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.