Coriolanus left me feeling down, showing how tragedies can really tug at your heartstrings.

Set around 400 BC, during the early days of Rome, the play follows Caius Martius, nicknamed "the terminator in a toga" by a professor. He's a fierce warrior, but when he returns from battle, he's thrown into the world of politics with a new name, Coriolanus, to honor his victory. However, lacking political finesse, he alienates the common people, leading to his banishment. Joining forces with his former enemies, he plots to destroy Rome. But when his mother intervenes, he changes his mind, only to be betrayed by his new allies.

Coriolanus is really about a man striving to control his own fate, only to realize he's bound by family and country, unable to write his own story. It reminds me of my own struggles to break free from expectations and live my life authentically as a gay man. Sometimes, I feel trapped by my family's views, even as an adult. This play makes me reflect on my own feelings of sadness and frustration..