Table of Contents
ACT I SCENE II Setting: A public place.
Flourish. Enter CAESAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS BRUTUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great crowd following, among them a Soothsayer.
| CAESAR | Calpurnia! | |
| CASCA | Peace, ho! Caesar speaks. | |
| CAESAR | Calpurnia! | |
| CALPURNIA | Here, my lord. | |
| CAESAR | Stand you directly in Antonius' way, | |
| When he doth run his course. Antonius! | ||
| ANTONY | Caesar, my lord? | |
| CAESAR | Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, | |
| To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say, | ||
| The barren, touched in this holy chase, | ||
| Shake off their sterile curse. | ||
| ANTONY | I shall remember: | |
| When Caesar says "do this, " it is perform'd. | 10 | |
| CAESAR | Set on; and leave no ceremony out. | |
| [Flourish] | ||
| Soothsayer | Caesar! | |
| CAESAR | Ha! who calls? | |
| CASCA | Bid every noise be still: peace yet again! | |
| CAESAR | Who is it in the press that calls on me? | 15 |
| I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, | ||
| Cry "Caesar!" Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear. | ||
| Soothsayer | Beware the ides of March. | |
| CAESAR | What man is that? | |
| BRUTUS | A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March. | |
| CAESAR | Set him before me; let me see his face. | 20 |
| CASSIUS | Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar. | |
| CAESAR | What say'st thou to me now? speak once again. | |
| Soothsayer | Beware the ides of March. | |
| CAESAR | He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass. | |
| [Sennet. Exeunt all except BRUTUS and CASSIUS.] | ||
| CASSIUS | Will you go see the order of the course? | |
| BRUTUS | Not I. | |
| CASSIUS | I pray you, do. | |
| BRUTUS | I am not gamesome: I do lack some part | |
| Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. | ||
| Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires; | 30 | |
| I'll leave you. | ||
| CASSIUS | Brutus, I do observe you now of late: | |
| I have not from your eyes that gentleness | ||
| And show of love as I was wont to have: | ||
| You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand | 35 | |
| Over your friend that loves you. | ||
| BRUTUS | Cassius, | |
| Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look, | ||
| I turn the trouble of my countenance | ||
| Merely upon myself. Vexed I am | ||
| Of late with passions of some difference, | 40 | |
| Conceptions only proper to myself, | ||
| Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors; | ||
| But let not therefore my good friends be grieved–– | ||
| Among which number, Cassius, be you one–– | ||
| Nor construe any further my neglect, | 45 | |
| Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, | ||
| Forgets the shows of love to other men. | ||
| CASSIUS | Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion; | |
| By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried | ||
| Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. | 50 | |
| Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face? | ||
| BRUTUS | No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself, | |
| But by reflection, by some other things. | ||
| CASSIUS | Tis just: | |
| And it is very much lamented, Brutus, | 55 | |
| That you have no such mirrors as will turn | ||
| Your hidden worthiness into your eye, | ||
| That you might see your shadow. I have heard, | ||
| Where many of the best respect in Rome, | ||
| Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus | 60 | |
| And groaning underneath this age's yoke, | ||
| Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes. | ||
| BRUTUS | Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, | |
| That you would have me seek into myself | ||
| For that which is not in me? | 65 | |
| CASSIUS | Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear: | |
| And since you know you cannot see yourself | ||
| So well as by reflection, I, your glass, | ||
| Will modestly discover to yourself | ||
| That of yourself which you yet know not of. | 70 | |
| And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus: | ||
| Were I a common laugher, or did use | ||
| To stale with ordinary oaths my love | ||
| To every new protester; if you know | ||
| That I do fawn on men and hug them hard | 75 | |
| And after scandal them; or if you know | ||
| That I profess myself in banqueting | ||
| To all the rout, then hold me dangerous. | ||
| [Flourish, and shout.] | ||
| BRUTUS | What means this shouting? I do fear, the people | |
| Choose Caesar for their king. | ||
| CASSIUS | Ay, do you fear it? | 80 |
| Then must I think you would not have it so. | ||
| BRUTUS | I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well. | |
| But wherefore do you hold me here so long? | ||
| What is it that you would impart to me? | ||
| If it be aught toward the general good, | 85 | |
| Set honour in one eye and death i' the other, | ||
| And I will look on both indifferently, | ||
| For let the gods so speed me as I love | ||
| The name of honour more than I fear death. | ||
| CASSIUS | I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, | 90 |
| As well as I do know your outward favour. | ||
| Well, honour is the subject of my story. | ||
| I cannot tell what you and other men | ||
| Think of this life; but, for my single self, | ||
| I had as lief not be as live to be | 95 | |
| In awe of such a thing as I myself. | ||
| I was born free as Caesar; so were you: | ||
| We both have fed as well, and we can both | ||
| Endure the winter's cold as well as he: | ||
| For once, upon a raw and gusty day, | 100 | |
| The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, | ||
| Caesar said to me "Darest thou, Cassius, now | ||
| Leap in with me into this angry flood, | ||
| And swim to yonder point?" Upon the word, | ||
| Accoutred as I was, I plunged in | 105 | |
| And bade him follow; so indeed he did. | ||
| The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it | ||
| With lusty sinews, throwing it aside | ||
| And stemming it with hearts of controversy; | ||
| But ere we could arrive the point proposed, | 110 | |
| Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!' | ||
| I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor, | ||
| Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder | ||
| The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber | ||
| Did I the tired Caesar. And this man | 115 | |
| Is now become a god, and Cassius is | ||
| A wretched creature and must bend his body, | ||
| If Caesar carelessly but nod on him. | ||
| He had a fever when he was in Spain, | ||
| And when the fit was on him, I did mark | 120 | |
| How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake; | ||
| His coward lips did from their colour fly, | ||
| And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world | ||
| Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan: | ||
| Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans | 125 | |
| Mark him and write his speeches in their books, | ||
| Alas, it cried "Give me some drink, Titinius," | ||
| As a sick girl. Ye gods! it doth amaze me | ||
| A man of such a feeble temper should | ||
| So get the start of the majestic world | 130 | |
| And bear the palm alone. | ||
| [Shout. Flourish.] | ||
| BRUTUS | Another general shout! | |
| I do believe that these applauses are | ||
| For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar. | ||
| CASSIUS | Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world | |
| Like a Colossus, and we petty men | 136 | |
| Walk under his huge legs and peep about | ||
| To find ourselves dishonourable graves. | ||
| Men at some time are masters of their fates: | ||
| The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, | 140 | |
| But in ourselves, that we are underlings. | ||
| Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that "Caesar"? | ||
| Why should that name be sounded more than yours? | ||
| Write them together, yours is as fair a name; | ||
| Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well; | 145 | |
| Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em, | ||
| Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar. | ||
| Now, in the names of all the gods at once, | ||
| Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, | ||
| That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed! | 150 | |
| Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! | ||
| When went there by an age, since the great flood, | ||
| But it was famed with more than with one man? | ||
| When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome, | ||
| That her wide walls encompassed but one man? | 155 | |
| Now is it Rome indeed and room enough, | ||
| When there is in it but one only man. | ||
| O, you and I have heard our fathers say, | ||
| There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd | ||
| The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome | 160 | |
| As easily as a king. | ||
| BRUTUS | That you do love me, I am nothing jealous; | |
| What you would work me to, I have some aim: | ||
| How I have thought of this and of these times, | ||
| I shall recount hereafter; for this present, | 165 | |
| I would not, so with love I might entreat you, | ||
| Be any further moved. What you have said | ||
| I will consider; what you have to say | ||
| I will with patience hear, and find a time | ||
| Both meet to hear and answer such high things. | 170 | |
| Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this: | ||
| Brutus had rather be a villager | ||
| Than to repute himself a son of Rome | ||
| Under these hard conditions as this time | ||
| Is like to lay upon us. | 175 | |
| CASSIUS | I am glad that my weak words | |
| Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. | ||
| BRUTUS | The games are done and Caesar is returning. | |
| CASSIUS | As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve; | |
| And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you | 180 | |
| What hath proceeded worthy note to–day. | ||
| [Re–enter CAESAR and his Train.] | ||
| BRUTUS | I will do so. But, look you, Cassius, | |
| The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow, | ||
| And all the rest look like a chidden train: | ||
| Calpurnia's cheek is pale; and Cicero | 185 | |
| Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes | ||
| As we have seen him in the Capitol, | ||
| Being cross'd in conference by some senators. | ||
| CASSIUS | Casca will tell us what the matter is. | |
| CAESAR | Antonius! | 190 |
| ANTONY | Caesar? | |
| CAESAR | Let me have men about me that are fat; | |
| Sleek–headed men and such as sleep o' nights: | ||
| Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look; | ||
| He thinks too much: such men are dangerous. | 195 | |
| ANTONY | Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous; | |
| He is a noble Roman and well given. | ||
| CAESAR | Would he were fatter! But I fear him not: | |
| Yet if my name were liable to fear, | ||
| I do not know the man I should avoid | 200 | |
| So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much; | ||
| He is a great observer and he looks | ||
| Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays, | ||
| As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music; | ||
| Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort | 205 | |
| As if he mock'd himself and scorn'd his spirit | ||
| That could be moved to smile at any thing. | ||
| Such men as he be never at heart's ease | ||
| Whiles they behold a greater than themselves, | ||
| And therefore are they very dangerous. | 210 | |
| I rather tell thee what is to be fear'd | ||
| Than what I fear; for always I am Caesar. | ||
| Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf, | ||
| And tell me truly what thou think'st of him. | ||
| [Sennet. Exeunt CAESAR and all his Train, but CASCA.] | ||
| CASCA | You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me? | |
| BRUTUS | Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to–day, | |
| That Caesar looks so sad. | ||
| CASCA | Why, you were with him, were you not? | |
| BRUTUS | I should not then ask Casca what had chanced. | |
| CASCA | Why, there was a crown offered him: and being | |
| offered him, he put it by with the back of his hand, | ||
| thus; and then the people fell a–shouting. | 222 | |
| BRUTUS | What was the second noise for? | |
| CASCA | Why, for that too. | |
| CASSIUS | They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for? | |
| CASCA | Why, for that too. | |
| BRUTUS | Was the crown offered him thrice? | |
| CASCA | Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every | |
| time gentler than other, and at every putting–by | ||
| mine honest neighbours shouted. | 230 | |
| CASSIUS | Who offered him the crown? | |
| CASCA | Why, Antony. | |
| BRUTUS | Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca. | |
| CASCA | I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it: | |
| it was mere foolery; I did not mark it. I saw Mark | ||
| Antony offer him a crown;––yet 'twas not a crown | ||
| neither, 'twas one of these coronets;––and, as I told | ||
| you, he put it by once: but, for all that, to my | ||
| thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he | ||
| offered it to him again; then he put it by again: | ||
| but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his | ||
| fingers off it. And then he offered it the third | ||
| time; he put it the third time by: and still as he | ||
| refused it, the rabblement hooted and clapped their | ||
| chapped hands and threw up their sweaty night–caps | ||
| and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because | ||
| Caesar refused the crown that it had almost choked | ||
| Caesar; for he swounded and fell down at it: and | ||
| for mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of | ||
| opening my lips and receiving the bad air. | 248 | |
| CASSIUS | But, soft, I pray you: what, did Caesar swound? | |
| CASCA | He fell down in the market–place, and foamed at | |
| mouth, and was speechless. | ||
| BRUTUS | Tis very like: he hath the failing sickness. | |
| CASSIUS | No, Caesar hath it not; but you and I, | |
| And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness. | ||
| CASCA | I know not what you mean by that; but, I am sure, | |
| Caesar fell down. If the tag–rag people did not | ||
| clap him and hiss him, according as he pleased and | ||
| displeased them, as they use to do the players in | ||
| the theatre, I am no true man. | ||
| BRUTUS | What said he when he came unto himself? | 260 |
| CASCA | Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the | |
| common herd was glad he refused the crown, he | ||
| plucked me ope his doublet and offered them his | ||
| throat to cut. An I had been a man of any | ||
| occupation, if I would not have taken him at a word, | ||
| I would I might go to hell among the rogues. And so | ||
| he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, | ||
| If he had done or said any thing amiss, he desired | ||
| their worships to think it was his infirmity. Three | ||
| or four wenches, where I stood, cried 'Alas, good | ||
| soul!' and forgave him with all their hearts: but | ||
| there's no heed to be taken of them; if Caesar had | ||
| stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less. | 272 | |
| BRUTUS | And after that, he came, thus sad, away? | |
| CASCA | Ay. | |
| CASSIUS | Did Cicero say any thing? | 275 |
| CASCA | Ay, he spoke Greek. | |
| CASSIUS | To what effect? | |
| CASCA | Nay, an I tell you that, I'll ne'er look you i' the | |
| face again: but those that understood him smiled at | ||
| one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own | 280 | |
| part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more | ||
| news too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs | ||
| off Caesar's images, are put to silence. Fare you | ||
| well. There was more foolery yet, if I could | ||
| remember it. | ||
| CASSIUS | Will you sup with me to–night, Casca? | 285 |
| CASCA | No, I am promised forth. | |
| CASSIUS | Will you dine with me to–morrow? | |
| CASCA | Ay, if I be alive and your mind hold and your dinner | |
| worth the eating. | ||
| CASSIUS | Good: I will expect you. | |
| CASCA | Do so. Farewell, both. | |
| Exit | ||
| BRUTUS | What a blunt fellow is this grown to be! | |
| He was quick mettle when he went to school. | ||
| CASSIUS | So is he now in execution | |
| Of any bold or noble enterprise, | 295 | |
| However he puts on this tardy form. | ||
| This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit, | ||
| Which gives men stomach to digest his words | ||
| With better appetite. | ||
| BRUTUS | And so it is. For this time I will leave you: | 300 |
| To–morrow, if you please to speak with me, | ||
| I will come home to you; or, if you will, | ||
| Come home to me, and I will wait for you. | ||
| CASSIUS | I will do so: till then, think of the world. | |
| Exit BRUTUS. | ||
| Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see, | 305 | |
| Thy honourable metal may be wrought | ||
| From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet | ||
| That noble minds keep ever with their likes; | ||
| For who so firm that cannot be seduced? | ||
| Caesar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus: | ||
| If I were Brutus now and he were Cassius, | ||
| He should not humour me. I will this night, | ||
| In several hands, in at his windows throw, | ||
| As if they came from several citizens, | ||
| Writings all tending to the great opinion | 315 | |
| That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely | ||
| Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at: | ||
| And after this let Caesar seat him sure; | ||
| For we will shake him, or worse days endure. | ||
| Exit |