Scene I

[The plains of Philippi.]

Enter Octavius, Antony, and their Army.

OCTAVIUS:

Now, Antony, our hopes are answered.
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions.
It proves not so. Their battles are at hand;
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,(5)
Answering before we do demand of them.

OCTAVIUS:

Now, Antony, our prayers are answered.
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions.
Turns out to be untrue; their battles are nearby.
They mean to warn us here at Philippi,
Answering us before we demand answers of them.

ANTONY:

Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
Wherefore they do it. They could be content
To visit other places, and come down
With fearful bravery, thinking by this face(10)
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 'tis not so.

ANTONY:

Nonsense, I’m in their hearts, and I know
Why they do it. They could be content
To go to other places, and come down
With fearful bravery, thinking that by this face
To impress our minds, they have courage;
But it’s not true.

Enter a Messenger.

MESSALA:

Prepare you, generals.
The enemy comes on in gallant show;
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,(15)
And something to be done immediately.

MESSALA:

Prepare yourselves, generals.
The enemy comes on in a show full of noble daring;
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
And something has to be done immediately.

ANTONY:

Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
Upon the left hand of the even field.

ANTONY:

Octavius, lead your battle quietly on,
On the left hand of the even field.

OCTAVIUS:

Upon the right hand I, keep thou the left.

OCTAVIUS:

I will be on the right hand; you keep to the left.

ANTONY:

Why do you cross me in this exigent?(20)

ANTONY:

Why do you cross me in this command?

OCTAVIUS:

I do not cross you, but I will do so.

OCTAVIUS:

I don’t cross you, but I will.

March.

Drum. Enter Brutus, Cassius, and their Army [Lucilius, Titinius, Messala, and others.]

BRUTUS:

They stand, and would have parley.

BRUTUS:

They stop and want to talk.

CASSIUS:

Stand fast, Titinius; we must out and talk.

CASSIUS:

Stand firm, Titinius. We must go out and talk.

OCTAVIUS:

Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?

OCTAVIUS:

Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?

ANTONY:

No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.(25)
Make forth, the generals would have some words.

ANTONY:

No, Caesar, we will respond to their attack.
Stay here; the generals want to talk.

OCTAVIUS:

Stir not until the signal.

OCTAVIUS:

Don’t move until the signal.

BRUTUS:

Words before blows. Is it so, countrymen?

BRUTUS:

Words before blows. Is that the way it is, countrymen?

OCTAVIUS:

Not that we love words better, as you do.

OCTAVIUS:

Not because we love words better, as you do.

BRUTUS:

Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.(30)

BRUTUS:

Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

ANTONY:

In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words.
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying “Long live! Hail, Caesar!”

ANTONY:

In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words.
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying, "Long live! Hail, Caesar!"

CASSIUS:

Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;(35)
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

CASSIUS:

Antony,
The position of your blows are still unknown;
But, for your words, they take honey from the bees,
And are so sweet that the bees must be honeyless.

ANTONY:

Not stingless too.

ANTONY:

Not stingless too.

BRUTUS:

O, yes, and soundless too,
For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,(40)
And very wisely threat before you sting.

BRUTUS:

O, yes, and soundless too,
Because you’ve stolen their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threaten before you sting.

ANTONY:

Villains! You did not so when your vile daggers
Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar.
You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;(45)
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!

ANTONY:

Villains, you didn’t think so when your vile daggers
Hacked one another into the sides of Caesar.
You showed your teeth like apes, and wagged your tails
Like hounds, and bowed like slaves, kissing Caesar's feet;
While damned Casca, like a wild dog, struck Caesar
From behind on the neck. O flatterers!

CASSIUS:

Flatterers? Now, Brutus, thank yourself.
This tongue had not offended so today,
If Cassius might have ruled.(50)

CASSIUS:

Flatterers!—Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
If Cassius might have ruled,
This tongue would not have offended like this today.

OCTAVIUS:

Come, come, the cause. If arguing make us sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look, I draw a sword against conspirators;
When think you that the sword goes up again?
Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds(55)
Be well avenged, or till another Caesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

OCTAVIUS:

Come, come, the reason. If arguing makes us sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
Look,—
I draw a sword against conspirators.
When do you think that the sword goes up again?
Never, until Caesar's thirty-three wounds
Are well avenged, or until another Caesar
Has added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

BRUTUS:

Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

BRUTUS:

Caesar, you cannot die by traitors' hands,
Unless you bring them with you.

OCTAVIUS:

So I hope,(60)
I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

OCTAVIUS:

I hope so;
I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

BRUTUS:

O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honorable.

BRUTUS:

O, if you were the noblest of your strain,
Young man, you could not die more honorably.

CASSIUS:

A peevish school boy, worthless of such honor,
Join'd with a masker and a reveller!(65)

CASSIUS:

A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honor,
Joined with a man in a mask and a party man!

ANTONY:

Old Cassius still!

ANTONY:

Old Cassius, be still!

OCTAVIUS:

Come, Antony, away!
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth.
If you dare fight today, come to the field;
If not, when you have stomachs.(70)

OCTAVIUS:

Come, Antony; away!—
We hurl “Defiance, traitors,” in your teeth.
If you dare to fight today, come to the field;
If not, come when you’ve got stomachs.

Exeunt Octavius, Antony, and Army.

CASSIUS:

Why, now, blow and, swell billow, and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

CASSIUS:

Why, now, blow wind, swell seas, and swim ships!
The storm is coming up, and everything is at stake.

BRUTUS:

Ho, Lucilius! Hark, a word with you.

BRUTUS:

Oh, Lucilius! Listen, may I have a word with you?

LUCILIUS:

My lord?

LUCILIUS:

My lord?

Lucilius and Messala stand forth.

CASSIUS:

Messala!(75)

CASSIUS:

Messala,—

MESSALA:

What says my general?

MESSALA:

What does my General say?

CASSIUS:

Messala,
This is my birthday, as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala.
Be thou my witness that, against my will,(80)
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong,
And his opinion. Now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.(85)
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands,
Who to Philippi here consorted us.
This morning are they fled away and gone,(90)
And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey. Their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.(95)

CASSIUS:

Messala,
This is my birthday; Cassius was born
On this very day. Give me your hand, Messala.
You be my witness that, against my will,
As Pompey was, I am compelled to set
All our liberties on one battle.
You know that I strongly held Epicurus,
And his opinion. Now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that have been predicted.
Coming from Sardis, two mighty eagles fell
On our former ensign, and they perched there,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who were associated with us here in Philippi.
This morning, they have fled away and are gone;
And in their places, ravens, crows, and kites
Fly over our heads and look down on us
As if we were sickly prey. Their shadows seem like
A killing canopy under which
Our army lies, ready to surrender.

MESSALA:

Believe not so.

MESSALA:

Don’t believe it.

CASSIUS:

I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

CASSIUS:

I only believe part of it,
Because my spirit is fresh, and I am resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

BRUTUS:

Even so, Lucilius.(100)

BRUTUS:

Even like that, Lucilius.

CASSIUS:

Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods today stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But, since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.(105)
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you then determined to do?

CASSIUS:

Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods are friendly today, so that we may,
Friends in peace, increase our days to old age!
But, since the affairs of men still seem uncertain,
Let's think about the worst that can happen.
If we lose this battle, then this is
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you determined to do then?

BRUTUS:

Even by the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death(110)
Which he did give himself: I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life: arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high powers(115)
That govern us below.

BRUTUS:

Even by the rule of that knowledge
By which I blamed Cato for his suicide—
I don’t know why,
But I think it’s cowardly and vile to take
Your own life because of the fear of what might happen—
Arming myself with the patience
To wait for the help of some high powers
That govern us here below.

CASSIUS:

Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?

CASSIUS:

Then, if we lose this battle,
You’re contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?

BRUTUS:

No, Cassius, no. Think not, thou noble Roman,(120)
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work the ides of March begun.
And whether we shall meet again I know not.
Therefore our everlasting farewell take.(125)
For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why then this parting was well made.

BRUTUS:

No, Cassius, no. I don’t think so, you noble Roman,
That Brutus will ever go bound to Rome;
He has too great a mind, but this same day
Must end that work that the Fifteenth of March began;
And whether we shall meet again, I don’t know.
For that reason, take our last, eternal goodbye.
Forever, and forever, goodbye, Cassius!
If we do meet again, why, we’ll smile;
If not, why, then this parting was the right thing to do.

CASSIUS:

For ever and for ever farewell, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;(130)
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

CASSIUS:

Forever and forever goodbye, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If not, it’s true this parting was the right thing to do.