Throughout the play, many characters urge Coriolanus to set aside the inclinations of his temperament whenever such traits prove detrimental to his advancement. Coriolanus is portrayed as a man who is naturally imperious due to his own noble birth, but who also nurses aggression and a quick temper. Coriolanus often struggles with whether or not he should try to suppress his natural inclinations for the sake of political gain, ultimately finding the idea too repellant to try. Through Coriolanus's rise and fall, the play probes the role of personality in influencing an individual’s behavior for better or worse. 

Both Coriolanus’s allies and enemies are aware of Coriolanus’s nature as a proud and quick-tempered soldier. Coriolanus’s friend Menenius often uses the idea of innate personality as an excuse for Coriolanus’s bad behavior, reminding the people that Coriolanus only speaks rudely to them because of his intrinsic military temperament. While some of the common people view Coriolanus’s mannerisms as prideful arrogance, other citizens remark, “What he cannot help in his nature you / account a vice in him” (1.1.41-42, emphasis added). Similarly, Aufidius recognizes that Coriolanus has claimed power in his army and reduced his authority over the Volsces because of his natural inclination towards ruling over others.