Coriolanus

When General Coriolanus returns victorious from the war, the people cheer for her. That despite hating her before the war. Coriolanus, supported by friends, is now running for the highest political office. At first, nothing seems to stand in the way of her ambition, but then her political enemies stir up the people. The citizens angrily storm the Capitol and Coriolanus has to flee. In revenge, she joins the enemy she previously defeated. She will now destroy her city, the one for which she had formerly risked her life.

In Coriolanus, Shakespeare exposes the fickleness of public opinion. The people loathe Coriolanus, then applaud her, only to banish her a few scenes later. The piece shows what happens in a society when reason and common interest are no longer the guiding factors, but rather emotion and opportunism dominate.