Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

ACT III SCENE II	The Forum.
	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.	5
	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.	10
Second Citizen	I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,
	When severally we hear them rendered.
	Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUSgoes into the pulpit
Third Citizen	The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!
BRUTUS	Be patient till the last.
	Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my	15
	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	20
	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	25
	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	30
	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	35
	vile that will not love his country? If any, speak;
	for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.
All	None, Brutus, none.
BRUTUS	Then none have I offended. I have done no more to
	Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of	40
	his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not
	extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences
	enforced, for which he suffered death.
	Enter ANTONY and others, with CAESAR's body
	Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who,
	though he had no hand in his death, shall receive	45
	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.	50
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	55
	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.	60
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,	65
	By our permission, is allow'd to make.
	I do entreat you, not a man depart,
	Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.
	Exit
First Citizen	Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
Third Citizen	Let him go up into the public chair;	70
	We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.
ANTONY	For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.
	Goes into the pulpit
Fourth Citizen	What does he say of Brutus?
Third Citizen	He says, for Brutus' sake,
	He finds himself beholding to us all.	75
Fourth Citizen	'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.
First Citizen	This Caesar was a tyrant.
Third Citizen	Nay, that's certain:
	We are blest that Rome is rid of him.
Second Citizen	Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.	80
ANTONY	You gentle Romans,--
Citizens	Peace, ho! let us hear him.
ANTONY	Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
	I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
	The evil that men do lives after them;	85
	The good is oft interred with their bones;
	So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
	Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
	If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
	And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.	90
	Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
	For Brutus is an honourable man;
	So are they all, all honourable men--
	Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
	He was my friend, faithful and just to me:	95
	But Brutus says he was ambitious;
	And Brutus is an honourable man.
	He hath brought many captives home to Rome
	Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
	Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?	100
	When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
	Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
	Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
	And Brutus is an honourable man.
	You all did see that on the Lupercal	105
	I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
	Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
	Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
	And, sure, he is an honourable man.
	I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,	110
	But here I am to speak what I do know.
	You all did love him once, not without cause:
	What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
	O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
	And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;	115
	My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
	And I must pause till it come back to me.
First Citizen	Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
Second Citizen	If thou consider rightly of the matter,
	Caesar has had great wrong.	120
Third Citizen	Has he, masters?
	I fear there will a worse come in his place.
Fourth Citizen	Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;
	Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.
First Citizen	If it be found so, some will dear abide it.	125
Second Citizen	Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.
Third Citizen	There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.
Fourth Citizen	Now mark him, he begins again to speak.
ANTONY	But yesterday the word of Caesar might
	Have stood against the world; now lies he there.	130
	And none so poor to do him reverence.
	O masters, if I were disposed to stir
	Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
	I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,
	Who, you all know, are honourable men:	135
	I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
	To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
	Than I will wrong such honourable men.
	But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;
	I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:	140
	Let but the commons hear this testament--
	Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read--
	And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds
	And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,
	Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,	145
	And, dying, mention it within their wills,
	Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
	Unto their issue.
Fourth Citizen	We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.
All	The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.	150
ANTONY	Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;
	It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.
	You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;
	And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar,
	It will inflame you, it will make you mad:	155
	'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;
	For, if you should, O, what would come of it!
Fourth Citizen	Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony;
	You shall read us the will, Caesar's will.
ANTONY	Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?	160
	I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:
	I fear I wrong the honourable men
	Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.
Fourth Citizen	They were traitors: honourable men!
All	The will! the testament!	165
Second Citizen	They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will.
ANTONY	You will compel me, then, to read the will?
	Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,
	And let me show you him that made the will.
	Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?	170
Several Citizens	Come down.
Second Citizen	Descend.
Third Citizen	You shall have leave.
	ANTONY comes down
Fourth Citizen	A ring; stand round.
First Citizen	Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.	175
Second Citizen	Room for Antony, most noble Antony.
ANTONY	Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.
Several Citizens	Stand back; room; bear back.
ANTONY	If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
	You all do know this mantle: I remember	180
	The first time ever Caesar put it on;
	'Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,
	That day he overcame the Nervii:
	Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
	See what a rent the envious Casca made:	185
	Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
	And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
	Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it,
	As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
	If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;	190
	For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:
	Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
	This was the most unkindest cut of all;
	For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
	Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,	195
	Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;
	And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
	Even at the base of Pompey's statua,
	Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
	O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!	200
	Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
	Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
	O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
	The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
	Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold	205
	Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
	Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
First Citizen	O piteous spectacle!
Second Citizen	O noble Caesar!
Third Citizen	O woful day!	210
Fourth Citizen	O traitors, villains!
First Citizen	O most bloody sight!
Second Citizen	We will be revenged.
All	Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay!
	Let not a traitor live!	215
ANTONY	Stay, countrymen.
First Citizen	Peace there! hear the noble Antony.
Second Citizen	We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.
ANTONY	Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
	To such a sudden flood of mutiny.	220
	They that have done this deed are honourable:
	What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
	That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,
	And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
	I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:	225
	I am no orator, as Brutus is;
	But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
	That love my friend; and that they know full well
	That gave me public leave to speak of him:
	For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,	230
	Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
	To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;
	I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
	Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,
	And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,	235
	And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
	Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue
	In every wound of Caesar that should move
	The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
All	We'll mutiny.	240
First Citizen	We'll burn the house of Brutus.
Third Citizen	Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.
ANTONY	Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.
All	Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!
ANTONY	Why, friends, you go to do you know not what:	245
	Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?
	Alas, you know not: I must tell you then:
	You have forgot the will I told you of.
All	Most true. The will! Let's stay and hear the will.
ANTONY	Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.	250
	To every Roman citizen he gives,
	To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
Second Citizen	Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death.
Third Citizen	O royal Caesar!
ANTONY	Hear me with patience.	255
All	Peace, ho!
ANTONY	Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
	His private arbours and new-planted orchards,
	On this side Tiber; he hath left them you,
	And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures,	260
	To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
	Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?
First Citizen	Never, never. Come, away, away!
	We'll burn his body in the holy place,
	And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.	265
	Take up the body.
Second Citizen	Go fetch fire.
Third Citizen	Pluck down benches.
Fourth Citizen	Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.
	Exeunt Citizens with the body
ANTONY	Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot,	270
	Take thou what course thou wilt!
	Enter a Servant
	How now, fellow!
Servant	Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
ANTONY	Where is he?
Servant	He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house.	275
ANTONY	And thither will I straight to visit him:
	He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
	And in this mood will give us any thing.
Servant	I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius
	Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.	280
ANTONY	Belike they had some notice of the people,
	How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.
	Exeunt