In my course, I have students read the Federalist
and some of the antifederalist writings. And I require them to read
as much of Tocqueville's Democracy in America as
possible. But I begin with Shakespeare's
Coriolanus. This choice of text is peculiar, and I
here address myself to that peculiarity. My aim is to show that
Coriolanus fits with these other works and to
show, given the depth and breadth of its themes, that it might also
profitably be read and studied in other political science courses.
To put it in the briefest compass: the more prominent themes of
Coriolanus—the nature of ancient politics,
political expertise, regimes, and the interplay of honor and
ambition—make it well suited to the exploration of politics in
general.