Women’s roles of the 16th century, were commonly required to always have the respect and obedience to any male figure in their life …show more content…
As women are to act respectful to the males, Volumnia presents herself to be controlling towards her son, Coriolanus. She is very outspoken and not one to keep to herself about her opinion. War was big in Rome the 16th century, so Volumnia could have always had the mindset of raising a son to be put into battle. Pushing her son to be a strong solider and bragging of his success with war could express that she was more influenced than most women with Rome’s violent, war culture. Volumia came off as out of “the norm” with how women should act, as she continually kept pushing her son to go into battle as maybe to feel as if she is part of the violence, and living her life through him. Her attitude towards her son is with little sympathy or worries in resulting what could happen to him when he is in battle. As in response to Virgilia pointing out that Coriolanus could die in battle, Volumia says, “Then his good report should have been my son; I therein would have found issue. Hear me profess sincerely: had I a dozen sons, each in my love alike and none less dear than thine and my good Martius, I had rather eleven die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action.” (Act 1, Scene 3, Line