Nicanor speaks with the cheerful matter-of-factness of a man who has made his peace with betrayal — no guilt, no drama, just useful information exchanged. Watch for how he frames treachery as market intelligence.
I know you well, sir, and you know me. Your name I think is Adrian.
I know you well, sir, and you know me. Your name I think is Adrian.
I know you well, sir, and you know me. Your name I think is Adrian.
i know you well, sir, and you know me. your name i think is
It is so, sir. Truly, I have forgot you.
It is so, sir. Truly, I have forgot you.
It is so, sir. Truly, I have forgot you.
it is so, sir. truly, i have forgot you.
I am a Roman, and my services are, as you are, against ’em. Know you me
yet?
I am a Roman, and my services are, as you are, against ’em. Know you me yet?
I am a Roman, and my services are, as you are, against ’em. Know you me yet?
i am a roman, and my services are, as you are, against ’em.
Nicanor, no?
Nicanor, no?
Nicanor, no?
nicanor, no?
The same, sir.
The same, sir.
The same, sir.
the same, sir.
You had more beard when I last saw you, but your favour is well
approved by your tongue. What’s the news in Rome? I have a note from
the Volscian state to find you out there. You have well saved me a
day’s journey.
You had more beard when I last saw you, but your favour is well approved by your tongue. What’s the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian state to find you out there. You have well saved me a day’s journey.
You had more beard when I last saw you, but your favour is well approved by your tongue. What’s the news in Rome? I have a note from the Volscian state to find you out there. You have well saved me a day’s journey.
you had more beard when i last saw you, but your favour is w
There hath been in Rome strange insurrections, the people against the
senators, patricians, and nobles.
There hath been in Rome strange insurrections, the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles.
There hath been in Rome strange insurrections, the people against the senators, patricians, and nobles.
there hath been in rome strange insurrections, the people ag
Hath been? Is it ended, then? Our state thinks not so. They are in a
most warlike preparation and hope to come upon them in the heat of
their division.
Hath been? Is it ended, then? Our state thinks not so. They are in a most warlike preparation and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division.
Hath been? Is it ended, then? Our state thinks not so. They are in a most warlike preparation and hope to come upon them in the heat of their division.
hath been? is it ended, then? our state thinks not so. they
The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame
again; for the nobles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy
Coriolanus that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the
people and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies
glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking
out.
The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again; for the nobles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the people and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out.
The main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make it flame again; for the nobles receive so to heart the banishment of that worthy Coriolanus that they are in a ripe aptness to take all power from the people and to pluck from them their tribunes for ever. This lies glowing, I can tell you, and is almost mature for the violent breaking out.
the main blaze of it is past, but a small thing would make i
This is one of Shakespeare's deliberately minor scenes — two minor characters, no emotional stakes, just information exchanged. Its function is structural: it widens the camera from the personal (Coriolanus's farewell, Volumnia's grief) to the geopolitical. Rome thinks it has solved a problem by exporting it. This scene shows us that the problem is already being weaponized. The Volscian state was preparing for war anyway; Coriolanus's banishment just improves their timing. The spy Nicanor is a fascinating type — a Roman working against Rome with complete psychological comfort, no apparent ideology, just professional satisfaction at being useful. He is almost the anti-Coriolanus: where Coriolanus cannot bend at all, Nicanor has bent so far he's snapped. He doesn't agonize. He networks.
Coriolanus banished?
Coriolanus banished?
Coriolanus banished?
coriolanus banished?
Banished, sir.
Banished, sir.
Banished, sir.
banished, sir.
You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.
You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.
You will be welcome with this intelligence, Nicanor.
you will be welcome with this intelligence, nicanor.
The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said the fittest time
to corrupt a man’s wife is when she’s fallen out with her husband. Your
noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer
Coriolanus being now in no request of his country.
The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said the fittest time to corrupt a man’s wife is when she’s fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer Coriolanus being now in no request of his country.
The day serves well for them now. I have heard it said the fittest time to corrupt a man’s wife is when she’s fallen out with her husband. Your noble Tullus Aufidius will appear well in these wars, his great opposer Coriolanus being now in no request of his country.
the day serves well for them now. i have heard it said the f
He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter
you. You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.
He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.
He cannot choose. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. You have ended my business, and I will merrily accompany you home.
he cannot choose. i am most fortunate thus accidentally to e
I shall between this and supper tell you most strange things from Rome,
all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready,
say you?
I shall between this and supper tell you most strange things from Rome, all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?
I shall between this and supper tell you most strange things from Rome, all tending to the good of their adversaries. Have you an army ready, say you?
i shall between this and supper tell you most strange things
A most royal one. The centurions and their charges, distinctly
billeted, already in th’ entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s
warning.
A most royal one. The centurions and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in th’ entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s warning.
A most royal one. The centurions and their charges, distinctly billeted, already in th’ entertainment, and to be on foot at an hour’s warning.
a most royal one. the centurions and their charges, distinct
I am joyful to hear of their readiness and am the man, I think, that
shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most
glad of your company.
I am joyful to hear of their readiness and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.
I am joyful to hear of their readiness and am the man, I think, that shall set them in present action. So, sir, heartily well met, and most glad of your company.
i am joyful to hear of their readiness and am the man, i thi
You take my part from me, sir. I have the most cause to be glad of
yours.
You take my part from me, sir. I have the most cause to be glad of yours.
You take my part from me, sir. I have the most cause to be glad of yours.
you take my part from me, sir. i have the most cause to be g
Well, let us go together.
Well, let us go together.
Well, let us go together.
well, let us go together.
The Reckoning
A scene of pure exposition and atmosphere, but its atmosphere is chilling — two spies on a road, cheerfully discussing how to exploit the chaos Coriolanus's banishment has created. The news travels fast in the wrong direction. Rome's weakness is already Volscian intelligence.
If this happened today…
Two defense contractors — one ostensibly working for the US government, one for a foreign power — run into each other on a flight out of Dulles and have a very productive chat. The first one's been leaking intel for months. The second is heading home with a target list. They discover their agendas align perfectly. They agree to share a cab to the hotel.