Scene I

[Rome. The Capitol]

[Flourish. Enter Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus [Cimber], Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Artimedorus, Publius, [Popilius]; and the Soothsayer.]

CAESAR:

The ides of March are come.

CAESAR:

The Ides of March are here.

SOOTHSAYER:

Ay, Caesar, but not gone.

SOOTHSAYER:

Yes, Caesar, but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS:

Hail, Caesar! Read this schedule.

ARTEMIDORUS:

Hail, Caesar! Read this petition.

DECIUS:

Trebonius doth desire you to o'er read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.(5)

DECIUS:

Trebonius wants you to read this
Humble suit at your leisure.

ARTEMIDORUS:

O Caesar, read mine first, for mine's a suit
That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.

ARTEMIDORUS:

O Caesar, read mine first, because mine's a suit
That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.

CAESAR:

What touches us ourself shall be last served.

CAESAR:

What concerns ourselves shall be the last thing considered.

ARTEMIDORUS:

Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.

ARTEMIDORUS:

Don’t delay, Caesar; read it instantly.

CAESAR:

What, is the fellow mad?(10)

CAESAR:

What, is the fellow mad?

PUBLIUS:

Sirrah, give place.

PUBLIUS:

Servant, get away.

CASSIUS:

What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

CASSIUS:

What, do you present your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

POPILIUS:

I wish your enterprise today may thrive.

POPILIUS:

I wish your undertaking today may thrive.

CASSIUS:

What enterprise, Popilius?(15)

CASSIUS:

What undertaking, Popilius?

POPILIUS:

Fare you well.

POPILIUS:

Goodbye.
Greetings to Caesar.

BRUTUS:

What said Popilius Lena?

BRUTUS:

What did Popilius Lena say?

CASSIUS:

He wish'd today our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.

CASSIUS:

He wished that our undertaking today might thrive.
I’m afraid our plan has been discovered.

BRUTUS:

Look, how he makes to Caesar. Mark him.(20)

BRUTUS:

Look, how he gets Caesar’s attention. Watch him.

CASSIUS:

Casca,
Be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.(25)

CASSIUS:

Casca, do it quickly, because we’re afraid we’ll be stopped.—
Brutus, what’s going to be done? If this is known,
Cassius or Caesar shall never turn back,
Because I’ll kill myself.

BRUTUS:

Cassius, be constant.
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

BRUTUS:

Cassius, stop worrying.
Popilius Lena doesn’t speak about our plan,
Because, look, he smiles, and Caesar doesn’t notice anything.

CASSIUS:

Trebonius knows his time, for, look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.(30)

CASSIUS:

Trebonius when to act, because, look, Brutus,
He’s taking Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.]

DECIUS:

Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

DECIUS:

Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him come,
And now tell Caesar what it is that he wants.

BRUTUS:

He is address'd; press near and second him.

BRUTUS:

He’s ready; get closer and back him up.

CINNA:

Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

CINNA:

Casca, you’re the first one to strike.

CAESAR:

Are we all ready? What is now amiss(35)
That Caesar and his Senate must redress?

CAESAR:

Are we All ready? What’s the problem
That Caesar and his Senate must fix?

METELLUS:

Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart.

METELLUS:

Most high, most mighty, and most powerful Caesar,
Metellus Cimber falls before you
Most humbly.

CAESAR:

I must prevent thee, Cimber.(40)
These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men
And turn preordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood(45)
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,(50)
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

CAESAR:

I must stop you, Cimber.
These lying down and these lowly courtesies
Might move ordinary men,
And turn previous laws and the first decree
Into the laws of children. Don’t be so silly as
To think that Caesar has such rebel blood
That will be changed by
The same things that change fools; I mean, sweet words,
Low, crooked curtsies, and playing up to me like a puppy.
Your brother is banished by decree.
If you do bend, and pray, and play up to me for him,
I reject you out of my way like a stray dog.
Caesar has never been wrong, only with good reason,
And he will not be satisfied without good reason.

METELLUS:

Is there no voice more worthy than my own,
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear(55)
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

METELLUS:

Is there any voice more worthy than mine
To speak more sweetly into great Caesar's ear
To ask for a repeal of my banished brother’s sentence?

BRUTUS:

I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar,
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

BRUTUS:

I kiss your hand but not in flattery, Caesar.
I ask you for an immediate repeal for
Publius Cimber.

CAESAR:

What, Brutus?(60)

CAESAR:

What, Brutus?

CASSIUS:

Pardon, Caesar! Caesar, pardon!
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

CASSIUS:

Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon.
Cassius falls as low as your foot,
To beg freedom for Publius Cimber.

CAESAR:

I could be well moved, if I were as you;
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;(65)
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;(70)
But there's but one in all doth hold his place.
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,(75)
Unshaked of motion; and that I am he,
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.

CAESAR:

I could be persuaded, if I were like you;
If I could pray to be persuaded, prayers would persuade me.
But I’m constant as the north star,
Whose true-fixed and resting quality
Is unequalled in the sky.
The skies are painted with an infinite number of stars,
They’re all fire, and every one shines;
But there's only one north star.
It’s the same in the world; it has many men,
And men are flesh and blood, and fearful;
Yet in that number, I only know one
That holds on his rank not open to attack,
Unshaken by persuasion. And I’m that man.
Let me show it a little, even in this,—
That I was resolved that Cimber should be banished,
And remain resolved to keep him so.

CINNA:

O Caesar,—(80)

CINNA:

O Caesar,—

CAESAR:

Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

CAESAR:

Go away! Will you move the mountain of the gods?

DECIUS:

Great Caesar—

DECIUS:

Great Caesar,—

CAESAR:

Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

CAESAR:

Doesn’t Brutus kneel without success?

CASCA:

Speak, hands, for me!

CASCA:

Speak, hands, for me!

They stab Caesar.

CAESAR:

Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!(85)

CAESAR:

You too, Brutus?— Then fall, Caesar!

Dies.

CINNA:

Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

CINNA:

Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!—
Run away, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

CASSIUS:

Some to the common pulpits and cry out
“Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!”

CASSIUS:

Some of you go to the common people in the squares
And cry out, "Liberty, freedom, and liberation!"

BRUTUS:

People, and senators, be not affrighted,(90)
Fly not, stand still; ambition's debt is paid.

BRUTUS:

People and Senators, don’t be afraid;
Don’t flee; stand still; ambition has paid its debt.

CASCA:

Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

CASCA:

Go ahead to the square, Brutus.

DECIUS:

And Cassius too.

DECIUS:

And Cassius too.

BRUTUS:

Where's Publius?

BRUTUS:

Where's Publius?

CINNA:

Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.(95)

CINNA:

Here, quite confused by this mutiny.

METELLUS:

Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's
Should chance—

METELLUS:

Stand together solidly, for fear that some friend of Caesar's
Should happen —

BRUTUS:

Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer,
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else. So tell them, Publius.(100)

BRUTUS:

Don’t talk about standing.—Publius, good cheer!
We don’t intend to harm you,
Or any other Roman. Tell them so, Publius.

CASSIUS:

And leave us, Publius, lest that the people
Rushing on us should do your age some mischief.

CASSIUS:

And leave us, Publius for fear that the people
Will attack us, doing some mischief to your old body.

BRUTUS:

Do so, and let no man abide this deed
But we the doers.

BRUTUS:

Do so;— and let no man pay for this deed
But we who did it.

[Re-]enter Trebonius.]

CASSIUS:

Where is Antony?(105)

CASSIUS:

Where's Antony?

TREBONIUS:

Fled to his house amazed.
Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run
As it were doomsday.

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(110)
And drawing days out that men stand upon.

BRUTUS:

Destiny, tell us what comes next.
We know we shall die, we know; it’s only time
And drawing days out that men live on.

CASSIUS:

Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

CASSIUS:

Why, he that spends twenty years fearing death
Cuts twenty years off his life.

BRUTUS:

Grant that, and then is death a benefit;
So are we Caesar's friends that have abridged(115)
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,(120)
Let's all cry, “Peace, freedom, and liberty!”

BRUTUS:

I agree, and then is death a benefit.
So do we, Caesar's friends, that have cut
His time of fearing death.— Bend, Romans, bend,
And let’s wash our hands in Caesar's blood
Up to the elbows, and smear our swords with it.
Then we will walk out, even to the market-place,
And waving our red weapons over our heads,
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!

CASSIUS:

Bend then, and wash. How often will our deed
Be acted over and over for future generations
In States and languages yet unknown!

BRUTUS:

How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,(125)
That now on Pompey's basis lies along
No worthier than the dust!

BRUTUS:

How many times will Caesar bleed in amusement,
That lies now next to Pompey's statue,
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.(130)

CASSIUS:

So often as that shall be,
So often shall the group of us be called
The men that gave their country liberty.

DECIUS:

What, shall we forth?

DECIUS:

What, shall we go?

CASSIUS:

Ay, every man away.
Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

CASSIUS:

Yes, every man away.
Brutus shall lead, and we will follow him
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Enter a Servant.

BRUTUS:

Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony's.(135)

BRUTUS:

Wait, who’s coming here?
A friend of Antony's.

SERVANT:

Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel,
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down,
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say:
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving.(140)
Say I love Brutus and I honor him;
Say I fear'd Caesar, honor'd him, and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony
May safely come to him and be resolved
How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death,(145)
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead
So well as Brutus living, but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.(150)

SERVANT:

Like this, Brutus, my master told me to kneel;
Like this, Antony told me to fall down;
And, being stretched out, on my face, he asked me say,
like this: Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving;
Say I love Brutus and I honor him;
Say I’m afraid of Caesar, honored him, and loved him.
If Brutus will guarantee that Antony
May safely come to him and is ready to tell
How Caesar deserved to die,
Mark Antony shall love Brutus living
Better than Caesar dead, and will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus with all true faith
Thorough the hazards of this unconquered state.
That is what my master Antony says.