ABSTRACT
In Coriolanus, Shakespeare adapted a plot from North's translation of Plutarch's Lives into an intensive exploration of a pathological mother-son relationship. The peculiar imagery Shakespeare has chosen tends to support the view that the theme of the play was one to which the playwright was psychologically sensitive. To understand Coriolanus' reference to his wedding night, one needs to examine the scene in which the reference occurs. This chapter reviews the episodes in which Coriolanus rebels against the phallic mother and seeks an alternative expression of his oedipal striving. It examines the aspects of the play which indicate Coriolanus' attempt to institute a satisfactory expression of the passive phase of the Oedipus complex, in which he aspires to be loved by a powerful father. Along with the fears of being castrated by the phallic mother, Coriolanus has feminine, passive wishes to submit to a strong father, even if the price is castration as a precondition for the father's love.
