The Final Battle

Although I agree with Kara's point about treating his love like a disease and "bleeding it out" in a way, I think this passage marks how truly vulnerable Coriolanus is, especially in front of his mother. Although this particular quote is harsh since he is basically denying his family ("I'll never / Be such a gosling to obey instinct, but stand / As if a man were author of himself / And knew no other kin"), this is also his final moment of strength. After he delivers this speech, his mother opens her mouth and it all goes downhill from there. It is interesting how he refers to his mother's bow: "My mother bows, / As if Olympus to a molehill should / In supplication nod." He seems a bit taken aback by the fact that his mother, Olympus, is bowing to him, a molehill, a small mound. Despite his warrior strength, he is once again faced with the one person that is stronger than him, the one force that could dominate him completely -- his mother. He recognizes the power that she has over him, so as an attempt to not give in to her dominance, he tries to do away with the familial ties as a defense mechanism in order to avoid becoming vulnerable to her once again. Unfortunately for him, he ultimately fails as his mother wins in all aspects of glory.