Julius Caesar Read online

  TITINIUS O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,

  Who having some advantage on Octavius,

  Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil7,

  Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed8.

  Enter Pindarus

  PINDARUS Fly further off, my lord, fly further off.

  Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord:

  Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.

  CASSIUS This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius:

  Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?

  TITINIUS They are, my lord.

  CASSIUS Titinius, if thou lovest me,

  Mount thou my horse, and hide16 thy spurs in him,

  Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops

  And here18 again, that I may rest assured

  Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.

  TITINIUS I will be here again, even with20 a thought.

  Exit

  CASSIUS Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill:

  My sight was ever thick. Regard22 Titinius,

  And tell me what thou not’st about the field.

  Pindarus goes aloft

  This day I breathèd first24. Time is come round,

  And where I did begin, there shall I end.

  My life is run his compass26.— Sirrah, what news?

  PINDARUS O, my lord!

  Above

  CASSIUS What news?

  PINDARUS Titinius is enclosèd round about

  With horsemen, that make to him on the spur30,

  Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him:

  Now, Titinius. Now some light32: O, he lights too.

  He’s ta’en33. And, hark, they shout for joy.

  Shout

  CASSIUS Come down, behold no more.

  Pindarus comes down

  O, coward that I am, to live so long,

  To see my best friend ta’en before my face.

  Enter Pindarus

  Come hither, sirrah.

  In Parthia38 did I take thee prisoner,

  And then I swore thee39, saving of thy life,

  That whatsoever I did bid thee do,

  Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath:

  Now be a freeman, and with this good sword

  That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search43 this bosom.

  Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts44,

  Pindarus takes the sword

  And when my face is covered, as ’tis now,

  Guide thou the sword.— Caesar, thou art revenged,

  Covers his face Pindarus kills him

  Even with the sword that killed thee.

  PINDARUS So, I am free, yet would not so have been48

  Durst I have done my will. O Cassius,

  Far from this country Pindarus shall run,

  Where never Roman shall take note of51 him.

  [Exit]

  Enter Titinius and Messala

  Titinius wears a laurel wreath

  MESSALA It is but change52, Titinius, for Octavius

  Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power,

  As Cassius’ legions are by Antony.

  TITINIUS These tidings will well comfort55 Cassius.

  MESSALA Where did you leave him?

  TITINIUS All disconsolate,

  With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.

  MESSALA Is not that he that lies upon the ground?

  TITINIUS He lies not like the living. O my heart!

  MESSALA Is not that he?

  TITINIUS No, this was he, Messala,

  But Cassius is no more.— O setting sun:

  As in thy red rays thou dost sink tonight,

  So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set.—

  The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone:

  Clouds, dews67 and dangers come: our deeds are done.

  Mistrust68 of my success hath done this deed.

  MESSALA Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.—

  O hateful error, melancholy’s child,

  Why dost thou show to the apt71 thoughts of men

  The things that are not72? O error soon conceived,

  Thou never com’st unto a happy birth

  But kill’st the mother74 that engendered thee.

  TITINIUS What, Pindarus? Where art thou, Pindarus?

  MESSALA Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet

  The noble Brutus, thrusting this report

  Into his ears. I may say, thrusting it:

  For piercing steel and darts envenomèd79

  Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus

  As tidings of this sight.

  TITINIUS Hie you, Messala,

  And I will seek for Pindarus the while.—

  [Exit Messala]

  Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?

  Did I not meet thy friends? And did not they

  Put on my brows this wreath of victory86

  And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?

  Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything.

  But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow:

  Puts wreath on him

  Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I

  Will do his bidding.— Brutus, come apace91,

  And see how I regarded92 Caius Cassius.—

  By your leave, gods: this is a Roman’s part93.—

  Come, Cassius’ sword, and find Titinius’ heart.

  Dies

  Stabs himself

  Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, Young Cato, Strato,

  Volumnius and Lucilius

  BRUTUS Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?

  MESSALA Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.

  BRUTUS Titinius’ face is upward.

  CATO He is slain.

  BRUTUS O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet,

  Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords

  In our own proper101 entrails.

  Low alarums

  CATO Brave Titinius,

  Look whe’er103 he have not crowned dead Cassius.

  BRUTUS Are yet two Romans living such as these?—

  The last of all the Romans, fare thee well:

  It is impossible that ever Rome

  Should breed thy fellow107.— Friends, I owe more tears

  To this dead man than you shall see me pay.—

  I shall find time, Cassius: I shall find time.—

  Come therefore, and to Thasos110 send his body.

  His funerals shall not be in our camp,

  Lest it discomfort112 us.— Lucilius, come,

  And come, young Cato: let us to the field.

  Labio and Flavius set our battles114 on:

  ’Tis three o’clock, and, Romans, yet ere night

  We shall try116 fortune in a second fight.

  Exeunt With the bodies

  [Act 5 Scene 4]

  running scene 10 continues

  Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, [Young] Cato, Lucilius and Flavius

  BRUTUS Yet, countrymen: O yet, hold up your heads!

  [Exit, fighting, followed by Messala and Flavius]

  CATO What bastard2 doth not? Who will go with me?

  I will proclaim my name about the field.

  I am the son of Marcus Cato4, ho!

  A foe to tyrants, and my country’s friend.

  I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

  Enter soldiers and fight

  LUCILIUS And I am Brutus7, Marcus Brutus, I!

  Brutus, my country’s friend: know me for Brutus!

  Young Cato falls

  O young and noble Cato, art thou down?

  Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius,

  And mayst be honoured, being Cato’s son.

  FIRST SOLDIER Yield, or thou diest.

  To Lucilius

  LUCILIUS Only I yield to die13:

  There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight14:

  Offers money?

  Kill Brutus, and be
honoured in his death.

  FIRST SOLDIER We must not: a noble prisoner!

  Enter Antony

  SECOND SOLDIER Room, ho17: tell Antony, Brutus is ta’en.

  FIRST SOLDIER I’ll tell the news. Here comes the general.

  Brutus is ta’en, Brutus is ta’en, my lord.

  ANTONY Where is he?

  LUCILIUS Safe, Antony, Brutus is safe enough:

  I dare assure thee that no enemy

  Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus:

  The gods defend him from so great a shame!

  When you do find him, or25 alive or dead,

  He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

  ANTONY This is not Brutus, friend, but, I assure you,

  To First Soldier

  A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe,

  Give him all kindness. I had rather have

  Such men my friends than enemies. Go on,

  And see whe’er Brutus be alive or dead,

  And bring us word unto Octavius’ tent

  How everything is chanced33.

  Exeunt

  [Act 5 Scene 5]

  running scene 10 continues

  Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato and Volumnius

  BRUTUS Come, poor remains1 of friends, rest on this rock.

  Sits

  CLITUS Statilius showed the torch-light2, but, my lord,

  He came not back: he is or ta’en or slain.

  BRUTUS Sit thee down, Clitus: slaying is the word.

  It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.

  Whispers

  CLITUS What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.

  BRUTUS Peace then, no words.

  CLITUS I’ll rather kill myself.

  BRUTUS Hark thee, Dardanius.

  Whispers

  DARDANIUS Shall I do such a deed?

  CLITUS O Dardanius!

  DARDANIUS O Clitus!

  CLITUS What ill request did Brutus make to thee?

  DARDANIUS To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.

  CLITUS Now is that noble vessel full of grief,

  That it runs over even at his eyes.

  BRUTUS Come hither, good Volumnius, list17 a word.

  VOLUMNIUS What says my lord?

  BRUTUS Why this, Volumnius:

  The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me

  Two several21 times by night: at Sardis once,

  And this last night, here in Philippi fields:

  I know my hour is come.

  VOLUMNIUS Not so, my lord.

  BRUTUS Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.

  Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.

  Our enemies have beat us to the pit27:

  Low alarums

  It is more worthy to leap in ourselves

  Than tarry29 till they push us. Good Volumnius,

  Thou know’st that we two went to school together:

  Even for that our love of old31, I prithee

  Hold thou my sword-hilts32, whilst I run on it.

  VOLUMNIUS That’s not an office33 for a friend, my lord.

  Alarum still

  CLITUS Fly, fly, my lord, there is no tarrying here.

  BRUTUS Farewell to you, and you, and you, Volumnius.—

  Addressing Clitus, Dardanius, Volumnius and Strato in turn

  Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep:

  Farewell to thee too, Strato.— Countrymen,

  My heart doth joy that yet in all my life

  I found no man but he was true to me.

  I shall have glory by this losing day

  More than Octavius and Mark Antony

  By this vile42 conquest shall attain unto.

  So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue

  Hath almost ended his life’s history:

  Night hangs upon mine eyes, my bones would rest,

  That have but laboured to attain this hour46.

  Alarum. Cry within: ‘Fly fly fly!’

  CLITUS Fly, my lord, fly!

  BRUTUS Hence: I will follow.

  [Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius and Volumnius]

  I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.

  Thou art a fellow of a good respect50:

  Thy life hath had some smatch51 of honour in it.

  Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,

  While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?

  STRATO Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.

  BRUTUS Farewell, good Strato.—

  Runs on his sword

  Caesar, now be still55:

  I killed not thee with half so good a will.

  Dies

  Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius and the army

  OCTAVIUS What man is that?

  MESSALA My master’s man58. Strato, where is thy master?

  STRATO Free from the bondage you are in, Messala,

  The conquerors can but make a fire of him60:

  For Brutus only overcame61 himself,

  And no man else hath honour by his death.

  LUCILIUS So63 Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,

  That thou hast proved Lucilius’ saying true.

  OCTAVIUS All that served Brutus, I will entertain65 them.

  Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?

  STRATO Ay, if Messala will prefer67 me to you.

  OCTAVIUS Do so, good Messala.

  MESSALA How died my master, Strato?

  STRATO I held the sword and he did run on it.

  MESSALA Octavius, then take him to follow thee,

  That did the latest72 service to my master.

  ANTONY This was the noblest Roman of them all:

  All the conspirators save only he

  Did that they did in envy of75 great Caesar.

  He only, in a general honest76 thought

  And common good to all, made one of them.

  His life was gentle, and the elements78

  So mixed79 in him that Nature might stand up

  And say to all the world ‘This was a man!’

  OCTAVIUS According to his virtue let us use81 him

  With all respect and rites of burial.

  Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,

  Most like a soldier, ordered84 honourably.

  So call the field85 to rest, and let’s away,

  To part86 the glories of this happy day.

  Exeunt

  TEXTUAL NOTES

  F = First Folio text of 1623

  F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

  F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

  Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

  SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

  List of parts = Ed

  1.2.256 swoon spelled swound in F 302 digest = Ed. F = disgest

  1.3.21 glazed = F. Sometimes emended to glared 134 In favour’s like = Ed. F = Is Fauors, like

  2.1.257 wafture = Ed. F = wafter 278 his = Ed. F = hit 292 the = Ed. F = tho 327 SH LIGARIUS = Ed. F = Cai. (throughout scene)

  2.2.48 are = Ed. F = heare

  2.3.1 SH ARTEMIDORUS = Ed. Not in F

  3.1.123 states = F2. F = State 125 lies = F2. F = lye 273 SH ANTONY = Ed. Not in F 294 SD Octavius’ = Ed. F = Octavio’s 302 for = F2. F = from

  3.2.208 SH ALL = Ed. Lines assigned to the Second Plebeian in F 224 wit = F2. F = writ

  4.2.37 SH FIRST SOLDIER = Ed. Not in F 38 SH SECOND SOLDIER = Ed. Not in F 39 SH THIRD SOLDIER = Ed. Not in F 105 budge spelled bouge in F 248 tenor spelled Tenure in F 339 will = F2. F = will it 385 Lucius spelled Lucus in F

  5.1.44 teeth = F3. F = teethes 91 steads spelled steeds in F

  5.3.103 whe’er = Ed. F = where 105 fare = Ed. F = far 107 more = Ed. F = mo 110 Thasos = Ed (after Plutarch). F = Tharsus 114 Flavius = F2. F = Flavio

  5.4.7 SH LUCILIUS = Ed. Not in F 12 SH FIRST SOLDIER = Ed. F = Sold.

  18 tell the = Ed. F = tel
l thee 31 whe’er = Ed. F = where

  SCENE-BY-SCENE ANALYSIS

  ACT 1 SCENE 1

  Flavius and Murellus tell the commoners they should be working and that they should carry the “sign” of their “profession” with them at all times. The cobbler explains that they are going to see Caesar make his triumphant return after defeating Pompey. Murellus is scornful, pointing out that Caesar brings back no “conquest” or “tributaries.” He reminds the commoners of their previous allegiance to Pompey, drawing attention to the shifting loyalties/betrayal of the times. Murellus’ speech also introduces the significance of rhetoric and the power of language, particularly in public address. Flavius commands the commoners to “weep” into the Tiber for Pompey, accusing them of being “tongue-tied in their guiltiness,” again drawing our attention to the importance of language/speech, but also to guilt/complicity. Flavius suggests that he and Murellus remove the adornments from the statues of Caesar, warning that Caesar “would soar above the view of men” to keep the people of Rome “in servile fearfulness.”

  ACT 1 SCENE 2

  Lines 1–28: Caesar and others prepare to watch a course run as part of the feast of Lupercal. Antony is to run the course, and Caesar tells Calpurnia to stand where Antony can reach her, as it is believed the touch of a runner in the “holy chase” can cure sterility. He reminds Antony of this, and Antony replies, “When Caesar says, ‘Do this’ it is performed,” demonstrating Antony’s loyalty and Caesar’s authority. A soothsayer calls out to Caesar, “Beware the Ides of March,” and repeats his warning, but Caesar dismisses it, perhaps revealing his arrogance. In any case, it is the first of many complicated incidents in the play which seem concerned with the tensions between fate and free will and the significance of omens and prophecies.

  Lines 29–183: As the others leave to watch the course, Cassius and Brutus remain. Cassius suggests that Brutus has grown distant, reminding him of their past friendship. Brutus assures him that if he has recently “veiled” his looks, it is only because he is “with himself at war,” and “Vexed” inside, introducing the conflict of public and private. Cassius tells Brutus that the most respected citizens of Rome, “groaning underneath this age’s yoke,” admire him and look to him. Brutus is wary, saying that Cassius is asking him to recognize a quality within himself that he does not possess, but Cassius continues to flatter, offering to be Brutus’ “glass,” so that he can “discover” these qualities within himself. As they talk, a fanfare and shouting are heard and Brutus says he fears the people have made Caesar king. Cassius seizes on this and asks whether or not this is what Brutus would want, forcing him to acknowledge that, despite his love for Caesar, he does not want him as king. He questions whether what Cassius has to say relates to “the general good,” revealing genuine concern for the welfare of Rome. He assures Cassius that he loves “honour” more than he fears death. Cassius says that this shows Brutus’ “virtue” and argues that they were both “born free as Caesar” and that he cannot bring himself to be “In awe of such a thing as I myself,” complaining that Caesar has “now become a god,” despite his many weaknesses.