Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelpèd in the streets, And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead. thrust out their dead. Act 2, Scene 2, Page 2 Original Text Modern Text 20 25 Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. The noise of battle hurtled in the air. Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan, And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets. O Caesar! These things are beyond all use, And I do fear them. Fierce, fiery warriors fought in the clouds in the usual formations of war—ranks and the clouds drizzled blood onto the Capitol. The noise of battle filled the air, and horses neighed, and dying men groaned, and ghosts shrieked and squealed in the streets. Oh, Caesar! These things are beyond anything we’ve seen before, and I’m afraid. CAESAR What can be avoided Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods? Yet Caesar shall go forth, for these predictions Are to the world in general as to Caesar. CAESAR How can we avoid what the gods want to happen? But I will go out, for these bad omens apply to the world in general as much as they do to me. 30 CALPHURNIA When beggars die there are no comets seen. The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes. CALPHURNIA When beggars die there are no comets in the sky. The heavens only announce the deaths of princes. 35 CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come. CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths. The brave experience death only once. Of all the strange things I’ve ever heard, it seems most strange to me that men fear death, given that death, which can’t be avoided, will come whenever it wants. until
Enter SERVANT The SERVANT enters. What say the augurers? What do the priests say? 40 SERVANT They would not have you to stir forth today. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast. SERVANT They don’t want you to go out today. They pulled out the guts of the sacrificed animal and couldn’t find its heart. CAESAR The gods do this in shame of cowardice. Caesar should be a beast without a heart If he should stay at home today for fear. No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well CAESAR The gods do this to test my bravery. They’re saying I’d be an animal without a heart if I stayed home today out of fear. So, I won’t. Act 2, Scene 2, Page 3 Original Text Modern Text 45 That Caesar is more dangerous than he. We are two lions littered in one day, And I the elder and more terrible. And Caesar shall go forth. Danger knows that Caesar is more dangerous than he is. We’re two lions born on the same day in the same litter, and I’m the older and more terrible. I will go out. 50 CALPHURNIA Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consumed in confidence. Do not go forth today. Call it my fear That keeps you in the house, and not your own. We’ll send Mark Antony to the senate house, And he shall say you are not well today. (kneels) Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this. CALPHURNIA Alas, my lord, your confidence is getting the better of your wisdom. Don’t go out today. Say that it’s my fear that keeps you inside and not your own. We’ll send Mark Antony to the senate house, and he’ll say that you’re sick today. (she kneels) Let me, on my knees, win you over to this plan. 55 CAESAR Mark Antony shall say I am not well, And for thy humor I will stay at home. CAESAR All right. Mark Antony will say I’m not well, and to please you I’ll stay at home. CALPHURNIA rises CALPHURNIA gets up.
Enter DECIUS DECIUS enters. Here’s Decius Brutus. He shall tell them so. Here’s Decius Brutus. He’ll tell them so. DECIUS Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar. I come to fetch you to the senate house. DECIUS Hail, Caesar! Good morning, worthy Caesar. I’ve come to take you to the senate house. 60 CAESAR And you are come in very happy time To bear my greeting to the senators And tell them that I will not come today. “Cannot” is false, and that I dare not, falser. I will not come today. Tell them so, Decius. CAESAR And you’ve come at a good time, so you can convey my greetings to the senators and tell them I won’t come today. It wouldn’t be true to say that Ican’t come, and even less true to say that I don’tdare come. I simply won’t come today. Tell them so, Decius. 65 CALPHURNIA Say he is sick. CALPHURNIA Say he’s sick. CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? CAESAR Would I send a lie? Have I accomplished so much in battle, but now I’m afraid to tell some old men the truth? Act 2, Scene 2, Page 4 Original Text Modern Text Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come. Decius, go tell them that Caesar won’t come. 70 DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause, Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so. DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, give me some reason, so I won’t be laughed at when I tell them so. 75 CAESAR The cause is in my will. I will not come. That is enough to satisfy the senate. But for your private satisfaction, CAESAR The reason is that it’s what I want. I’m not coming. That’s enough for the senate. But for your private satisfaction, because I love you, I’ll tell you. Calphurnia, my wife, is keeping me at home. Last night, she dreamed she saw a statue of me with a hundred holes in it, like a fountain with pure
CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber. These couchings and these lowly courtesies Might fire the blood of ordinary men And turn preordinance and first decree Into the law of children. Be not fond, To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood That will be thawed from the true quality With that which melteth fools—I mean, sweet words, Low-crookèd curtsies, and base spaniel fawning. Thy brother by decree is banishèd. 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. CAESAR I have to stop you, Cimber. These kneelings and humble courtesies might excite ordinary men, flattering them into turning Roman law into children’s games. But don’t be so foolish as to think you can sway me from what’s right by using the tactics that persuade fools—I mean this flattery, low bows, and puppy-like fawning. Your brother has been banished by decree. If you kneel and beg and flatter for him, I’ll kick you out of my way like I would a dog. Know that I am not unjust, and I will not grant him a pardon without reason. METELLUS Is there no voice more worthy than my own To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear For the repealing of my banished brother? METELLUS Is there no voice worthier than my own to appeal to Caesar to repeal the order that my brother be banished? BRUTUS (kneeling) I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar, Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may Have an immediate freedom of repeal. BRUTUS (kneeling) I kiss your hand, but not in flattery, Caesar. I ask you to repeal Publius Cimber’s banishment immediately. Act 3, Scene 1, Page Original Text Modern Text 60 CAESAR What, Brutus? CAESAR What, even you, Brutus? CASSIUS (kneeling) Pardon, Caesar. Caesar, pardon. As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall CASSIUS (kneeling) Pardon him, Caesar, pardon him. I fall to your feet to beg you to restore Publius Cimber to citizenship.
190 For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart, And, in his mantle muffling up his face, Even at the base of Pompey’s statue, Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell. O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! Then I, and you, and all of us fell down, Whilst bloody treason flourished over us. Oh, 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 Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here, Here is himself, marred, as you see, with traitors. (lifts up CAESAR's mantle) Act 3, Scene 2, Page 9 Original Text Modern Text FIRST PLEBEIAN O piteous spectacle! FIRST PLEBEIAN Oh, what a sad sight! SECOND PLEBEIAN O noble Caesar! SECOND PLEBEIAN Oh, noble Caesar! 195 THIRD PLEBEIAN O woeful day! THIRD PLEBEIAN Oh, sad day! FOURTH PLEBEIAN O traitors, villains! FOURTH PLEBEIAN Oh, traitors, villains! FIRST PLEBEIAN O most bloody sight! FIRST PLEBEIAN Oh, most bloody sight! SECOND PLEBEIAN We will be revenged. SECOND PLEBEIAN We will get revenge.
Act 3, Scene 2, Page 10 Original Text Modern Text ALL We’ll mutiny. ALL We’ll mutiny. FIRST PLEBEIAN We’ll burn the house of Brutus. FIRST PLEBEIAN We’ll burn Brutus’s house. THIRD PLEBEIAN Away, then! Come, seek the conspirators. THIRD PLEBEIAN Let’s go, then! Come, find the conspirators! 225 ANTONY Yet hear me, countrymen. Yet hear me speak. ANTONY Wait, and listen to me, countrymen. ALL Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony! ALL Quiet! Wait! Listen to Antony. Most noble Antony! 230 ANTONY Why, friends, you go to do you know not what. 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. ANTONY Why, friends, you don’t even know what you’re doing yet. What has Caesar done to deserve your love? Alas, you don’t know. I must tell you then. You’ve forgotten the will I told you about. ALL Most true. The will! Let’s stay and hear the will. ALL Yes! The will! Let’s stay and hear the will! ANTONY Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal To every Roman citizen he gives— To every several man—seventy-five drachmas. ANTONY Here’s the will, written under Caesar’s seal. To every Roman citizen he gives—to every individual drachmas. 235 SECOND PLEBEIAN Most noble Caesar! We’ll revenge his death. SECOND PLEBEIAN Most noble Caesar! We’ll revenge his death. THIRD PLEBEIAN O royal Caesar! THIRD PLEBEIAN Oh, royal Caesar! ANTONY ANTONY