The citizens of Rome are hungry. Coriolanus - the hero of Rome, a great soldier and a man of inflexible self-belief - despises the people. His extreme views ignite a mass riot. Rome is bloody. Manipulated and outmanoeuvred by politicians and even his own mother, Volumnia, Coriolanus is banished from Rome. He offers his life or his services to his sworn enemy Tullus Aufidius. Coriolanus and Aufidius march on Rome, intending to destroy the city. Volumnia appeals to her son. He tries to reject her but eventually breaks. Aufidius, feeling bitterly betrayed, brutally murders Coriolanus.