BRUTUS O yes, and soundless too.
35
For you have stol’n their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.
ANTONY
Villains! You did not so, when your vile daggers
Hacked one another in the sides of Caesar.
You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like
hounds,
40
And bowed like bondsmen, kissing Caesar’s feet;
Whilst damned Caska, like a cur, behind
Struck Caesar in the neck. O you flatterers!
CASSIUS Flatterers? Now, Brutus, thank yourself.
This tongue had not offended so today
If Cassius might have ruled.
45
OCTAVIUS
Come, come, the cause. If arguing makes us sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops:
Look, I draw a sword against conspirators.
When think you that the sword goes up again?
Never till Caesar’s three and thirty wounds
50
Be well avenged, or till another Caesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
BRUTUS Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors’ hands
Unless thou bring’st them with thee.
OCTAVIUS So I hope.
55
I was not born to die on Brutus’ sword.
BRUTUS O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.
CASSIUS
A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
Joined with a masquer and a reveller.
ANTONY Old Cassius still.
60
OCTAVIUS Come, Antony, away.
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth.
If you dare fight today, come to the field;
If not, when you have stomachs.
Exeunt Octavius, Antony and army.
CASSIUS
65
Why now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark.
The storm is up and all is on the hazard.
BRUTUS Ho, Lucilius, hark, a word with you.
LUCILIUS My lord. [Brutus speaks apart to Lucilius.]
CASSIUS Messala.
MESSALA What says my general?
CASSIUS Messala,
This is my birthday: as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
70
Be thou my witness that against my will
(As Pompey was) am I compelled to set
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
And his opinion: now I change my mind
75
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell and there they perched,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers’ hands,
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
80
This morning are they fled away and gone,
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites
Fly o’er our heads and downward look on us
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
85
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
MESSALA Believe not so.
CASSIUS I but believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.
BRUTUS [Comes forward.] Even so, Lucilius.
90
CASSIUS Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods today stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age.
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let’s reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
95
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you then determined to do?
BRUTUS Even by the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself – I know not how,
100
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life – arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high powers
That govern us below.
105
CASSIUS Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?
BRUTUS No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome.
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
110
Must end that work the Ides of March begun;
And whether we shall meet again, I know not:
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
For ever and for ever farewell, Cassius.
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
115
If not, why then this parting was well made.
CASSIUS For ever and for ever farewell, Brutus:
If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed;
If not, ’tis true this parting was well made.
BRUTUS Why then, lead on. O that a man might know
120
The end of this day’s business ere it come:
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known. Come ho, away. Exeunt.
125
5.2 Alarum. Enter BRUTUS and MESSALA.
BRUTUS Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills
Unto the legions on the other side. [Loud alarum.]
Let them set on at once, for I perceive
But cold demeanour in Octavius’ wing,
And sudden push gives them the overthrow.
Ride, ride, Messala. Let them all come down. Exeunt.
5
5.3 Alarums. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.
CASSIUS O look, Titinius, look, the villains fly:
Myself have to mine own turned enemy:
This ensign here of mine was turning back;
I slew the coward and did take it from him.
TITINIUS O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
Who having some advantage on Octavius
Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil,
5
Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Enter PINDARUS.
PINDARUS Fly further off, my lord, fly further off,
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord:
Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
CASSIUS This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius,
10
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
TITINIUS They are, my lord.
CASSIUS Titinius, if thou lovest me,
Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him,
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops
And here again, that I may rest assured
15
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS
I will be here again, even with a thought. Exit.
CASSIUS Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
My sight was ever thick: regard, Titinius,
And tell me what thou not’st about the field.
20
Exit Pindarus.
This day I breathed first. Time is come round;
And where I did begin, there shall I end.
My life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news?
PINDARUS [above] O my lord!
CASSIUS What news?
25
PINDARUS Titinius is enclosed round about
With hors
emen, that make to him on the spur,
Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.
Now, Titinius. Now some light: O, he lights too.
He’s ta’en. [Shout.] And hark, they shout for joy.
30
CASSIUS Come down, behold no more:
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta’en before my face.
Enter PINDARUS.
35
Come hither, sirrah.
In Parthia did I take thee prisoner,
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do,
Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath.
Now be a free man, and with this good sword
That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this bosom.
40
Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts,
And when my face is covered, as ’tis now,
Guide thou the sword – Caesar, thou art revenged
Even with the sword that killed thee.
[Pindarus kills him.]
45
PINDARUS So, I am free; yet would not so have been
Durst I have done my will. O Cassius!
Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
Where never Roman shall take note of him. Exit.
Enter TITINIUS and MESSALA.
50
MESSALA It is but change, Titinius: for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power,
As Cassius’ legions are by Antony.
TITINIUS These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS All disconsolate,
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
55
TITINIUS He lies not like the living. O, my heart!
MESSALA Is not that he?
TITINIUS No, this was he, Messala,
But Cassius is no more. O setting sun:
As in thy red rays thou dost sink tonight,
So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set.
60
The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone:
Clouds, dews and dangers come: our deeds are done.
Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.
MESSALA
Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
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O hateful Error, Melancholy’s child,
Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O Error, soon conceived,
Thou never com’st unto a happy birth
But kill’st the mother that engendered thee.
TITINIUS What, Pindarus? Where art thou, Pindarus?
70
MESSALA Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears. I may say thrusting it:
For piercing steel and darts envenomed
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
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As tidings of this sight.
TITINIUS Hie you, Messala,
And I will seek for Pindarus the while. Exit Messala.
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
Did I not meet thy friends, and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory
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And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?
Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything.
But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,
85
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.
By your leave, gods. This is a Roman’s part.
Come, Cassius’ sword, and find Titinius’ heart.
[Dies.]
90
Alarum. Enter BRUTUS, MESSALA, Young CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS and LUCILIUS.
BRUTUS Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA Lo yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS Titinius’ face is upward.
CATO He is slain.
BRUTUS O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet.
Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails. [Low alarums.]
CATO Brave Titinius.
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Look whe’er he have not crowned dead Cassius.
BRUTUS Are yet two Romans living such as these?
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well:
It is impossible that ever Rome
Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man than you shall see me pay.
The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works Page 151
