“Thy valiantness was mine”

This analysis of Coriolanus examines Volumnia and Virgilia as military spouses to highlight their criticism of the civilians, like the Tribunes, who control their community but do not understand their lives or share in their sacrifices. America’s growing civil–military divide, coupled with the self-perpetuating culture of the all-volunteer military, has resulted in the creation of a military caste that bears most of the responsibility of defending the country while being, in some cases, looked down on by the rest of it. Volumnia and Virgilia’s critique of their society can cast an important light on this situation in modern society.