Theme of Power In Coriolanus

"Coriolanus"is a play written by Shakespeare that has a recurrent political theme throughout the acts, as it is set to be in a time in Ancient Rome where the concept of democracy has been unfamiliar until now and is slowly being applied. With the political nature of the play also comes a theme of power, in which different characters that have various types of authority or political power are characterised in different ways, and would eventually foreshadow their possible fate in the end of the play, which Shakespeare denounces the nature of power in this specific context.

Within the characters that display any type of power, they can be categorised into two groups; the first being the militarily and physical power in which is seen with Coriolanus and Aufidius as well as the more indefinite power that Volumnia, Menenius and Tribunes have. With the "physical power" the generals have force on their army as well as the higher class, but what differs between them is that Coriolanus is unable to change his behaviour under different circumstances, giving him an unadaptable rigid personality which will cause him to never appeal to the plebeians. Aufidius is more of an opportunist politician and his personality is more lenient.Volumnia on the other hand, being also one of the only women with a true say and unpassive in a Shakespeare play displays a power that is built on wit, but is also malleable as she is able to adapt to different situation. These kind of power show a trajectory as even if they may be different under circumstances, but shows how Coriolanus has a straight line whereas both other characters deviate in the sight of possible danger. This shows that respective fates for Volumnia and Aufidius is life whereas Coriolanus will be killed.
Menenius is shown to have wisdom and wit but only uses it in truthful situations contrarily to the Tribunes that uses their power to represent the plebeians to their advantage to lead them against Coriolanus for their own benefit. 

Shakespeare from a holistic and neutral view shows the nature of power and politics as it is constantly evolving especially with the fickle nature of the plebeians, and that the only way they can be satisfied is by appealing to them whether it is in a truthful or untruthful matter.  From the perspective of an evolving England, the fight for democracy is shown with the elections, the attitude of leniency that politicians must have and the nature of the citizens