The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

If not, the fates with traitors do contrive. Exit

  2.4 Enter Portia and Lucius

  PORTIA

  I prithee, boy, run to the Senate House.

  Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.—

  Why dost thou stay?

  LUCIUS To know my errand, madam.

  PORTIA

  I would have had thee there and here again

  Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.

  (Aside) O constancy, be strong upon my side;

  Set a huge mountain ’tween my heart and tongue.

  I have a man’s mind, but a woman’s might.

  How hard it is for women to keep counsel!

  (To Lucius) Art thou here yet?

  LUCIUS Madam, what should I do?

  Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?

  And so return to you, and nothing else?

  PORTIA

  Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,

  For he went sickly forth; and take good note

  What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.

  Hark, boy, what noise is that?

  LUCIUS I hear none, madam.

  PORTIA Prithee, listen well.

  I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,

  And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

  LUCIUS Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.

  Enter the Soothsayer

  PORTIA

  Come hither, fellow. Which way hast thou been?

  SOOTHSAYER

  At mine own house, good lady.

  PORTIA What is’t o’clock?

  SOOTHSAYER About the ninth hour, lady.

  PORTIA

  Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol?

  SOOTHSAYER

  Madam, not yet. I go to take my stand

  To see him pass on to the Capitol.

  PORTIA

  Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?

  SOOTHSAYER

  That I have, lady. If it will please Caesar

  To be so good to Caesar as to hear me,

  I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

  PORTIA

  Why, know’st thou any harms intended towards him?

  SOOTHSAYER

  None that I know will be; much that I fear may chance.

  Good morrow to you.⌈He moves away⌉ Here the street is narrow.

  The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,

  Of senators, of praetors, common suitors,

  Will crowd a feeble man almost to death.

  I’ll get me to a place more void, and there

  Speak to great Caesar as he comes along. Exit

  PORTIA (aside)

  I must go in. Ay me! How weak a thing

  The heart of woman is! O Brutus,

  The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!—

  Sure the boy heard me. (To Lucius) Brutus hath a suit

  That Caesar will not grant. (Aside) O, I grow faint!

  (To Lucius) Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord.

  Say I am merry. Come to me again,

  And bring me word what he doth say to thee.Exeunt ⌈severally⌉

  3.1 Enter ⌈at one door⌉ Artemidorus, the Soothsayer, and citizens. Flourish. Enter ⌈at another door⌉ Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna, ⌈Ligarius,⌉ Antony, Lepidus, Publius, Popillius, ⌈and other senators⌉

  CAESAR (to the Soothsayer) The ides of March are come.

  SOOTHSAYER Ay, Caesar, but not gone.

  ARTEMIDORUS Hail, Caesar! Read this schedule.

  DECIUS (to Caesar)

  Trebonius doth desire you to o’er-read

  At your best leisure this his humble suit.

  ARTEMIDORUS

  O Caesar, read mine first, for mine’s a suit

  That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.

  CAESAR

  What touches us ourself shall be last served.

  ARTEMIDORUS

  Delay not, Caesar, read it instantly.

  CAESAR

  What, is the fellow mad?

  PUBLIUS (to Artemidorus)

  Sirrah, give place.

  CASSIUS (to Artemidorus)

  What, urge you your petitions in the street?

  Come to the Capitol.

  ⌈They walk about the stage⌉

  POPILLIUS (aside to Cassius)

  I wish your enterprise today may thrive.

  CASSIUS

  What enterprise, Popillius?

  POPILLIUS Fare you well.

  He leaves Cassius, and makes to Caesar

  BRUTUS What said Popillius Laena?

  CASSIUS

  He wished today our enterprise might thrive.

  I fear our purpose is discovered.

  BRUTUS

  Look how he makes to Caesar. Mark 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.

  BRUTUS Cassius, be constant.

  Popillius Laena speaks not of our purposes,

  For look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

  CASSIUS

  Trebonius knows his time, for look you, Brutus,

  He draws Mark Antony out of the way.Exeunt Trebonius and Antony

  DECIUS

  Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go

  And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

  ⌈Caesar sits⌉

  BRUTUS

  He is addressed. Press near, and second him.

  CINNA

  Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.⌈The conspirators and the other senators take their places⌉

  CAESAR

  Are we all ready? What is now amiss

  That Caesar and his Senate must redress?

  METELLUS (coming forward and kneeling)

  Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,

  Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

  An humble heart.

  CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber.

  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

  That will be thawed from the true quality

  With that which melteth fools: I mean sweet words,

  Low-crooked curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.

  Thy brother by decree is banished.

  If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him,

  I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

  Know Caesar doth not wrong but with just cause,

  Nor without cause will he be satisfied.

  METELLUS

  Is there no voice more worthy than my own

  To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear

  For the repealing of my banished brother?

  BRUTUS (coming forward and kneeling)

  I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar,

  Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

  Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

  CAESAR

  What, Brutus?

  CASSIUS (coming forward and kneeling)

  Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon.

  As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall

  To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

  CAESAR

  I could be well moved if I were as you.

  If I could pray to move, prayers would move me.

  But I am constant as the Northern Star,

  Of whose true fixed and resting quality

  There is no fellow in the firmament.

  The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks;

  They are all fire, and every one doth shine;

  But there’s but one in all doth hold his place.

  So in the world: ‘tis furnished 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,

  Unshaked of motion; and that I am he

  Let me a little show it even in this—

  That I was constant Cimber should be banished,

  And constant do remain to keep him so.

  CINNA (coming forward and kneeling) O Caesar!

  CAESAR Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

  DECIUS (coming forward ⌈With Ligarius⌉ and kneeling) Great Caesar!

  CAESAR Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

  CASCA (coming forward ⌈and kneeling⌉)

  Speak hands for me.They stab Caesar, ⌈Casca first, Brutus last⌉

  CAESAREt tu, Bruté?—Then fall Caesar. He dies

  CINNA

  Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!

  Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

  CASSIUS

  Some to the common pulpits, and cry out

  ‘Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!’

  BRUTUS

  People and senators, be not affrighted.⌈Exeunt in a tumult Lepidus, Popillius, other senators, Artemidorus, Soothsayer, and citizen⌉

  Fly not! Stand still! Ambition’s debt is paid.

  CASCA Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

  DECIUS And Cassius too.

  BRUTUS Where’s Publius?

  CINNA

  Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

  METELLUS

  Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar’s

  Should chance—-

  BRUTUS

  Talk not of standing.—Pubtius, good cheer!

  There is no harm intended to your person,

  Nor to no Roman else—so tell them, Publius.

  CASSIUS

  And leave us, Publius, lest that the people,

  Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

  BRUTUS

  Do so; and let no man abide this deed

  But we the doers.⌈Exit Publius⌉ Enter Trebonius

  CASSIUS Where is Antony?

  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

  And drawing days out that men stand upon.

  CASCA

  Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life

  Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

  BRUTUS

  Grant that, and then is death a benefit.

  So are we Caesar’s friends, that have abridged

  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,

  Let’s all cry ‘peace, freedom, and liberty!’

  CASSIUS

  Stoop, then, and wash.

  They smear their hands with Caesar’s blood How many ages hence

  Shall this our lofty scene be acted over,

  In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

  BRUTUS

  How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,

  That now on Pompey’s basis lies along,

  No worthier than the dust!

  CASSIUS So oft as that shall be,

  So often shall the knot of us be called

  The men that gave their country liberty.

  DECIUS

  What, shall we forth?

  CASSIUS Ay, every man away.

  Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels

  With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

  Enter Antony’s Servant

  BRUTUS

  Soft; who comes here? A friend of Antony’s.

  SERVANT (kneeling and falling prostrate)

  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.

  Say I love Brutus, and I honour him.

  Say I feared Caesar, honoured 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,

  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.

  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 honour,

  Depart untouched.

  SERVANT ⌈rising⌉ I’ll fetch him presently. Exit

  BRUTUS

  I know that we shall have him well to 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.

  Enter Antony

  BRUTES

  But here comes Antony.—Welcome, Mark Antony.

  ANTONY

  O mighty Caesarl 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—

  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.

  I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

  Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,

  Fulfil 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,

  As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,

  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

  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–

  Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,

  To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony.

  Our arms, unstrung of malice, and our hearts

  Of brothers’ temper, do receive you in

  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.

  BRUTUS

  Only be patient till we have appeased

  The multitude, beside themselves with fear,

  And then we will deliver you the cause

  Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,

  Have thus proceeded.

  ANTONY I doubt not of your wisdom.

  Let each man render me his bloody hand.

  He shakes hands with the conspirators

  First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you.—

  Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand.—

  Now, Decius Brutus, yours;—now yours, Metellus;—

  Yours, Cinna;—and my valiant Casca, yours;—

  Though l
ast, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.

  Gentlemen all—alas, what shall I say?

  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,

  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 corpse?

  Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,

  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 bayed, brave hart;

  Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand

  Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned 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!

  CASSIUS Mark Antony.

  ANTONY Pardon me, Caius Cassius.

  The enemies of Caesar shall say this;

  Then in a friend it is cold modesty.

  CASSIUS

  I blame you not for praising Caesar so;

  But what compact mean you to have with us?

  Will you be pricked in number of our friends,

  Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

  ANTONY

  Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed

  Swayed from the point by looking down on Caesar.

  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.

  BRUTUS

  Or else were this 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 market-place,

  And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,

  Speak in the order of his funeral.

  BRUTUS

  You shall, Mark Antony.

  CASSIUS Brutus, a word with you.

  (Aside to Brutus) You know not what you do. Do not

  consent

  That Antony speak in his funeral.

  Know you how much the people may be moved