Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
They could not find a heart within the beast.
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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
That Caesar is more dangerous than he.
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We are two lions littered in one day,
And I the elder and more terrible,
And Caesar shall go forth.
CALPHURNIA Alas, my lord,
Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
Do not go forth today. Call it my fear
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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.
Let me upon my knee prevail in this.
CAESAR Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
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And for thy humour I will stay at home.
Enter DECIUS.
Here’s Decius Brutus. He shall tell them so.
DECIUS Caesar, all hail. Good morrow, worthy Caesar,
I come to fetch you to the Senate House.
CAESAR And you are come in very happy time
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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.
CALPHURNIA Say he is sick.
CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie?
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Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far
To be afeard to tell greybeards the truth?
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.
DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so.
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CAESAR The cause is in my will, I will not come,
That is enough to satisfy the Senate.
But for your private satisfaction,
Because I love you, I will let you know.
Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home.
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She dreamt tonight she saw my statue,
Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.
And these she does apply for warnings and portents
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And evils imminent, and on her knee
Hath begged that I will stay at home today.
DECIUS This dream is all amiss interpreted.
It was a vision, fair and fortunate.
Your statue spouting blood in many pipes
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In which so many smiling Romans bathed
Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.
This by Calphurnia’s dream is signified.
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CAESAR And this way have you well expounded it.
DECIUS I have, when you have heard what I can say.
And know it now: the Senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
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Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be rendered, for some one to say,
‘Break up the Senate till another time
When Caesar’s wife shall meet with better dreams.’
If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper,
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‘Lo, Caesar is afraid’?
Pardon me, Caesar, for my dear, dear love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this,
And reason to my love is liable.
CAESAR How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia!
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I am ashamed I did yield to them.
Give me my robe, for I will go.
Enter BRUTUS, Caius LIGARIUS, METELLUS Cimber, CASKA, TREBONIUS, CINNA and PUBLIUS.
And look where Publius is come to fetch me.
PUBLIUS Good morrow, Caesar.
CAESAR Welcome, Publius.
What, Brutus, are you stirred so early too?
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Good morrow, Caska. Caius Ligarius,
Caesar was ne’er so much your enemy
As that same ague which hath made you lean.
What is’t o’clock?
BRUTUS Caesar, ’tis strucken eight.
CAESAR I thank you for your pains and courtesy.
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Enter ANTONY.
See, Antony, that revels long a-nights,
Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.
ANTONY So to most noble Caesar.
CAESAR Bid them prepare within.
I am too blame to be thus waited for.
Now, Cinna. Now, Metellus. What, Trebonius,
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I have an hour’s talk in store for you.
Remember that you call on me today:
Be near me, that I may remember you.
TREBONIUS Caesar, I will. [aside] And so near will I be
That your best friends shall wish I had been further.
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CAESAR
Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me,
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.
BRUTUS [aside]
That every like is not the same, O Caesar,
The heart of Brutus earns to think upon. Exeunt.
2.3 Enter ARTEMIDORUS reading a paper.
ARTEMIDORUS Caesar, beware of Brutus. Take heed of
Cassius. Come not near Caska. Have an eye to Cinna.
Trust not Trebonius. Mark well Metellus Cimber. Decius
Brutus loves thee not. Thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius.
There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent
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against Caesar. If thou beest not immortal, look about
you. Security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods
defend thee.
Thy lover, Artemidorus.
Here will I stand till Caesar pass along
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And as a suitor will I give him this.
My heart laments that virtue cannot live
Out of the teeth of emulation.
If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayst live;
If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive. Exit.
2.4 Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.
PORTIA I prithee, boy, run to the Senate House.
Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone.
Why dost thou stay?
LUCIUS To know my errand, madam.
PORTIA
I would have had thee there and here again
Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.
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[aside] O constancy, be strong upon my side:
Set a huge mountain ’tween my heart and tongue.
I have a man’s mind, but a woman’s might.
How hard it is for women to keep counsel.
[to Lucius] Art thou here yet?
LUCIUS Madam, what should I do?
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Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?
And so return to you, and nothing else?
PORTIA Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
For he went sickly forth; and take good note
What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.
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Hark, boy, what noise is that?
LUCIUS I hear none, madam.
PORTIA Prithee listen well.
I heard a bustling rumour like a fray,
And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
LUCIUS Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
Enter the Soothsayer.
PORTIA
Come hither, fellow. Which way hast thou been?
SOOTHSAYER At mine own house, good lady.
PORTIA What is’t o’clock?
SOOTHSAYER About the ninth hour, lady.
PORTIA Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol?
SOOTHSAYER Madam, not yet. I go to take my stand
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To see him pass on to the Capitol.
PORTIA Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?
SOOTHSAYER That I have, lady, if it will please Caesar
To be so good to Caesar as to hear me:
I shall beseech him to befriend himself.
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PORTIA
Why, knowst thou any harm’s intended towards him?
SOOTHSAYER None that I know will be,
Much that I fear may chance.
Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow.
The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,
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Of senators, of praetors, common suitors,
Will crowd a feeble man almost to death.
I’ll get me to a place more void, and there
Speak to great Caesar as he comes along. Exit.
PORTIA I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing
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The heart of woman is. O Brutus,
The heavens speed thee in thy enterprise.
Sure the boy heard me. Brutus hath a suit
That Caesar will not grant. O, I grow faint:
Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord.
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Say I am merry. Come to me again
And bring me word what he doth say to thee.
Exeunt at separate doors.
3.1 Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASKA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, ARTEMIDORUS, PUBLIUS, POPILIUS Lena and the Soothsayer.
CAESAR The Ides of March are come.
SOOTHSAYER Ay, Caesar, but not gone.
ARTEMIDORUS Hail, Caesar. Read this schedule.
DECIUS Trebonius doth desire you to o’er-read
At your best leisure this his humble suit.
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ARTEMIDORUS O Caesar, read mine first, for mine’s a suit
That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.
CAESAR What touches us ourself shall be last served.
ARTEMIDORUS Delay not, Caesar, read it instantly!
CAESAR What, is the fellow mad?
PUBLIUS Sirrah, give place.
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CASSIUS What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.
[Caesar and his followers move upstage.]
POPILIUS I wish your enterprise today may thrive.
CASSIUS What enterprise, Popilius?
POPILIUS Fare you well.
BRUTUS What said Popilius Lena?
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CASSIUS He wished today our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.
BRUTUS Look how he makes to Caesar. Mark him.
CASSIUS Caska, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
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Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.
BRUTUS Cassius, be constant.
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes,
For look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.
CASSIUS Trebonius knows his time: for look you, Brutus,
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He draws Mark Antony out of the way.
Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.
DECIUS Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.
BRUTUS He is addressed. Press near and second him.
CINNA Caska, you are the first that rears your hand.
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CAESAR Are we all ready? What is now amiss
That Caesar and his Senate must redress?
METELLUS Most high, most mighty and most puissant
Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart –
CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber:
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These couchings and these lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men,
And turn pre-ordinance and first decree
Into the lane of children. Be not fond
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood
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That will be thawed from the true quality
With that which melteth fools – I mean sweet words,
Low-crooked curtsies and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banished.
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him
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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 145
