Table of Contents
ACT III SCENE II Setting: The Forum.
Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.
| Citizens | We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied. | |
| BRUTUS | Then follow me, and give me audience, friends. | |
| Cassius, go you into the other street, | ||
| And part the numbers. | ||
| Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here; | 5 | |
| Those that will follow Cassius, go with him; | ||
| And public reasons shall be rendered | ||
| Of Caesar's death. | ||
| First Citizen | I will hear Brutus speak. | |
| Second Citizen | I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons, | |
| When severally we hear them rendered. | 10 | |
| Third Citizen | The noble Brutus is ascended: silence! | |
| BRUTUS | Be patient till the last. | |
| Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my | ||
| cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me | ||
| for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that | ||
| you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and | ||
| awake your senses, that you may the better judge. | ||
| If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of | ||
| Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar | ||
| was no less than his. If then that friend demand | ||
| why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: | ||
| ––Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved | ||
| Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and | ||
| die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live | ||
| all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; | ||
| as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was | ||
| valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I | ||
| slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his | ||
| fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his | ||
| ambition. Who is here so base that would be a | ||
| bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. | ||
| Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If | ||
| any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so | ||
| vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; | ||
| for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. | 33 | |
| All | None, Brutus, none. | |
| BRUTUS | Then none have I offended. I have done no more to | |
| Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of | ||
| his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not | ||
| extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences | ||
| enforced, for which he suffered death. | 39 | |
| Enter ANTONY and others, with CAESAR's body. | ||
| Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, | ||
| though he had no hand in his death, shall receive | ||
| the benefit of his dying, a place in the | ||
| commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this | ||
| I depart,––that, as I slew my best lover for the | ||
| good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, | ||
| when it shall please my country to need my death. | 46 | |
| All | Live, Brutus! live, live! | |
| First Citizen | Bring him with triumph home unto his house. | |
| Second Citizen | Give him a statue with his ancestors. | |
| Third Citizen | Let him be Caesar. | |
| Fourth Citizen | Caesar's better parts | 50 |
| Shall be crown'd in Brutus. | ||
| First Citizen | We'll bring him to his house | |
| With shouts and clamours. | ||
| BRUTUS | My countrymen,–– | |
| Second Citizen | Peace, silence! Brutus speaks. | |
| First Citizen | Peace, ho! | |
| BRUTUS | Good countrymen, let me depart alone, | 55 |
| And, for my sake, stay here with Antony: | ||
| Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech | ||
| Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony, | ||
| By our permission, is allow'd to make. | ||
| I do entreat you, not a man depart, | 60 | |
| Save I alone, till Antony have spoke. | ||
| Exit | ||
| First Citizen | Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. | |
| Third Citizen | Let him go up into the public chair; | |
| We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up. | ||
| ANTONY | For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you. | 65 |
| Goes into the pulpit | ||
| Fourth Citizen | What does he say of Brutus? | |
| Third Citizen | He says, for Brutus' sake, | |
| He finds himself beholding to us all. | ||
| Fourth Citizen | Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here. | |
| First Citizen | This Caesar was a tyrant. | |
| Third Citizen | Nay, that's certain: | |
| We are blest that Rome is rid of him. | 70 | |
| Second Citizen | Peace! let us hear what Antony can say. | |
| ANTONY | You gentle Romans,–– | |
| Citizens | Peace, ho! let us hear him. | |
| ANTONY | Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; | |
| I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. | ||
| The evil that men do lives after them; | 75 | |
| The good is oft interred with their bones; | ||
| So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus | ||
| Hath told you Caesar was ambitious: | ||
| If it were so, it was a grievous fault, | ||
| And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. | 80 | |
| Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest–– | ||
| For Brutus is an honourable man; | ||
| So are they all, all honourable men–– | ||
| Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral. | ||
| He was my friend, faithful and just to me: | 85 | |
| But Brutus says he was ambitious; | ||
| And Brutus is an honourable man. | ||
| He hath brought many captives home to Rome | ||
| Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill: | ||
| Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? | 90 | |
| When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: | ||
| Ambition should be made of sterner stuff: | ||
| Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; | ||
| And Brutus is an honourable man. | ||
| You all did see that on the Lupercal | 95 | |
| I thrice presented him a kingly crown, | ||
| Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition? | ||
| Yet Brutus says he was ambitious; | ||
| And, sure, he is an honourable man. | ||
| I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, | 100 | |
| But here I am to speak what I do know. | ||
| You all did love him once, not without cause: | ||
| What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him? | ||
| O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts, | ||
| And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; | 105 | |
| My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, | ||
| And I must pause till it come back to me. | ||
| First Citizen | Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. | |
| Second Citizen | If thou consider rightly of the matter, | |
| Caesar has had great wrong. | ||
| Third Citizen | Has he, masters? | 110 |
| I fear there will a worse come in his place. | ||
| Fourth Citizen | Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown; | |
| Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious. | ||
| First Citizen | If it be found so, some will dear abide it. | |
| Second Citizen | Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. | |
| Third Citizen | There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony. | 116 |
| Fourth Citizen | Now mark him, he begins again to speak. | |
| ANTONY | But yesterday the word of Caesar might | |
| Have stood against the world; now lies he there. | ||
| And none so poor to do him reverence. | 120 | |
| O masters, if I were disposed to stir | ||
| Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, | ||
| I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, | ||
| Who, you all know, are honourable men: | ||
| I will not do them wrong; I rather choose | 125 | |
| To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, | ||
| Than I will wrong such honourable men. | ||
| But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar; | ||
| I found it in his closet, 'tis his will: | ||
| Let but the commons hear this testament–– | 130 | |
| Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read–– | ||
| And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds | ||
| And dip their napkins in his sacred blood, | ||
| Yea, beg a hair of him for memory, | ||
| And, dying, mention it within their wills, | 135 | |
| Bequeathing it as a rich legacy | ||
| Unto their issue. | ||
| Fourth Citizen | We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony. | |
| All | The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will. | |
| ANTONY | Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it; | |
| It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. | 141 | |
| You are not wood, you are not stones, but men; | ||
| And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar, | ||
| It will inflame you, it will make you mad: | ||
| Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; | 145 | |
| For, if you should, O, what would come of it! | ||
| Fourth Citizen | Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony; | |
| You shall read us the will, Caesar's will. | ||
| ANTONY | Will you be patient? will you stay awhile? | |
| I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it: | 150 | |
| I fear I wrong the honourable men | ||
| Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it. | ||
| Fourth Citizen | They were traitors: honourable men! | |
| All | The will! the testament! | |
| Second Citizen | They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will. | 155 |
| ANTONY | You will compel me, then, to read the will? | |
| Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar, | ||
| And let me show you him that made the will. | ||
| Shall I descend? and will you give me leave? | 160 | |
| Several Citizens | Come down. | |
| Second Citizen | Descend. | |
| Third Citizen | You shall have leave. | |
| ANTONY comes down. | ||
| Fourth Citizen | A ring; stand round. | |
| First Citizen | Stand from the hearse, stand from the body. | |
| Second Citizen | Room for Antony, most noble Antony. | 166 |
| ANTONY | Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off. | |
| Several Citizens | Stand back; room; bear back. | |
| ANTONY | If you have tears, prepare to shed them now. | |
| You all do know this mantle: I remember | 170 | |
| The first time ever Caesar put it on; | ||
| Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent, | ||
| That day he overcame the Nervii: | ||
| Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through: | ||
| See what a rent the envious Casca made: | 175 | |
| Through this the well–beloved Brutus stabb'd; | ||
| And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away, | ||
| Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it, | ||
| As rushing out of doors, to be resolved | ||
| If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no; | 180 | |
| For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel: | ||
| Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him! | ||
| This was the most unkindest cut of all; | ||
| For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, | ||
| Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, | 185 | |
| Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart; | ||
| And, in his mantle muffling up his face, | ||
| Even at the base of Pompey's statua, | ||
| Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell. | ||
| O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! | 190 | |
| Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, | ||
| Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us. | ||
| O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel | ||
| The dint of pity: these are gracious drops. | ||
| Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold | 195 | |
| Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here, | ||
| Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors. | ||
| First Citizen | O piteous spectacle! | |
| Second Citizen | O noble Caesar! | |
| Third Citizen | O woful day! | 200 |
| Fourth Citizen | O traitors, villains! | |
| First Citizen | O most bloody sight! | |
| Second Citizen | We will be revenged. | |
| All | Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay! | |
| Let not a traitor live! | ||
| ANTONY | Stay, countrymen. | 205 |
| First Citizen | Peace there! hear the noble Antony. | |
| Second Citizen | We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him. | |
| ANTONY | Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up | |
| To such a sudden flood of mutiny. | ||
| They that have done this deed are honourable: | 210 | |
| What private griefs they have, alas, I know not, | ||
| That made them do it: they are wise and honourable, | ||
| And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you. | 215 | |
| I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts: | ||
| I am no orator, as Brutus is; | ||
| But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man, | ||
| That love my friend; and that they know full well | ||
| That gave me public leave to speak of him: | 220 | |
| For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth, | ||
| Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech, | ||
| To stir men's blood: I only speak right on; | ||
| I tell you that which you yourselves do know; | ||
| Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths, | ||
| And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus, | 226 | |
| And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony | ||
| Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue | ||
| In every wound of Caesar that should move | ||
| The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny. | 230 | |
| All | We'll mutiny. | |
| First Citizen | We'll burn the house of Brutus. | |
| Third Citizen | Away, then! come, seek the conspirators. | |
| ANTONY | Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak. | |
| All | Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony! | |
| ANTONY | Why, friends, you go to do you know not what: | |
| Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves? | ||
| Alas, you know not: I must tell you then: | ||
| You have forgot the will I told you of. | ||
| All | Most true. The will! Let's stay and hear the will. | 240 |
| ANTONY | Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal. | |
| To every Roman citizen he gives, | ||
| To every several man, seventy–five drachmas. | ||
| Second Citizen | Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death. | |
| Third Citizen | O royal Caesar! | |
| ANTONY | Hear me with patience. | |
| All | Peace, ho! | |
| ANTONY | Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, | |
| His private arbours and new–planted orchards, | ||
| On this side Tiber; he hath left them you, | 250 | |
| And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures, | ||
| To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves. | ||
| Here was a Caesar! when comes such another? | ||
| First Citizen | Never, never. Come, away, away! | |
| We'll burn his body in the holy place, | 255 | |
| And with the brands fire the traitors' houses. | ||
| Take up the body. | ||
| Second Citizen | Go fetch fire. | |
| Third Citizen | Pluck down benches. | |
| Fourth Citizen | Pluck down forms, windows, any thing. | |
| Exeunt Citizens with the body. | ||
| ANTONY | Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, | 261 |
| Take thou what course thou wilt! | ||
| Enter a Servant | ||
| How now, fellow! | ||
| Servant | Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome. | |
| ANTONY | Where is he? | |
| Servant | He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house. | |
| ANTONY | And thither will I straight to visit him: | |
| He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry, | ||
| And in this mood will give us any thing. | ||
| Servant | I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius | 269 |
| Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome. | ||
| ANTONY | Belike they had some notice of the people, | |
| How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius. | ||
| Exeunt |