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Julius Caesar: Act I, Scene 2

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Julius Caesar
Act I, Scene 2

Rome. A public place.

Julius Caesar

Julius Caesar

Ángel M. Felicísimo, date unknown

  1. Enter Caesar, Antony for the course, Calphurnia, Portia,
  2. Decius, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Citizens, and a
  3. Soothsayer; after them Murellus and Flavius.

Caesar

1
  1. Calphurnia!

Casca

2
  1.             Peace ho, Caesar speaks.

Caesar

3
  1.                          Calphurnia!

Calphurnia

4
  1. Here, my lord.

Caesar

5 - 6
  1. Stand you directly in Antonio’s way
  2. When he doth run his course. Antonio!

Mark Antony

7
  1. Caesar, my lord?

Caesar

8 - 11
  1. Forget not in your speed, Antonio,
  2. To touch Calphurnia; for our elders say,
  3. The barren, touched in this holy chase,
  4. Shake off their sterile curse.
    Nov 3, 2020 Miko
    Mark Antony is one of the Luperci, pagan priests. The Luperci presided over the feast of Lupercalia held on February 15 in Rome. As part of the tradition, Luperci ran around a hill and hit women with the skins of sacrificial animals to make the women fertile.

Mark Antony

12 - 13
  1.                                I shall remember:
  2. When Caesar says, “Do this,” it is perform’d.

Caesar

14
  1. Set on, and leave no ceremony out.
  1. Flourish.

Soothsayer

15
  1. Caesar!

Caesar

16
  1. Ha? Who calls?

Casca

17
  1. Bid every noise be still; peace yet again!

Caesar

18 - 20
  1. Who is it in the press that calls on me?
  2. I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
  3. Cry “Caesar!” Speak, Caesar is turn’d to hear.

Soothsayer

21
  1. Beware the ides of March.

Caesar

22
  1.                           What man is that?

Brutus

23
  1. A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.

Caesar

24
  1. Set him before me, let me see his face.

Cassius

25
  1. Fellow, come from the throng, look upon Caesar.

Caesar

26
  1. What say’st thou to me now? Speak once again.

Soothsayer

27
  1. Beware the Ides of March.

Caesar

28
  1. He is a dreamer, let us leave him. Pass.
  1. Sennet.
  1. Exeunt. Manent Brutus and Cassius.

Cassius

29
  1. Will you go see the order of the course?

Brutus

30
  1. Not I.

Cassius

31
  1. I pray you do.

Brutus

32 - 35
  1. I am not gamesome; I do lack some part
  2. Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.
  3. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
  4. I’ll leave you.

Cassius

36 - 40
  1. Brutus, I do observe you now of late;
  2. I have not from your eyes that gentleness
  3. And show of love as I was wont to have.
  4. You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
  5. Over your friend that loves you.

Brutus

41 - 52
  1.                                  Cassius,
  2. Be not deceiv’d. If I have veil’d my look,
  3. I turn the trouble of my countenance
  4. Merely upon myself. Vexed I am
  5. Of late with passions of some difference,
  6. Conceptions only proper to myself,
  7. Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviors;
  8. But let not therefore my good friends be griev’d
  9. (Among which number, Cassius, be you one),
  10. Nor construe any further my neglect,
  11. Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
  12. Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cassius

53 - 56
  1. Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion,
  2. By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
  3. Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
  4. Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

Brutus

57 - 58
  1. No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself
  2. But by reflection, by some other things.

Cassius

59 - 67
  1. ’Tis just,
  2. And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
  3. That you have no such mirrors as will turn
  4. Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
  5. That you might see your shadow. I have heard
  6. Where many of the best respect in Rome
  7. (Except immortal Caesar), speaking of Brutus
  8. And groaning underneath this age’s yoke,
  9. Have wish’d that noble Brutus had his eyes.

Brutus

68 - 70
  1. Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
  2. That you would have me seek into myself
  3. For that which is not in me?

Cassius

71 - 83
  1. Therefore, good Brutus, be prepar’d to hear;
  2. And since you know you cannot see yourself
  3. So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
  4. Will modestly discover to yourself
  5. That of yourself which you yet know not of.
  6. And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
  7. Were I a common laughter, or did use
  8. To stale with ordinary oaths my love
  9. To every new protester; if you know
  10. That I do fawn on men and hug them hard,
  11. And after scandal them; or if you know
  12. That I profess myself in banqueting
  13. To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
  1. Flourish and shout.
Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger

Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger

Brutus

84 - 85
  1. What means this shouting? I do fear the people
  2. Choose Caesar for their king.

Cassius

86 - 87
  1.                               Ay, do you fear it?
  2. Then must I think you would not have it so.

Brutus

88 - 95
  1. I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well.
  2. But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
  3. What is it that you would impart to me?
  4. If it be aught toward the general good,
  5. Set honor in one eye and death i’ th’ other,
  6. And I will look on both indifferently;
  7. For let the gods so speed me as I love
  8. The name of honor more than I fear death.

Cassius

96 - 137
  1. I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
  2. As well as I do know your outward favor.
  3. Well, honor is the subject of my story:
  4. I cannot tell what you and other men
  5. Think of this life; but, for my single self,
  6. I had as lief not be as live to be
  7. In awe of such a thing as I myself.
  8. I was born free as Caesar, so were you;
  9. We both have fed as well, and we can both
  10. Endure the winter’s cold as well as he;
  11. For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
  12. The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
  13. Caesar said to me, “Dar’st thou, Cassius, now
  14. Leap in with me into this angry flood,
  15. And swim to yonder point?” Upon the word,
  16. Accoutred as I was, I plunged in,
  17. And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
  18. The torrent roar’d, and we did buffet it
  19. With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
  20. And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
  21. But ere we could arrive the point propos’d,
  22. Caesar cried, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink!”
  23. I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
  24. Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
  25. The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
  26. Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
  27. Is now become a god, and Cassius is
  28. A wretched creature, and must bend his body
  29. If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
  30. He had a fever when he was in Spain,
  31. And when the fit was on him, I did mark
  32. How he did shake—’tis true, this god did shake;
  33. His coward lips did from their color fly,
  34. And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
  35. Did lose his lustre, I did hear him groan;
  36. Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
  37. Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,
  38. Alas, it cried, “Give me some drink, Titinius,”
  39. As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
  40. A man of such a feeble temper should
  41. So get the start of the majestic world
  42. And bear the palm alone.
  1. Shout. Flourish.

Brutus

138 - 140
  1. Another general shout!
  2. I do believe that these applauses are
  3. For some new honors that are heap’d on Caesar.

Cassius

141 - 167
  1. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
  2. Like a Colossus, and we petty men
  3. Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
  4. To find ourselves dishonorable graves.
  5. Men at some time are masters of their fates;
  6. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
  7. But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
  8. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that “Caesar”?
  9. Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
  10. Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
  11. Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
  12. Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with ’em,
  13. “Brutus” will start a spirit as soon as “Caesar.”
  14. Now in the names of all the gods at once,
  15. Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed
  16. That he is grown so great? Age, thou art sham’d!
  17. Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
  18. When went there by an age since the great flood
  19. But it was fam’d with more than with one man?
  20. When could they say, till now, that talk’d of Rome,
  21. That her wide walks encompass’d but one man?
  22. Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
  23. When there is in it but one only man.
  24. O! You and I have heard our fathers say
  25. There was a Brutus once that would have brook’d
  26. Th’ eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
  27. As easily as a king.

Byam Shaw, 1901

Brutus

168 - 181
  1. That you do love me, I am nothing jealous;
  2. What you would work me to, I have some aim.
  3. How I have thought of this, and of these times,
  4. I shall recount hereafter. For this present,
  5. I would not (so with love I might entreat you)
  6. Be any further mov’d. What you have said
  7. I will consider; what you have to say
  8. I will with patience hear, and find a time
  9. Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
  10. Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
  11. Brutus had rather be a villager
  12. Than to repute himself a son of Rome
  13. Under these hard conditions as this time
  14. Is like to lay upon us.

Cassius

182 - 183
  1. I am glad that my weak words
  2. Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.
  1. Enter Caesar and his Train.

Brutus

184
  1. The games are done, and Caesar is returning.

Cassius

185 - 187
  1. As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve,
  2. And he will (after his sour fashion) tell you
  3. What hath proceeded worthy note today.

Brutus

188 - 194
  1. I will do so. But look you, Cassius,
  2. The angry spot doth glow on Caesar’s brow,
  3. And all the rest look like a chidden train:
  4. Calphurnia’s cheek is pale, and Cicero
  5. Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes
  6. As we have seen him in the Capitol,
  7. Being cross’d in conference by some senators.

Cassius

195
  1. Casca will tell us what the matter is.

Caesar

196
  1. Antonio!

Mark Antony

197
  1. Caesar?

Caesar

198 - 201
  1. Let me have men about me that are fat,
  2. Sleek-headed men and such as sleep a-nights.
  3. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
  4. He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.

Mark Antony

202 - 203
  1. Fear him not, Caesar, he’s not dangerous,
  2. He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caesar

204 - 220
  1. Would he were fatter! But I fear him not.
  2. Yet if my name were liable to fear,
  3. I do not know the man I should avoid
  4. So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much,
  5. He is a great observer, and he looks
  6. Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
  7. As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;
  8. Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
  9. As if he mock’d himself, and scorn’d his spirit
  10. That could be mov’d to smile at any thing.
  11. Such men as he be never at heart’s ease
  12. Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,
  13. And therefore are they very dangerous.
  14. I rather tell thee what is to be fear’d
  15. Than what I fear; for always I am Caesar.
  16. Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
  17. And tell me truly what thou think’st of him.
  1. Sennet. Exeunt Caesar and his Train. Casca stays.

Casca

221
  1. You pull’d me by the cloak, would you speak with me?

Brutus

222 - 223
  1. Ay, Casca, tell us what hath chanc’d today
  2. That Caesar looks so sad.

Casca

224
  1. Why, you were with him, were you not?

Brutus

225
  1. I should not then ask Casca what had chanc’d.

Casca

226 - 228
  1. Why, there was a crown offer’d him; and being offer’d him,
  2. he put it by with the back of his hand thus, and then the
  3. people fell a-shouting.

Brutus

229
  1. What was the second noise for?

Casca

230
  1. Why, for that too.

Cassius

231
  1. They shouted thrice; what was the last cry for?

Casca

232
  1. Why, for that too.

Brutus

233
  1. Was the crown offer’d him thrice?

Casca

234 - 236
  1. Ay, marry, was’t, and he put it by thrice, every time
  2. gentler than other; and at every putting-by mine honest
  3. neighbors shouted.

Cassius

237
  1. Who offer’d him the crown?

Casca

238
  1. Why, Antony.

Brutus

239
  1. Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.

Casca

240 - 254
  1. I can as well be hang’d as tell the manner of it: it was
  2. mere foolery, I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer him
  3. a crown—yet ’twas not a crown neither, ’twas one of these
  4. coronets—and as I told you, he put it by once; but for all
  5. that, to my thinking, he would fain have had it. Then he
  6. offer’d it to him again; then he put it by again; but, to my
  7. thinking, he was very loath to lay his fingers off it. And
  8. then he offer’d it the third time; he put it the third time
  9. by; and still as he refus’d it, the rabblement howted, and
  10. clapp’d their chopp’d hands, and threw up their sweaty
  11. night-caps, and utter’d such a deal of stinking breath
  12. because Caesar refus’d the crown, that it had, almost,
  13. chok’d Caesar, for he swounded, and fell down at it; and for
  14. mine own part, I durst not laugh, for fear of opening my
  15. lips and receiving the bad air.
Marcus Antonius

Marcus Antonius

unknown date

Cassius

255
  1. But soft I pray you; what, did Caesar swound?

Casca

256 - 257
  1. He fell down in the market-place, and foam’d at mouth, and
  2. was speechless.

Brutus

258
  1. ’Tis very like, he hath the falling sickness.

Cassius

259 - 260
  1. No, Caesar hath it not; but you, and I,
  2. And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness.

Casca

261 - 264
  1. I know not what you mean by that, but I am sure Caesar fell
  2. down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him and hiss him,
  3. according as he pleas’d and displeas’d them, as they use to
  4. do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Brutus

265
  1. What said he when he came unto himself?

Casca

266 - 276
  1. Marry, before he fell down, when he perceiv’d the common
  2. herd was glad he refus’d the crown, he pluck’d me ope his
  3. doublet, and offer’d them his throat to cut. And I had been
  4. a man of any occupation, if I would not have taken him at a
  5. word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues. And so he
  6. fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had done
  7. or said any thing amiss, he desir’d their worships to think
  8. it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches, where I stood,
  9. cried, “Alas, good soul!” and forgave him with all their
  10. hearts. But there’s no heed to be taken of them; if Caesar
  11. had stabb’d their mothers, they would have done no less.

Brutus

277
  1. And after that, he came thus sad away?

Casca

278
  1. Ay.

Cassius

279
  1. Did Cicero say any thing?

Casca

280
  1. Ay, he spoke Greek.

Cassius

281
  1. To what effect?

Casca

282 - 288
  1. Nay, and I tell you that, I’ll ne’er look you i’ th’ face
  2. again. But those that understood him smil’d at one another,
  3. and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek
  4. to me. I could tell you more news too. Murellus and Flavius,
  5. for pulling scarfs off Caesar’s images, are put to silence.
  6. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could
  7. remember it.

Cassius

289
  1. Will you sup with me tonight, Casca?

Casca

290
  1. No, I am promis’d forth.

Cassius

291
  1. Will you dine with me tomorrow?

Casca

292 - 293
  1. Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner worth
  2. the eating.

Cassius

294
  1. Good, I will expect you.

Casca

295
  1. Do so. Farewell both.
  1. Exit.

Brutus

296 - 297
  1. What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!
  2. He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Cassius

298 - 303
  1. So is he now in execution
  2. Of any bold or noble enterprise,
  3. However he puts on this tardy form.
  4. This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
  5. Which gives men stomach to digest his words
  6. With better appetite.

Brutus

304 - 307
  1. And so it is. For this time I will leave you;
  2. Tomorrow, if you please to speak with me,
  3. I will come home to you; or, if you will,
  4. Come home to me, and I will wait for you.

Cassius

308 - 323
  1. I will do so; till then, think of the world.
  2. Exit Brutus.
  3. Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet I see
  4. Thy honorable mettle may be wrought
  5. From that it is dispos’d; therefore it is meet
  6. That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
  7. For who so firm that cannot be seduc’d?
  8. Caesar doth bear me hard, but he loves Brutus.
  9. If I were Brutus now and he were Cassius,
  10. He should not humor me. I will this night,
  11. In several hands, in at his windows throw,
  12. As if they came from several citizens,
  13. Writings, all tending to the great opinion
  14. That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
  15. Caesar’s ambition shall be glanced at.
  16. And after this let Caesar seat him sure,
  17. For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
  1. Exit.
The Henry Irving Shakespeare

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

From: The Henry Irving Shakespeare

Henry, Sir Irving; Edward Dowden; Gordon Browne; 1888

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