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Dramatis Personae
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Julius Caesar: Act 1 Scene 2
Scene II A public place.
- [Flourish. Enter CAESAR; ANTONY, for the course;
- CALPURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS BRUTUS, CICERO, BRUTUS,
- CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great crowd following, among
- them a Soothsayer]
- CAESAR
- Calpurnia!
- CASCA
- Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.
- CAESAR
- Calpurnia!
- CALPURNIA
- Here, my lord.
- CAESAR
- Stand you directly in Antonius' way,
- When he doth run his course. Antonius!
- ANTONY
- Caesar, my lord?
- CAESAR
- Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,
- To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,
- The barren, touched in this holy chase,
- Shake off their sterile curse.
- ANTONY
- I shall remember:
- When Caesar says 'do this,' it is perform'd.
- CAESAR
- Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
- [Flourish]
- SOOTHSAYER
- Caesar!
- CAESAR
- Ha! who calls?
- CASCA
- Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!
- CAESAR
- Who is it in the press that calls on me?
- I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,
- Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.
- SOOTHSAYER
- Beware the ides of March.
- CAESAR
- What man is that?
- BRUTUS
- A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
- CAESAR
- Set him before me; let me see his face.
- CASSIUS
- Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.
- CAESAR
- What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.
- SOOTHSAYER
- Beware the ides of March.
- CAESAR
- He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
- [Sennet. Exeunt all except BRUTUS and CASSIUS]
- CASSIUS
- Will you go see the order of the course?
- BRUTUS
- Not I.
- CASSIUS
- I pray you, do.
- BRUTUS
- I am not gamesome: I do lack some part
- Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
- Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
- I'll leave you.
- CASSIUS
- Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
- I have not from your eyes that gentleness
- And show of love as I was wont to have:
- You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
- Over your friend that loves you.
- BRUTUS
- Cassius,
- Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look,
- I turn the trouble of my countenance
- Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
- Of late with passions of some difference,
- Conceptions only proper to myself,
- Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors;
- But let not therefore my good friends be grieved--
- Among which number, Cassius, be you one--
- Nor construe any further my neglect,
- Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
- Forgets the shows of love to other men.
- CASSIUS
- Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
- By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
- Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
- Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?
- BRUTUS
- No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,
- But by reflection, by some other things.
- CASSIUS
- 'Tis just:
- And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
- That you have no such mirrors as will turn
- Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
- That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
- Where many of the best respect in Rome,
- Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus
- And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
- Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.
- BRUTUS
- Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
- That you would have me seek into myself
- For that which is not in me?
- CASSIUS
- Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear:
- And since you know you cannot see yourself
- So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
- Will modestly discover to yourself
- That of yourself which you yet know not of.
- And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
- Were I a common laugher, or did use
- To stale with ordinary oaths my love
- To every new protester; if you know
- That I do fawn on men and hug them hard
- And after scandal them, or if you know
- That I profess myself in banqueting
- To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
- [Flourish, and shout]
- BRUTUS
- What means this shouting? I do fear, the people
- Choose Caesar for their king.
- CASSIUS
- Ay, do you fear it?
- Then must I think you would not have it so.
- BRUTUS
- I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.
- But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
- What is it that you would impart to me?
- If it be aught toward the general good,
- Set honour in one eye and death i' the other,
- And I will look on both indifferently,
- For let the gods so speed me as I love
- The name of honour more than I fear death.
- CASSIUS
- I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
- As well as I do know your outward favour.
- Well, honour is the subject of my story.
- I cannot tell what you and other men
- Think of this life; but, for my single self,
- I had as lief not be as live to be
- In awe of such a thing as I myself.
- I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
- We both have fed as well, and we can both
- Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
- For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
- The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
- Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
- Leap in with me into this angry flood,
- And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
- Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
- And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
- The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
- With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
- And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
- But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
- Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
- I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
- Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
- The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
- Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
- Is now become a god, and Cassius is
- A wretched creature and must bend his body,
- If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
- He had a fever when he was in Spain,
- And when the fit was on him, I did mark
- How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
- His coward lips did from their colour fly,
- And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
- Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
- Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
- Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
- Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'
- As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
- A man of such a feeble temper should
- So get the start of the majestic world
- And bear the palm alone.
- [Shout. Flourish]
- BRUTUS
- Another general shout!
- I do believe that these applauses are
- For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.
- CASSIUS
- Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
- Like a Colossus, and we petty men
- Walk under his huge legs and peep about
- To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
- Men at some time are masters of their fates:
- The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
- But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
- 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 shamed!
- Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
- When went there by an age, since the great flood,
- But it was famed 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
- The 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 moved. 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.
- 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 to-day.
- [Re-enter CAESAR and his Train]
- 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:
- Calpurnia'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 o' 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 moved to smile at any thing.
- 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.
- [Sennet. Exeunt CAESAR and all his Train, but CASCA]
- CASCA
- You pull'd me by the cloak; would you speak with me?
- BRUTUS
- Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day,
- That Caesar looks so sad.
- CASCA
- Why, you were with him, were you not?
- BRUTUS
- I should not then ask Casca what had chanced.
- CASCA
- Why, there was a crown offered him: and being
- offered 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 offered 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 offered him the crown?
- CASCA
- Why, Antony.
- BRUTUS
- Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.
- CASCA
- I can as well be hanged 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
- refused it, the rabblement hooted and clapped their
- chapped hands and threw up their sweaty night-caps
- and uttered such a deal of stinking breath because
- Caesar refused the crown that it had almost choked
- Caesar; for he swounded 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 swound?
- CASCA
- He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at
- mouth, and was speechless.
- BRUTUS
- 'Tis very like: he hath the failing 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
- plucked me ope his doublet and offered them his
- throat to cut. An 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 any thing amiss, he desired
- 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
- stabbed their mothers, they would have done no less.
- BRUTUS
- And after that, he came, thus sad, away?
- CASCA
- Ay.
- CASSIUS
- Did Cicero say any thing?
- CASCA
- Ay, he spoke Greek.
- CASSIUS
- To what effect?
- CASCA
- Nay, an I tell you that, Ill ne'er look you i' the
- face again: but those that understood him smiled 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 to-night, Casca?
- CASCA
- No, I am promised forth.
- CASSIUS
- Will you dine with me to-morrow?
- 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]
- 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:
- To-morrow, 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 disposed: therefore it is meet
- That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
- For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
- 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]
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