Scene I

Enter Brutus in his orchard.

BRUTUS:

[Calling out.]

What, Lucius, ho!
I cannot, by the progress of the stars,
Gives guess how near to day. Lucius, I say!
I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.
When, Lucius, when? awake, I say! what, Lucius!(5)

BRUTUS:

Hey, Lucius, oh!—
I can’t tell how close sunrise is
By the progress of the stars. —Lucius, I say!—
I wish I had the problem of sleeping so soundly.—
When, Lucius, when! Wake up, I say! Hey, Lucius!

Enter Lucius.

LUCIUS:

Call'd you, my lord?

LUCIUS:

You called, my lord?

BRUTUS:

Get me a taper in my study, Lucius.
When it is lighted, come and call me here.

BRUTUS:

Light a candle in my study, Lucius.
When it is lit, come back and call me here.

LUCIUS:

I will, my lord.

LUCIUS:

I will, my lord.

Exit.

BRUTUS:

It must be by his death, and, for my part,(10)
I know no personal cause to spurn at him,
But for the general. He would be crown'd:
How that might change his nature, there's the question.
It is the bright day that brings forth the adder
And that craves wary walking. Crown him? that;(15)
And then, I grant, we put a sting in him
That at his will he may do danger with.
The abuse of greatness is when it disjoins
Remorse from power, and, to speak truth of Caesar,
I have not known when his affections sway'd(20)
More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof
That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,
Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;
But when he once attains the upmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,(25)
Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend. So Caesar may;
Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel
Will bear no color for the thing he is,
Fashion it thus, that what he is, augmented,(30)
Would run to these and these extremities;
And therefore think him as a serpent's egg
Which hatch'd would as his kind grow mischievous,
And kill him in the shell.

BRUTUS:

He must die, and, for my part,
I don’t know a personal cause to throw at him,
But for the general complaints. He wants to be crowned.
There's the question: how that might change his nature.
A bright day brings out the black, poison snake,
And that means we must walk carefully. Crown him?— that.
And then, I admit, he may do danger, at his will, with
A sting that we put in him.
The abuse of greatness is when it disconnects
Remorse from power, and, to speak truth about Caesar,
I haven’t known a time when his emotions were swayed
More than his reason. But it’s common knowledge
That being lowly is young ambition's ladder
Where the one who would climb upward looks for help,
But, when he once he gets to the top,
He then turns his back to the ladder and
Looks to the clouds, scorning the common ladder
By which he ascended. Caesar might do the same thing.
Then, because he might, we must prevent it. And, since the quarrelis rather thin for the thing he is,
We must make it sound like this—that what he is,
With some additions, would run to these and these extremities.
And for that reason we must think of him as a serpent's egg
Which hatched, would, as his kind grow dangerous,
And kill him in the shell.

[Re-]enter Lucius with a taper.]

LUCIUS:

The taper burneth in your closet, sir.(35)
Searching the window for a flint I found
This paper thus seal'd up, and I am sure
It did not lie there when I went to bed.

LUCIUS:

The candle burns in your bedroom, sir.
Searching the window for a match, I found
This paper sealed up like this, and I’m sure
It wasn’t there when I went to bed.

Gives him the letter.

BRUTUS:

Get you to bed again, it is not day.
Is not tomorrow, boy, the ides of March?(40)

BRUTUS:

Go back to bed; it isn’t day.
Isn’t tomorrow, boy, the Ides of March?

LUCIUS:

I know not, sir.

LUCIUS:

I don’t know, sir.

BRUTUS:

Look in the calendar and bring me word.

BRUTUS:

Look at the calendar, and come back and tell me.

LUCIUS:

I will, sir.

LUCIUS:

I will, sir.

Exit.

BRUTUS:

The exhalations whizzing in the air
Give so much light that I may read by them.(45)

Opens the letter, and reads.

“Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake and see thyself!
Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress!”
“Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake!”
Such instigations have been often dropp'd
Where I have took them up.(50)
“Shall Rome, &c.” Thus must I piece it out.
Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome?
My ancestors did from the streets of Rome
The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king.
“Speak, strike, redress!” Am I entreated(55)
To speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise,
If the redress will follow, thou receivest
Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus!

BRUTUS:

The vapors, whizzing in the air
Give off so much light that I can read by them.—

"Brutus, you sleep. Wake up and see yourself.
Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, revenge—!
Brutus, you sleep. Wake up!—"
Such instigations have often been dropped
Where I have picked them up.
"Shall Rome, etc." Accordingly, I have to figure this out.
Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome?
My ancestors drove Tarquin from the streets of Rome
When he was called a king.—
"Speak, strike, revenge!"—Am I begged, then,To speak and strike? O Rome, I promise you,
If revenge follows, you will receive
Everything you ask for at the hand of Brutus!

[Re-]enter Lucius.

LUCIUS:

Sir, March is wasted fifteen days.

LUCIUS:

Sir, it’s the fifteenth day of March.

Knocking within.

BRUTUS:

'Tis good. Go to the gate, somebody knocks.(60)

Exit Lucius.

Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar
I have not slept.
Between the acting of a dreadful thing
And the first motion, all the interim is
Like a phantasma or a hideous dream;(65)
The genius and the mortal instruments
Are then in council, and the state of man,
Like to a little kingdom, suffers then
The nature of an insurrection.

BRUTUS:

Good. Go ahead answer the door; somebody knocks.—

Since Cassius first persuaded me to go against Caesar,
I have not slept.
Between talking about a dreadful thing
And doing it, all the time in between is
Like an illusion or a hideous dream.
The mind and the physical instruments
Are then in agreement, and the state of man,
Like a little kingdom, suffers
The pains of rebellion.

[Re-]Enter Lucius.[with a taper.]

LUCIUS:

Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door,(70)
Who doth desire to see you.

LUCIUS:

Sir, it’s your brother, Cassius, at the door,
Who wants to see you.

BRUTUS:

Is he alone?

BRUTUS:

Is he alone?

LUCIUS:

No, sir, there are moe with him.

LUCIUS:

No, sir, there are more with him.

BRUTUS:

Do you know them?

BRUTUS:

Do you know them?

LUCIUS:

No, sir, their hats are pluck'd about their ears,(75)
And half their faces buried in their cloaks,
That by no means I may discover them
By any mark of favor.

LUCIUS:

No, sir, their hats are drawn over their ears,
And half their faces are buried in their cloaks,
So that I couldn’t tell from their clothes or faces
Who any of them are.

BRUTUS:

Let 'em enter.

[Exit Lucius.]

They are the faction. O Conspiracy,(80)
Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,
When evils are most free? O, then, by day
Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough
To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;
Hide it in smiles and affability;(85)
For if thou path, thy native semblance on,
Not Erebus itself were dim enough
To hide thee from prevention.

BRUTUS:

They’re the rebels.—O conspiracy,
Shame on you for showing your dangerous eyes by night
When evils are most free? O, then, by day
Where will you find a cavern dark enough
To hide your monstrous face? Don’t find any, conspiracy;
Hide it in smiles and friendliness,
Because, if you pass, your real face on,
Not even the dark place between heaven and hell itself
Is dim enough to hide you from being stopped.

Enter the conspirators, Cassius,[with a taper] Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus [Cimber], and Trebonius.

CASSIUS:

I think we are too bold upon your rest.
Good morrow, Brutus, do we trouble you?(90)

CASSIUS:

I think we are too bold to interrupt your sleep.
Good morning, Brutus; are we troubling you?

BRUTUS:

I have been up this hour, awake all night.
Know I these men that come along with you?

BRUTUS:

I’ve been up this hour. I was wake up all night.
Do I know these men that come along with you?

CASSIUS:

Yes, every man of them, and no man here
But honors you, and every one doth wish
You had but that opinion of yourself(95)
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

CASSIUS:

Yes, every one of them, and every man here
Respects you, and every one wishes
You had that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman has for you.
This is Trebonius.

BRUTUS:

He is welcome hither.

BRUTUS:

He’s welcome here.

CASSIUS:

This, Decius Brutus.

CASSIUS:

This, Decius Brutus.

BRUTUS:

He is welcome too.(100)

BRUTUS:

He’s welcome too.

CASSIUS:

This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber.

CASSIUS:

This, Casca; this, Cinna, and this, Metellus Cimber.

BRUTUS:

They are all welcome.
What watchful cares do interpose themselves
Betwixt your eyes and night?

BRUTUS:

They’re all welcome.—
What worries are keeping you
From sleeping?

CASSIUS:

Shall I entreat a word?(105)

CASSIUS:

May I have a word with you?

They whisper.

DECIUS:

Here lies the east. Doth not the day break here?

DECIUS:

This direction is east. Doesn’t the day break here?

CASCA:

No.

CASCA:

No.

CINNA:

O, pardon, sir, it doth, and yon grey lines
That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

CINNA:

O, pardon, sir, it does, and the gray lines over there
That adorn the clouds are the messengers of dawn.

CASCA:

You shall confess that you are both deceived.(110)
Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises,
Which is a great way growing on the south,
Weighing the youthful season of the year.
Some two months hence up higher toward the north
He first presents his fire, and the high east(115)
Stands as the Capitol, directly here.

CASCA:

You’ll see that you’re both wrong.
Here, where I point my sword, the Sun rises,
Which is going a great way to the South,
Bringing in spring.
Some two months away, up higher toward the North,
He first shines, and the high East
Stands, just as the Capitol, directly here.

BRUTUS:

Give me your hands all over, one by one.

BRUTUS:

Let’s shake hands all over again, one by one.

CASSIUS:

And let us swear our resolution.

CASSIUS:

And let’s swear our determination.

BRUTUS:

No, not an oath. If not the face of men,
The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse—(120)
If these be motives weak, break off betimes,
And every man hence to his idle bed;
So let high-sighted tyranny range on
Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,
As I am sure they do, bear fire enough(125)
To kindle cowards and to steel with valor
The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen,
What need we any spur but our own cause
To prick us to redress? What other bond
Than secret Romans that have spoke the word(130)
And will not palter? And what other oath
Than honesty to honesty engaged
That this shall be or we will fall for it?
Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,
Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls(135)
That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear
Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain
The even virtue of our enterprise,
Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits,
To think that or our cause or our performance(140)
Did need an oath; when every drop of blood
That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,
Is guilty of a several bastardy
If he do break the smallest particle
Of any promise that hath pass'd from him.(145)

BRUTUS:

No, not an oath. If not the face of men,
The suffering of our souls, the waste of time—
If these motives are weak, let’s break it off now,
And every man go away to his lazy rest,
Let high-sighted tyranny range on
Until each man drops by chance. But if these events,
As I’m sure they do, bear fire enough
To kindle cowards, and to harden
The melting spirits of women with valor, then, countrymen,
What do we need any other motivation except our own causeTo prod us to revenge? What other bonds
Than secret Romans, that have spoken the word,
And will not negotiate without honor? And what other oath
Than honesty to honesty promised
That this promise shall be, or we will die for it?
Swear priests and cowards, and deceitful men,
Old feeble dead bodies and such suffering souls
That welcome wrongs; swear to bad causes that
Such creatures as men doubt, but don’t stain
The even goodness of our undertaking,
or the unsuppressed character of our spirits,
To think that our cause and our performance
Need oaths, when every drop of blood
That every Roman carries, and carries nobly,
Is guilty of causing the birth of several bastards,
If he breaks the smallest particle
Of any promise that he has made.