Rebirth-Then and Now

In the article "The Anus in Coriolanus," Jonathon Goldberg suggests briefly a "rebirth" interpretation of the scene when Coriolanus earns his new name. The Roman militia assaults the Volscian town of Corioles and appears to be losing when Martius single-handedly breaks into its fortress but is assumed dead. He is not, however, and emerges, alone, covered in blood, and victorious. For his bravery he is rechristened "Coriolanus."

The rebirth imagery is vivid. Coriolanus denies the warnings of his fellow countrymen to graphically violate the walls representative of virginity. By assuming him dead, the other Romans set him up for a hero's victory because they discuss the ratio of Volscians to the lone warrior and how small his chances of survival are. Despite nearly suffocating under the pressure of battle, Coriolanus emerges from the walls alone and covered in blood. It is inherent, especailly once he is given a new name, that this is an allegory for the rebirth of Coriolanus.

The "rebirth" plot device is common in western literature. It is a powerful image to epitomize a coming of age or hero plot with heightened drama. Notably in more modern literature, Dorris Lessing's short story "Through the Tunnel" explores this image. Jerry, the main character, is vacationing with his overbearing mother when he wanders off to the beach and sees some older boys swimming far out. One boy disappears and pops up again a ways down the bluff. When Jerry realizes there is an underwater tunnel the boys explore, he resolves to wait a year to grow before attempting the journey. After a nosebleed, however, instinct takes over and despite nearly drowning in the dark, hot, suffocating tunnel, Jerry makes it through to the other side, allegorically reborn.

The similarities are striking. Both Jerry and Coriolanus have close relationships with their mothers  and no siblings or notable fathers. They both present complex internal conflicts and a desire to prove themselves, as well as the opportunity to do something reckless and "masculine" to do so.For Coriolanus it was beating the Voscian army, for Jerry, to prove he was as strong as the older boys. Both implied suffocation and literal blood present round out the image of a new birth. Old or new, this powerful summation of a character coming of age is a strong image in both Elizabethan and modern western literature.