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EXCERPT FROM THE TRAGEDY OF JULIUS CAESAR: ACT III, SCENES I & II

EXCERPT FROM ACT III, SCENE I:

[Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.]

[A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others]

CAESAR:
[To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come.

SOOTHSAYER:
Ay, Caesar; but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS:
[offering CAESAR his letter] Hail, Caesar! read this schedule.

DECIUS BRUTUS:
[offering CAESAR another letter] Trebonius doth desire you to o'erread,
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.
[CAESAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following]

POPILIUS:
[to CASSIUS] I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
What enterprise, Popilius?

POPILIUS:
Fare you well.

BRUTUS:
What said Popilius Lena?

CASSIUS:
[aside to BRUTUS] He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.
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:
Popilius Lena 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.
Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

BRUTUS:
He is address'd: press near and second him.

CINNA:
Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

CAESAR:
Are we all ready? What is now amiss
That Caesar and his senate must redress?

METELLUS CIMBER:
[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 pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond,
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood
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,
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

METELLUS CIMBER:
Is there no voice more worthy than my own
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear
For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

BRUTUS:
[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!

[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-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,
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,
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.

CINNA:
[kneeling] O Caesar-:

CAESAR:
Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

DECIUS BRUTUS:
[kneeling] Great Caesar-

CAESAR:
Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

CASCA:
Speak, hands for me!
[CASCA first, then the other conspirators stab CAESAR, BRUTUS last]

CAESAR:
Et tu, Brute? -Then fall, Caesar.
[CAESAR 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!'
[Confusion. Exeunt some plebeians and senators]

BRUTUS:
People and senators, be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand stiff: ambition's debt is paid.

CASCA:
Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

EXCERPT FROM ACT III, SCENE 2:

[Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens]

Citizens:
We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.

BRUTUS:
Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.
Cassius, go you into the other street,
And part the numbers.
Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;
And public reasons shall be rendered
Of Caesar's death.

First Citizen:
I will hear Brutus speak.

Second Citizen:
I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,
When severally we hear them rendered.
[Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the pulpit]

Third Citizen:
The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

BRUTAS:
Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my
cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me
for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and
awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar
was no less than his. If then that friend demand
why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:
--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;
as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his
ambition. Who is here so base that would be a
bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If
any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so
vile that will not love his country? If any, speak;
for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

All:
None, Brutus, none.

BRUTAS:
Then none have I offended. I have done no more to
Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of
his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not
extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences
enforced, for which he suffered death
Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who,
though he had no hand in his death, shall receive
the benefit of his dying, a place in the
commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this
I depart,--that, as I slew my best lover for the
good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself,
when it shall please my country to need my death.

ALL:
Live, Brutus! live, live!

First Citizen:
Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Citizen:
Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Citizen:
Let him be Caesar.

Fourth Citizen:
Caesar's better parts
Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

First Citizen:
We'll bring him to his house
With shouts and clamours.

BRUTUS:
My countrymen-

Second Citizen:
Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

First Citizen:
Peace, ho!

BRUTUS:
Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allow'd to make.
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke
[Exit BRUTUS]