Shakespeare's Richard III and Coriolanus are both characters who possess all the qualities of potentially invincible, fearless and heroic warriors. They fail to emerge as heroes because neither is able to live beyond their idealistic warrior motivations and incorporate humanity into their characters. Richard is consumed by his God complex, unexpectedly finding that his conscience is tormented by his acts of murder and perjury. For Coriolanus, it is his uncompromising sense of a hero's honesty and honor that ultimately leads to his downfall. Whether their intentions are virtuous or treacherous, both Richard and Coriolanus come to a ruinous end because they refuse to join the rest of humanity which is compromising and essentially human. However, even with this duality of humanity and heroism, Shakespeare complicates his position by questioning whether a true hero can exist. This complexity is answered in part with the emergence of Volumnia as a potential heroine. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay For both characters, this lack of humanity can be traced back to their mothers, developing the theme of a child's debt to his mother. Richard's character is shaped by his mother, the Duchess of York, as she tells him, "You came to earth to make earth my hell / A heavy burden was your birth to me" (140, l.168 ). By cursing Richard, she also condemns herself for not having "strangled you in her cursed womb" (139, l.137). This illustrates the hostility and hatred with which she raised Richard, forming the basis of her later rejection of love. Richard rejects love, but for him it is a defense mechanism to counteract the disgust and contempt of others for his deformity: "I, who am reduced by this right proportion.../Deformed, unfinished/And therefore, since I cannot prove myself a lover.../I am determined to prove myself a villain" (34, 1.24). Richard is as concerned about war as Coriolanus is, although he is driven by his obsession with power. While Coriolanus is moved by his deeply held integrity and truth, Richard is driven by a mischievous desire to achieve all-encompassing power. While Richard's deformity may have been the root of his resentment as a child, his ugliness actually increases his power as an adult, as it makes his exploits seem even more scandalous and accomplished. His victory over Lady Anne is not a success that brings him closer to the throne, but a triumph that makes him feel even more invincible: "Was a woman ever wooed in this mood?/...And yet to conquer her, all the world to nothing !" (48, l.228). The vengeful invincibility that the Duchess of York has instilled in her son leads him to power and heroism, but ultimately destroys him. Coriolanus is raised by Volumnia to be stoically mechanical and military-minded, as well as painfully aware of his nobility, pride, and class superiority. This is evident when Volumnia tells Virgilia: "I, considering how much honor would become such a person.../I was pleased to let him seek danger where he might find fame.../I would rather that eleven [children] should die nobly for the country than one voluptuously satiated out of action" (14, l.26). His guiding force is not filial love, but patriotism. Because he denies Coriolanus love and acceptance except for his aggressive achievements, Coriolanus learns to be completely self-sufficient. This is why he finds himself incapable of loving, since he was not taught to love. For he lacks "nourishment" from Volumnia, just as the plebeians dolacking and requiring nourishment in the form of food, he resents the plebeians for not achieving the same level of self-sufficiency as him. It is because of Volumnia's upbringing that Coriolanus becomes inflexible and strict with his ideals, placing honor above all else. Ironically, part of Richard and Coriolanus' ability to be heroic warriors lies in this learned ability to be human and to show feelings, placing them in a hopeless situation. Much of their early power and success is based on their unyielding stubbornness and courage. It is Richard's stubborn and spiteful indifference that allows him to get ahead. He uniformly kills people one after another, regardless of their relationship to him. To protect his crown, Richard orders Buckingham to kill the innocent princess: "Shall I be clear? I would have the bastards dead / And I would have him executed suddenly" (127, l.18). Even Buckingham opposes such a ruthless decision. This doesn't stop Richard, the cunning Machiavellian villain who lets nothing stand in his way of the precious throne. Likewise it is this trait of heroic courage that makes Coriolanus the victor at Corioli when his men falter in battle: "You are ashamed of Rome!/...You souls of geese,/who bear the likeness of men.../repair and charge homeward,/or, by the fires of heaven, I will leave the enemy/and wage my wars against you..." (20, l.33). With these charged and offensive words, Coriolanus incites his men to action and triumph. Shakespeare employs further irony to illustrate the failed, or even unattainable, heroism of Richard and Coriolanus. Although Richard is the most realistic character in Richard III and Coriolanus is the most consistent character in the play, both are surprisingly doomed to failure. Shakespeare portrays Richard very realistically as a dynamic and multifaceted character. Richard is a villain, but an honest villain. Just as Coriolanus' honesty prevents him from pretending to love the plebeians, Richard makes no attempt to hide his betrayal as he reveals his innermost feelings through his heartfelt soliloquies. Although Richard's next move remains an enigma to everyone else in the play, he is faithfully and consistently honest with his readers. From the beginning, he admits his plot to kill his brother Clarence, cheerfully proclaiming that his plan will succeed if "King Edward be as true and just / As I am subtle, false and treacherous" (34, l.36). Richard's driving force for power is as strong as Coriolanus' will to retain his pride and honor. Shakespeare is able to emphasize the coherence of Coriolanus by dramatizing the inconsistency of the plebeians and Volumnia. Initially the plebeians, incited by the tribunes, condemn Coriolanus for his arrogance and contempt for the lower classes, to the point of banishing him from Rome. However, when the plebeians find themselves in danger of being attacked by the Volscians led by Coriolanus, they blame the tribunes for pushing Coriolanus to the enemy's side: "When I said banish him, I said it was a shame." Another citizen responds with "And so did I; and, indeed, so did many of us /...and though we willingly acquiesced in its banishment, yet it was against our will" ( 113, l.141). Likewise Volumnia is fickle in nature. He spent his life teaching Coriolanus to live strictly by the code of honor. Now he encourages him to kneel before the plebeians and feign humility to maintain his position as consul. In contrast, Coriolanus is consistent in the sense that he never backs down from his principles of integrity and honor. He demonstrates consistency of character when he refuses to accept any spoils of war..