Throughout Act 1, Shakespeare characterises Martius with a negative connotation. As he interacts with different characters, there are different opinions and characterisations of him formed in the dialogue of each scene. By some, he is depicted to be arrogant and violent, while other characterise him as brave and noble. Shakespeare develops Coriolanus to be a controversial protagonist, otherwise known as a hero, in order to further develop the rising key conflict in the play.
In scene 3, his wife and mother seem to sympathise with him, by feeding his arrogance and emphasising his bravery. Volumnia goes as far as to say she "had rather had eleven [sons] die nobly for their country than one voluptuously surfeit out of action". At times, his wife refers to him as "Lord", characterising his importance in the play as well as revealing to the readers Shakespeare's use of gender roles. The reference to Hecuba and Penelope, wives to Greek heroes, further develops this concept of sexist roles in this play. In contrast to the romanticising of Coriolanus' arrogance, later on in scene 3, Martius' son's rough actions were said to mimic that of his father, painting him as a rough individual.
This roughness further depicted through his job as a soldier and the bravery that is linked to going to war. A development of bravery can be found in Act 1 Scene 4, between Coriolanus and the First Senator, who goes as far as to say "No, nor a man that fears you less than he". The rest of Act 1 continues to portray Coriolanus' bravery positively and negatively, depending on the characters of the dialogue.
Martius also clearly emphasises the need to differentiate himself from lower classes throughout his dialogue. He quite frequently refers to the plebeians as "slaves" and personifies them as "scabs". He strongly believes his soldier status acquires him more rights and respect in the Roman society. The arrogance that Martius exudes towards the Plebeians allow him to acquire the title of an anti-hero in this play. Act 1 acts a foreshadowing to the outcome of the key conflicts in this play. Also, his arrogance could almost be considered his tragic flaw since the denouement of the plot would be different if Coriolanus was less obnoxious.
Ultimately, Shakespeare's depiction of Coriolanus' character is proven to be controversial among the social classes in Act 1 in order to further develop the rising key conflict in the play. The role of Coriolanus' character will obviously largely impact the conclusion of the play.
