Julius Caesar
“Brutus” and “Caesar”: what should be in that “Caesar”?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with ’em,
“Brutus” will start a spirit as soon as “Caesar.”
Now in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham’d!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age since the great flood,
But it was fam’d with more than with one man?
When could they say, till now, that talk’d of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass’d but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook’d
Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome,
As easily as a king!
BRUTUS.
That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
What you would work me to, I have some aim:
How I have thought of this, and of these times,
I shall recount hereafter. For this present,
I would not, so with love I might entreat you,
Be any further mov’d. What you have said,
I will consider; what you have to say
I will with patience hear; and find a time
Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
Brutus had rather be a villager
Than to repute himself a son of Rome
Under these hard conditions as this time
Is like to lay upon us.
CASSIUS.
I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.
Enter Caesar and his Train.
BRUTUS.
The games are done, and Caesar is returning.
CASSIUS.
As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve,
And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note today.
BRUTUS.
I will do so. But, look you, Cassius,
The angry spot doth glow on Caesar’s brow,
And all the rest look like a chidden train:
Calphurnia’s cheek is pale; and Cicero
Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes
As we have seen him in the Capitol,
Being cross’d in conference by some senators.
CASSIUS.
Casca will tell us what the matter is.
CAESAR.
Antonius.
ANTONY.
Caesar?
CAESAR.
Let me have men about me that are fat,
Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights:
Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;
He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
ANTONY.
Fear him not, Caesar; he’s not dangerous;
He is a noble Roman and well given.
CAESAR.
Would he were fatter! But I fear him not:
Yet if my name were liable to fear,
I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much,
He is a great observer, and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music.
Seldom he smiles; and smiles in such a sort
As if he mock’d himself and scorn’d his spirit
That could be mov’d to smile at anything.
Such men as he be never at heart’s ease
Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
And therefore are they very dangerous.
I rather tell thee what is to be fear’d
Than what I fear; for always I am Caesar.
Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
And tell me truly what thou think’st of him.
[_Exeunt Caesar and his Train. Casca stays._]
CASCA.
You pull’d me by the cloak; would you speak with me?
BRUTUS.
Ay, Casca, tell us what hath chanc’d today,
That Caesar looks so sad.
CASCA.
Why, you were with him, were you not?
BRUTUS.
I should not then ask Casca what had chanc’d.
CASCA.
Why, there was a crown offer’d him; and being offer’d him, he put it by
with the back of his hand, thus; and then the people fell a-shouting.
BRUTUS.
What was the second noise for?
CASCA.
Why, for that too.
CASSIUS.
They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?
CASCA.
Why, for that too.
BRUTUS.
Was the crown offer’d him thrice?
CASCA.
Ay, marry, was’t, and he put it by thrice, every time gentler than
other; and at every putting-by mine honest neighbours shouted.
CASSIUS.
Who offer’d him the crown?
CASCA.
Why, Antony.
BRUTUS.
Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.
CASCA.
I can as well be hang’d, as tell the manner of it: it was mere foolery;
I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him a crown; yet ’twas not a
crown neither, ’twas one of these coronets; and, as I told you, he put
it by once: but, for all that, to my thinking, he would fain have had
it. Then he offered it to him again: then he put it by again: but, to
my thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And then he
offered it the third time; he put it the third time by; and still, as
he refus’d it, the rabblement hooted, and clapp’d their chopt hands,
and threw up their sweaty night-caps, and uttered such a deal of
stinking breath because Caesar refus’d the crown, that it had, almost,
choked Caesar, for he swooned, and fell down at it. And for mine own
part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my lips and receiving the
bad air.
CASSIUS.
But, soft! I pray you. What, did Caesar swoon?
CASCA.
He fell down in the market-place, and foam’d at mouth, and was
speechless.
BRUTUS.
’Tis very like: he hath the falling-sickness.
CASSIUS.
No, Caesar hath it not; but you, and I,
And honest Casca, we have the falling-sickness.
CASCA.
I know not what you mean by that; but I am sure Caesar fell down. If
the tag-rag people did not clap him and hiss him, according as he
pleased and displeased them, as they use to do the players in the
theatre, I am no true man.
BRUTUS.
What said he when he came unto himself?
CASCA.
Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common herd was glad
he refused the crown, he pluck’d me ope his doublet, and offer’d them
his throat to cut. And I had been a man of any occupation, if I would
not have taken him at a word, I would I might go to hell among the
rogues. And so he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he
had done or said anything amiss, he desir’d their worships to think it
was his infirmity. Three or four wenches where I stood cried, “Alas,
good soul!” and forgave him with all their hearts. But there’s no heed
to be taken of them: if Caesar had stabb’d their mothers, they would
have done no less.
BRUTUS.
And, after that, he came thus sad away?
CASCA.
Ay.
CASSIUS.
Did Cicero say anything?
CASCA.
Ay, he spoke Greek.
CASSIUS.
To what effect?
CASCA.
Nay, and I tell you that, I’ll ne’er look you i’ the face again. But
those that understood him smil’d at one another and shook their heads;
but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. I could tell you more news
too: Marullus and Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Caesar’s images, are
put to silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could
remember it.
CASSIUS.
Will you sup with me tonight, Casca?
CASCA.
No, I am promis’d forth.
CASSIUS.
Will you dine with me tomorrow?
CASCA.
Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth the
eating.
CASSIUS.
Good. I will expect you.
CASCA.
Do so; farewell both.
[_Exit Casca._]
BRUTUS.
What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!
He was quick mettle when he went to school.
CASSIUS.
So is he now in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.
BRUTUS.
And so it is. For this time I will leave you:
Tomorrow, if you please to speak with me,
I will come home to you; or, if you will,
Come home to me, and I will wait for you.
CASSIUS.
I will do so: till then, think of the world.
[_Exit Brutus._]
Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is dispos’d: therefore ’tis meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduc’d?
Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings, all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at.
And after this, let Caesar seat him sure,
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
[_Exit._]
SCENE III. The same. A street.
Thunder and lightning. Enter, from opposite sides, Casca with his sword
drawn, and Cicero.
CICERO.
Good even, Casca: brought you Caesar home?
Why are you breathless, and why stare you so?
CASCA.
Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
Have riv’d the knotty oaks; and I have seen
Th’ ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
To be exalted with the threatening clouds:
But never till tonight, never till now,
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.
CICERO.
Why, saw you anything more wonderful?
CASCA.
A common slave, you’d know him well by sight,
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches join’d, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire remain’d unscorch’d.
Besides, I ha’ not since put up my sword,
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glared upon me, and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformed with their fear; who swore they saw
Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit,
Even at noonday upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
“These are their reasons; they are natural”;
For I believe, they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.
CICERO.
Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time.
But men may construe things after their fashion,
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.
Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?
CASCA.
He doth, for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.
CICERO.
Goodnight then, Casca: this disturbed sky
Is not to walk in.
CASCA.
Farewell, Cicero.
[_Exit Cicero._]
Enter Cassius.
CASSIUS.
Who’s there?
CASCA.
A Roman.
CASSIUS.
Casca, by your voice.
CASCA.
Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!
CASSIUS.
A very pleasing night to honest men.
CASCA.
Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
CASSIUS.
Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walk’d about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night;
And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,
Have bar’d my bosom to the thunder-stone;
And when the cross blue lightning seem’d to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
CASCA.
But wherefore did you so much tempt the Heavens?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble,
When the most mighty gods by tokens send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
CASSIUS.
You are dull, Casca; and those sparks of life
That should be in a Roman you do want,
Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze,
And put on fear and cast yourself in wonder,
To see the strange impatience of the Heavens:
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts, from quality and kind;
Why old men, fools, and children calculate,
Why all these things change from their ordinance,
Their natures, and pre-formed faculties,
To monstrous quality; why, you shall find
That Heaven hath infus’d them with these spirits,
To make them instruments of fear and warning
Unto some monstrous state.
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night,