Critics have universally acknowledged Aufidius's secondary role in Coriolanus, and most define his character in relation to that of the protagonist. Charles Mitchell has noted that to a degree Coriolanus fashions Aufidius as an ideal, and that Aufidius's actual nobility and bravery therefore cannot live up to this unrealistic projection. Ruth Nevo has contended that Aufidius's manipulation of Coriolanus proves the source of his downfall- this is typical, according to Nevo, of the pattern of Shakespearean tragedy, despite the fact the other critics have argued that Coriolanus generates his own doom.

Harley Granville-Barker has seen Aufidius as an effective counterbalance to Coriolanus. Courageous and aristocratic in Granville-Barker's view, Aufidius cannot be described as basically evil, but instead resorts to treachery only after numerous honorable attempts to defeat Coriolanus on the battlefield have failed. As Stanley Wells has observed, Aufidius also offers valuable insights into the theme of...