and be angry at your pleasures; at the least if you take it as a pleasure to you in being so. You blame Marcius for being proud?

I realize that all these passages are way to long (Sorry for the lengthy post) I would of course cut them down to size and paraphrase when I incorporate them into my paper (I just haven't got that far yet).  There are a few more passages that I could go into detail about but I think these give a decent foundation to my argument and show something of the substance that my paper will consist of.