Home > Julius Caesar Text > Act III, Scene I - Page 2

BRUTUS:

Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I never thought him worse.
Tell him, so please him come unto this place,
He shall be satisfied and, by my honor,
Depart untouch'd.(155)

BRUTUS:

Your master is a wise and valiant Roman;
I always thought so.
Tell him, if it pleases him come to this place,
He shall get an explanation and, by my honor,
Leave here safely.

SERVANT:

I'll fetch him presently.

SERVANT:

I'll go get him now.

Exit servant.

BRUTUS:

I know that we shall have him well to friend.

BRUTUS:

I know that we shall have him as a friend.

CASSIUS:

I wish we may, but yet have I a mind
That fears him much, and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.(160)

CASSIUS:

I hope that we may, but my heart is still
Very much afraid of him, and my gut feeling is that
He cannot be trusted.

[Re-]enter Antony.]

BRUTUS:

But here comes Antony. Welcome, Mark Antony.

BRUTUS:

But here comes Antony.—

Welcome, Mark Antony.

ANTONY:

O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,(165)
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank.
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar's death's hour, nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.(170)
I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die;
No place will please me so, no mean of death,(175)
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

ANTONY:

O mighty Caesar! Do you lie so low?
Do all your conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Boil down to this? Goodbye.—
I don’t know, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be killed, who else is corrupt.
If I’m going be killed, there is no time like
Caesar's death-hour, or any instrument
Half as worthy as your swords, decorated richly
With the most noble blood in this whole world.
Please, if you hate me, kill me now
While your purpled hands smeared with fresh blood.
Live a thousand years, and
I won’t find myself so eager to die.
No place will please me so much, no means of death,
As to be killed here by Caesar, and killed by you,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

BRUTUS:

O Antony, beg not your death of us!
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As, by our hands and this our present act,(180)
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;
And pity to the general wrong of Rome—
As fire drives out fire, so pity pity—(185)
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
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.(190)

BRUTUS:

O Antony, don’t beg your death from us!
Although we must appear bloody and cruel now,
As you can see by our hands and this recent deed;
Still you can only see our hands
And this bleeding business they have done.
You don’t see our hearts; they’re full of pity;
Pity the general injury of Rome —
As fire drives out fire, so pity drives out pity —
Has done this deed on Caesar. For your part,
Our swords have leaden points to you, Mark Antony;
Our arms in strength of friendship, and our hearts
Of brotherly disposition, receive you
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.

CASSIUS:

Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In giving out the new honorable offices.

BRUTUS:

Only be patient till we have appeased
The multitude, beside themselves with fear,
And then we will deliver you the cause(195)
Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

BRUTUS:

Only be patient until we have pacified
The multitude, who are beside themselves with fear,
And then we will tell you the reason
Why I, that loved Caesar when I struck him,
Have acted this way.

ANTONY:

I doubt not of your wisdom.
Let each man render me his bloody hand.
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;(200)
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 least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all,—alas, what shall I say?(205)
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!
If then thy spirit look upon us now,(210)
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,
Most noble! In the presence of thy corse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,(215)
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,
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand,(220)
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
Dost thou here lie!(225)

ANTONY:

I don’t doubt your wisdom.
Let each man give me his bloody hand.
First, Marcus Brutus, I will shake with you;—
Next, Caius Cassius, I take your hand;—
Now, Decius Brutus, yours;—now yours, Metellus;—
Yours, Cinna;—and, my valiant Casca, yours;—
Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.
Gentlemen all—alas, what shall I say?
My reputation now stands on such slippery ground,
That you must think of me one of two bad ways,
Either a coward or a flatterer.—
That I loved you, Caesar, O, it’s true.
If then your spirit looks on us now,
Won’t it hurt you more than your death
To see your Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of your foes,—
Most noble!—in the presence of your corpse?
If I had as many eyes as you’ve got wounds,
Weeping as fast as they let your blood out,
It would suit me better than to close
In terms of friendship with your enemies.
Pardon me, Julius! Here you were surrounded, brave deer;
Here you fell, and here your hunters stand,
Marked by your destruction, and turned red by your death.—
O world, you were the forest to this deer;
And this, indeed, O world, the heart of you.—
How much you look like a deer stricken by many princes,
Lying here!

CASSIUS:

Mark Antony,—

CASSIUS:

Mark Antony,—

ANTONY:

Pardon me, Caius Cassius.
The enemies of Caesar shall say this:
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

ANTONY:

Pardon me, Caius Cassius.
The enemies of Caesar shall say all this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold shame.

CASSIUS:

I blame you not for praising Caesar so;(230)
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?

CASSIUS:

I don’t blame you for praising Caesar so;
But what agreement do mean you to have with us?
Will you be counted in the number of our friends,
Or shall we go 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.(235)
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.

ANTONY:

I shook your hands for that reason; but I was really
Distracted from the point by looking down on Caesar.
I am friends with you all, and love you all,
On this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and how Caesar was dangerous.

BRUTUS:

Or else were this a savage spectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard(240)
That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,
You should be satisfied.

BRUTUS:

Or else this was a savage spectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard
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 marketplace,(245)
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

ANTONY:

That's all I find.
And I am, moreover, asking that I may
Take his body to the market place;
And on the platform, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

BRUTUS:

You shall, Mark Antony.

BRUTUS:

You shall do it, Mark Antony.

CASSIUS:

Brutus, a word with you.

[Aside to Brutus.]

You know not what you do. Do not consent(250)
That Antony speak in his funeral.
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

CASSIUS:

Brutus, a word with you.

You don’t know what you’re doing; don’t consent
That Antony speak at his funeral.
Do you know how much the people may be affected
By what he’ll say?

BRUTUS:

By your pardon,
I will myself into the pulpit first,(255)
And show the reason of our Caesar's death.
What Antony shall speak, I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission,
And that we are contented Caesar shall
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.(260)
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

BRUTUS:

Please.
I’ll go onto the platform first,
And explain our Caesar's death.
Whatever Antony shall speak, I’ll formerly declare
That he speaks with our permission
And that we are happy that Caesar shall
Have all true rights and lawful ceremonies.
It’ll be to our advantage more than doing us harm.

CASSIUS:

I know not what may fall; I like it not.

CASSIUS:

I don’t know what may happen; I don’t like it.

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,(265)
And say you do't by our permission,
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going,
After my speech is ended.(270)

BRUTUS:

Mark Antony, here, take Caesar's body.
You shall not blame us in your funeral speech,
But speak all the good that you can imagine about Caesar;
And say you do it by our permission;
Or else you won’t have any part at all
In his funeral. And you shall speak
After my speech is ended
On the same platform where I’m going to be.

ANTONY:

Be it so,
I do desire no more.

ANTONY:

I don’t desire any more.

BRUTUS:

Prepare the body then, and follow us.

BRUTUS:

Prepare the body, then, and follow us.

Exeunt [all but] Antony.

ANTONY:

O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!(275)
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
Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips(280)
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;
Blood and destruction shall be so in use,(285)
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,
And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge,(290)
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
With carrion men, groaning for burial.(295)

Enter Octavius' Servant.

You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?

ANTONY:

O, forgive me, you bleeding piece of earth,
That I’m meek and gentle with these butchers!
You’re the ruins of the noblest man
That ever lived in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
I now predict over your wounds now,—
Which, like dumb mouths, open their ruby lips
To ask the voice and action of my tongue,—
A curse shall fall on the limbs of men;Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall break out in all the parts of Italy;
Blood and destruction shall be so widespread,
And dreadful objects so familiar,
That mothers shall only smile when they see
Their infants cut into pieces by the hands of war;
All pity choked with usual practice of savage deeds.
And Caesar's spirit, raging for revenge,
Coming hot from Hell with chief witch by his side,
Shall cry "Havoc!" in these regions, with a monarch's voice
And let the dogs of war loose,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With decaying men, groaning for burial.—

You serve Octavius Caesar, don’t you?