What is the full name of the title character in 'Coriolanus'?
Answer
Caius Marcius Coriolanus
Answer
Caius Marcius Coriolanus
The full name of the title character in 'Coriolanus' is Caius Marcius Coriolanus.
He is first known as Caius Marcius, a Roman soldier and patrician celebrated for his courage against the Volscians. During the assault on the Volscian city of Corioli, he fights with exceptional boldness. Rome rewards him by adding “Coriolanus” to his name, making the title a victory surname rather than a family name he possesses from birth.
Shakespeare based the tragedy largely on Plutarch's account in 'Parallel Lives'. The play follows Marcius's rise from military hero to consul, his contempt for the Roman plebeians, and his political collision with the tribunes Brutus and Sicinius. His pride and inability to flatter the populace help drive him into exile.
Afterward, Coriolanus allies himself with his former enemy Aufidius and marches against Rome. His mother, Volumnia, persuades him to spare the city, but this decision contributes to his downfall among the Volscians. Cominius and Titus Lartius are important Roman figures, not alternate names for the title character.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026