Table of Contents
ACT III SCENE I Setting: Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.
A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish.Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others.
| CAESAR | (To the Soothsayer)The ides of March are come | |
| Soothsayer | Ay, Caesar; but not gone. | |
| ARTEMIDORUS | Hail, Caesar! read this schedule. | |
| DECIUS BRUTUS | Trebonius doth desire you to o'erread, | |
| At your best leisure, this his humble suit. | 5 | |
| ARTEMIDORUS | O Caesar, read mine first; for mine's a suit | |
| That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar. | ||
| CAESAR | What touches us ourself shall be last served. | |
| ARTEMIDORUS | Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly. | |
| CAESAR | What, is the fellow mad? | |
| PUBLIUS | Sirrah, give place. | 10 |
| CASSIUS | What, urge you your petitions in the street? | |
| Come to the Capitol. | ||
| CAESAR goes up to the Senate–House, the rest following | ||
| POPILIUS | I wish your enterprise to–day may thrive. | |
| CASSIUS | What enterprise, Popilius? | |
| POPILIUS | Fare you well. | |
| [Advances to CAESAR.] | ||
| BRUTUS | What said Popilius Lena? | 15 |
| CASSIUS | He wish'd to–day our enterprise might thrive. | |
| I fear our purpose is discovered. | ||
| BRUTUS | Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him. | |
| CASSIUS | Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. | |
| Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, | 20 | |
| Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back, | ||
| For I will slay myself. | ||
| BRUTUS | Cassius, be constant: | |
| Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; | ||
| For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change. | ||
| CASSIUS | Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus. | 25 |
| He draws Mark Antony out of the way. | ||
| [Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS.] | ||
| DECIUS BRUTUS | Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, | |
| And presently prefer his suit to Caesar. | ||
| BRUTUS | He is address'd: press near and second him. | |
| CINNA | Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. | 30 |
| CAESAR | Are we all ready? What is now amiss | |
| That Caesar and his senate must redress? | ||
| METELLUS CIMBER | Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar, | |
| Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat | ||
| An humble heart,–– | ||
| [Kneeling] | ||
| CAESAR | I must prevent thee, Cimber. | 35 |
| These couchings and these lowly courtesies | ||
| Might fire the blood of ordinary men, | ||
| And turn pre–ordinance and first decree | ||
| Into the law of children. Be not fond, | ||
| To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood | 40 | |
| That will be thaw'd from the true quality | ||
| With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words, | ||
| Low–crooked court'sies and base spaniel–fawning. | ||
| Thy brother by decree is banished: | ||
| If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, | 45 | |
| I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. | ||
| Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause | ||
| Will he be satisfied. | ||
| METELLUS CIMBER | Is there no voice more worthy than my own | |
| To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear | 50 | |
| For the repealing of my banish'd brother? | ||
| BRUTUS | I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar; | |
| Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may | ||
| Have an immediate freedom of repeal. | ||
| CAESAR | What, Brutus! | |
| CASSIUS | Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon: | |
| As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall, | 56 | |
| To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber. | ||
| CASSIUS | I could be well moved, if I were as you: | |
| If I could pray to move, prayers would move me: | ||
| But I am constant as the northern star, | ||
| Of whose true–fix'd and resting quality | ||
| There is no fellow in the firmament. | ||
| The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks, | ||
| They are all fire and every one doth shine, | ||
| But there's but one in all doth hold his place: | 65 | |
| So in the world; 'tis furnish'd well with men, | ||
| And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; | ||
| Yet in the number I do know but one | ||
| That unassailable holds on his rank, | ||
| Unshaked of motion: and that I am he, | 70 | |
| Let me a little show it, even in this; | ||
| That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd, | ||
| And constant do remain to keep him so. | ||
| CINNA | O Caesar,–– | |
| CAESAR | Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus? | |
| DECIUS BRUTUS | Great Caesar,–– | |
| CAESAR | Doth not Brutus bootless kneel? | |
| CASCA | Speak, hands for me! | |
| CAESAR | Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar! | |
| [Dies] | ||
| CINNA | Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! | |
| Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets. | ||
| CASSIUS | Some to the common pulpits, and cry out | 80 |
| Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!' | ||
| BRUTUS | People and senators, be not affrighted; | |
| Fly not; stand stiff: ambition's debt is paid. | ||
| CASCA | Go to the pulpit, Brutus. | |
| DECIUS BRUTUS | And Cassius too. | 85 |
| BRUTUS | Where's Publius? | |
| CINNA | Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. | |
| METELLUS CIMBER | Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's | |
| Should chance–– | ||
| BRUTUS | Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer; | 90 |
| There is no harm intended to your person, | ||
| Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius. | ||
| CASSIUS | And leave us, Publius; lest that the people, | |
| Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief. | ||
| BRUTUS | Do so: and let no man abide this deed, | 95 |
| But we the doers. | ||
| Re–enter TREBONIUS. | ||
| CASSIUS | Where is Antony? | |
| TREBONIUS | Fled to his house amazed: | |
| Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run | ||
| As it were doomsday. | ||
| BRUTUS | Fates, we will know your pleasures: | |
| That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time | 100 | |
| And drawing days out, that men stand upon. | ||
| CASSIUS | Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life | |
| Cuts off so many years of fearing death. | ||
| BRUTUS | Grant that, and then is death a benefit: | |
| So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged | 105 | |
| His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop, | ||
| And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood | ||
| Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords: | ||
| Then walk we forth, even to the market–place, | ||
| And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, | 110 | |
| Let's all cry 'Peace, freedom and liberty!' | ||
| CASSIUS | Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence | |
| Shall this our lofty scene be acted over | ||
| In states unborn and accents yet unknown! | ||
| BRUTUS | How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport, | 115 |
| That now on Pompey's basis lies along | ||
| No worthier than the dust! | ||
| CASSIUS | So oft as that shall be, | |
| So often shall the knot of us be call'd | ||
| The men that gave their country liberty. | ||
| DECIUS BRUTUS | What, shall we forth? | |
| CASSIUS | Ay, every man away: | 120 |
| Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels | ||
| With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome. | ||
| Enter a Servant. | ||
| BRUTUS | Soft! who comes here? A friend of Antony's. | |
| Servant | Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel: | |
| Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down; | 125 | |
| And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: | ||
| Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest; | ||
| Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving: | ||
| Say I love Brutus, and I honour him; | ||
| Say I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him and loved him. | 130 | |
| If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony | ||
| May safely come to him, and be resolved | ||
| How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death, | ||
| Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead | ||
| So well as Brutus living; but will follow | 135 | |
| The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus | ||
| Thorough the hazards of this untrod state | ||
| With all true faith. So says my master Antony. | ||
| BRUTUS | Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman; | |
| I never thought him worse. | 140 | |
| Tell him, so please him come unto this place, | ||
| He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour, | ||
| Depart untouch'd. | ||
| Servant | I'll fetch him presently. | |
| Exit | ||
| BRUTUS | I know that we shall have him well to friend. | |
| CASSIUS | I wish we may: but yet have I a mind | 145 |
| That fears him much; and my misgiving still | ||
| Falls shrewdly to the purpose. | ||
| BRUTUS | But here comes Antony. | |
| Re–enter ANTONY. | ||
| Welcome, Mark Antony. | ||
| ANTONY | O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low? | |
| Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, | 150 | |
| Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well. | ||
| I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, | ||
| Who else must be let blood, who else is rank: | ||
| If I myself, there is no hour so fit | ||
| As Caesar's death hour, nor no instrument | 155 | |
| Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich | ||
| With the most noble blood of all this world. | ||
| I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, | ||
| Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, | ||
| Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years, | 160 | |
| I shall not find myself so apt to die: | ||
| No place will please me so, no mean of death, | ||
| As here by Caesar, and by you cut off, | ||
| The choice and master spirits of this age. | ||
| BRUTUS | O Antony, beg not your death of us. | 165 |
| Though now we must appear bloody and cruel, | ||
| As, by our hands and this our present act, | ||
| You see we do, yet see you but our hands | ||
| And this the bleeding business they have done: | ||
| Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; | 170 | |
| And pity to the general wrong of Rome–– | ||
| As fire drives out fire, so pity pity–– | ||
| Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part, | ||
| To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony: | ||
| Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts | 175 | |
| Of brothers' temper, do receive you in | ||
| With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence. | ||
| CASSIUS | Your voice shall be as strong as any man's | |
| In the disposing of new dignities. | ||
| BRUTUS | Only be patient till we have appeased | 180 |
| The multitude, beside themselves with fear, | ||
| And then we will deliver you the cause, | ||
| Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him, | ||
| Have thus proceeded. | ||
| ANTONY | I doubt not of your wisdom. | |
| Let each man render me his bloody hand: | 185 | |
| First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you; | ||
| Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand; | ||
| Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus; | ||
| Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; | ||
| Though last, not last in love, yours, good Trebonius. | 190 | |
| Gentlemen all,––alas, what shall I say? | ||
| My credit now stands on such slippery ground, | ||
| That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, | ||
| Either a coward or a flatterer. | ||
| That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true: | 195 | |
| If then thy spirit look upon us now, | ||
| Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death, | ||
| To see thy thy Anthony making his peace, | ||
| Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes, | ||
| Most noble! in the presence of thy corse? | 200 | |
| Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds, | ||
| Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, | ||
| It would become me better than to close | ||
| In terms of friendship with thine enemies. | ||
| Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart; | 205 | |
| Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand, | ||
| Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe. | ||
| O world, thou wast the forest to this hart; | ||
| And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee. | ||
| How like a deer, strucken by many princes, | 210 | |
| Dost thou here lie! | ||
| CASSIUS | Mark Antony,–– | |
| ANTONY | Pardon me, Caius Cassius: | |
| The enemies of Caesar shall say this; | ||
| Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty. | ||
| CASSIUS | I blame you not for praising Caesar so; | 215 |
| But what compact mean you to have with us? | ||
| Will you be prick'd in number of our friends; | ||
| Or shall we on, and not depend on you? | ||
| ANTONY | Therefore I took your hands, but was, indeed, | |
| Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Caesar. | 220 | |
| Friends am I with you all and love you all, | ||
| Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons | ||
| Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous. | ||
| BRUTUS | Or else were this a savage spectacle: | |
| Our reasons are so full of good regard | 225 | |
| That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar, | ||
| You should be satisfied. | ||
| ANTONY | That's all I seek: | |
| And am moreover suitor that I may | ||
| Produce his body to the market–place; | ||
| And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend, | 230 | |
| Speak in the order of his funeral. | ||
| BRUTUS | You shall, Mark Antony. | |
| CASSIUS | Brutus, a word with you. | |
| Aside to BRUTUS. | ||
| You know not what you do: do not consent | ||
| That Antony speak in his funeral: | ||
| Know you how much the people may be moved | 235 | |
| By that which he will utter? | ||
| BRUTUS | By your pardon; | |
| I will myself into the pulpit first, | ||
| And show the reason of our Caesar's death: | ||
| What Antony shall speak, I will protest | ||
| He speaks by leave and by permission, | 240 | |
| And that we are contented Caesar shall | ||
| Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies. | ||
| It shall advantage more than do us wrong. | ||
| CASSIUS | I know not what may fall; I like it not. | |
| BRUTUS | Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body. | |
| You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, | ||
| But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, | ||
| And say you do't by our permission; | ||
| Else shall you not have any hand at all | ||
| About his funeral: and you shall speak | 250 | |
| In the same pulpit whereto I am going, | ||
| After my speech is ended. | ||
| ANTONY | Be it so. | |
| I do desire no more. | ||
| BRUTUS | Prepare the body then, and follow us. | |
| [Exeunt all but ANTONY.] | ||
| ANTONY | O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, | 255 |
| That I am meek and gentle with these butchers! | ||
| Thou art the ruins of the noblest man | ||
| That ever lived in the tide of times. | ||
| Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood! | ||
| Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,–– | 260 | |
| Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips, | ||
| To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue–– | ||
| A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; | ||
| Domestic fury and fierce civil strife | ||
| Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; | 265 | |
| Blood and destruction shall be so in use | ||
| And dreadful objects so familiar | ||
| That mothers shall but smile when they behold | ||
| Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war; | ||
| All pity choked with custom of fell deeds: | 270 | |
| And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge, | ||
| With Ate by his side come hot from hell, | ||
| Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice | ||
| Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war; | ||
| That this foul deed shall smell above the earth | 275 | |
| With carrion men, groaning for burial. | ||
| Enter a Servant. | ||
| You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not? | ||
| Servant | I do, Mark Antony. | |
| ANTONY | Caesar did write for him to come to Rome. | |
| Servant | He did receive his letters, and is coming; | 280 |
| And bid me say to you by word of mouth–– | ||
| O Caesar!–– | ||
| [Seeing the body.] | ||
| ANTONY | Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep. | |
| Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes, | ||
| Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, | 285 | |
| Began to water. Is thy master coming? | ||
| Servant | He lies to–night within seven leagues of Rome. | |
| ANTONY | Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced: | |
| Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, | ||
| No Rome of safety for Octavius yet; | 290 | |
| Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile; | ||
| Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse | ||
| Into the market–place: there shall I try | ||
| In my oration, how the people take | ||
| The cruel issue of these bloody men; | 295 | |
| According to the which, thou shalt discourse | ||
| To young Octavius of the state of things. | ||
| Lend me your hand. | ||
| Exeunt with CAESAR's body. |