Home
This site uses cookies
log out

Julius Caesar: Act IV, Scene 3

Sign in with Google to add your annotations.

Julius Caesar
Act IV, Scene 3

Inside Brutus’s tent.

Enter the Ghost of Caesar.

Edwin Austin Abbey, 1905

  1. The scene continues inside Brutus’ tent while Lucilius and
  2. Titinius mount guard without.

Cassius

1 - 5
  1. That you have wrong’d me doth appear in this:
  2. You have condemn’d and noted Lucius Pella
  3. For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
  4. Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
  5. Because I knew the man, was slighted off.

Brutus

6
  1. You wrong’d yourself to write in such a case.

Cassius

7 - 8
  1. In such a time as this it is not meet
  2. That every nice offense should bear his comment.

Brutus

9 - 12
  1. Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
  2. Are much condemn’d to have an itching palm,
  3. To sell and mart your offices for gold
  4. To undeservers.

Cassius

13 - 15
  1.                 I, an itching palm?
  2. You know that you are Brutus that speaks this,
  3. Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Brutus

16 - 17
  1. The name of Cassius honors this corruption,
  2. And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

Cassius

18
  1. Chastisement?

Brutus

19 - 29
  1. Remember March, the ides of March remember:
  2. Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake?
  3. What villain touch’d his body, that did stab
  4. And not for justice? What? Shall one of us,
  5. That struck the foremost man of all this world
  6. But for supporting robbers, shall we now
  7. Contaminate our fingers with base bribes?
  8. And sell the mighty space of our large honors
  9. For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
  10. I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
  11. Than such a Roman.

Cassius

30 - 34
  1.                    Brutus, bait not me,
  2. I’ll not endure it. You forget yourself
  3. To hedge me in. I am a soldier, I,
  4. Older in practice, abler than yourself
  5. To make conditions.

Brutus

35
  1.                     Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Cassius

36
  1. I am.

Brutus

37
  1. I say you are not.

Cassius

38 - 39
  1. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
  2. Have mind upon your health; tempt me no farther.

Brutus

40
  1. Away, slight man!

Cassius

41
  1. Is’t possible?

Brutus

42 - 44
  1.                Hear me, for I will speak.
  2. Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
  3. Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Cassius

45
  1. O ye gods, ye gods, must I endure all this?

Brutus

46 - 54
  1. All this? Ay, more. Fret till your proud heart break;
  2. Go show your slaves how choleric you are,
  3. And make your bondmen tremble. Must I bouge?
  4. Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch
  5. Under your testy humor? By the gods,
  6. You shall digest the venom of your spleen
  7. Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
  8. I’ll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
  9. When you are waspish.

Cassius

55
  1.                       Is it come to this?

Brutus

56 - 59
  1. You say you are a better soldier:
  2. Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
  3. And it shall please me well. For mine own part,
  4. I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

Cassius

60 - 62
  1. You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus:
  2. I said an elder soldier, not a better.
  3. Did I say “better”?

Brutus

63
  1.                     If you did, I care not.

Cassius

64
  1. When Caesar liv’d, he durst not thus have mov’d me.

Brutus

65
  1. Peace, peace, you durst not so have tempted him.

Cassius

66
  1. I durst not?

Brutus

67
  1. No.

Cassius

68
  1. What? Durst not tempt him?

Brutus

69
  1.                            For your life you durst not.

Cassius

70 - 71
  1. Do not presume too much upon my love,
  2. I may do that I shall be sorry for.

Brutus

72 - 89
  1. You have done that you should be sorry for.
  2. There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats;
  3. For I am arm’d so strong in honesty
  4. That they pass by me as the idle wind,
  5. Which I respect not. I did send to you
  6. For certain sums of gold, which you denied me;
  7. For I can raise no money by vile means.
  8. By heaven, I had rather coin my heart
  9. And drop my blood for drachmaes than to wring
  10. From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
  11. By any indirection. I did send
  12. To you for gold to pay my legions,
  13. Which you denied me. Was that done like Cassius?
  14. Should I have answer’d Caius Cassius so?
  15. When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous
  16. To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
  17. Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts,
  18. Dash him to pieces!
The ghost of Caesar with Brutus

The ghost of Caesar with Brutus

Alexandre Bida, 19th century

Cassius

90
  1.                     I denied you not.

Brutus

91
  1. You did.

Cassius

92 - 95
  1. I did not. He was but a fool that brought
  2. My answer back. Brutus hath riv’d my heart.
  3. A friend should bear his friend’s infirmities;
  4. But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

Brutus

96
  1. I do not, till you practice them on me.

Cassius

97
  1. You love me not.

Brutus

98
  1.                  I do not like your faults.

Cassius

99
  1. A friendly eye could never see such faults.

Brutus

100 - 101
  1. A flatterer’s would not, though they do appear
  2. As huge as high Olympus.

Cassius

102 - 116
  1. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
  2. Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
  3. For Cassius is a-weary of the world;
  4. Hated by one he loves, brav’d by his brother,
  5. Check’d like a bondman, all his faults observ’d,
  6. Set in a note-book, learn’d, and conn’d by rote,
  7. To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
  8. My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
  9. And here my naked breast; within, a heart
  10. Dearer than Pluto’s mine, richer than gold:
  11. If that thou be’st a Roman, take it forth.
  12. I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
  13. Strike as thou didst at Caesar; for I know,
  14. When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
  15. Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

Brutus

117 - 123
  1.                                 Sheathe your dagger.
  2. Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
  3. Do what you will, dishonor shall be humor.
  4. O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
  5. That carries anger as the flint bears fire,
  6. Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
  7. And straight is cold again.

Cassius

124 - 126
  1.                             Hath Cassius liv’d
  2. To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
  3. When grief and blood ill-temper’d vexeth him?

Brutus

127
  1. When I spoke that, I was ill-temper’d too.

Cassius

128
  1. Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

Brutus

129
  1. And my heart too.

Cassius

130
  1.                   O Brutus!

Brutus

131
  1.           What’s the matter?

Cassius

132 - 134
  1. Have not you love enough to bear with me,
  2. When that rash humor which my mother gave me
  3. Makes me forgetful?

Brutus

135 - 137
  1.                     Yes, Cassius, and from henceforth,
  2. When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
  3. He’ll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
  1. Enter a Poet to Lucilius and Titinius as they stand on
  2. guard.

A Poet

138 - 140
  1. Let me go in to see the generals.
  2. There is some grudge between ’em; ’tis not meet
  3. They be alone.

Lucilius

141
  1. You shall not come to them.

A Poet

142
  1. Nothing but death shall stay me.
  1. Brutus and Cassius step out of the tent.

Cassius

143
  1. How now? What’s the matter?

A Poet

144 - 146
  1. For shame, you generals! What do you mean?
  2. Love, and be friends, as two such men should be,
  3. For I have seen more years, I’m sure, than ye.

Cassius

147
  1. Ha, ha! How vildly doth this cynic rhyme!

Brutus

148
  1. Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!

Byam Shaw, 1901

Cassius

149
  1. Bear with him, Brutus, ’tis his fashion.

Brutus

150 - 152
  1. I’ll know his humor, when he knows his time.
  2. What should the wars do with these jigging fools?
  3. Companion, hence!

Cassius

153
  1.                   Away, away, be gone!
  1. Exit Poet.

Brutus

154 - 155
  1. Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
  2. Prepare to lodge their companies tonight.

Cassius

156 - 157
  1. And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
  2. Immediately to us.
  1. Exeunt Lucilius and Titinius.

Brutus

158
  1. To Lucius within.
  2.                    Lucius, a bowl of wine!
  1. Brutus and Cassius return into the tent.

Cassius

159
  1. I did not think you could have been so angry.

Brutus

160
  1. O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

Cassius

161 - 162
  1. Of your philosophy you make no use,
  2. If you give place to accidental evils.

Brutus

163
  1. No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.

Cassius

164
  1. Ha? Portia?

Brutus

165
  1. She is dead.

Cassius

166 - 168
  1. How scap’d I killing when I cross’d you so?
  2. O insupportable and touching loss!
  3. Upon what sickness?

Brutus

169 - 173
  1.                     Impatient of my absence,
  2. And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
  3. Have made themselves so strong—for with her death
  4. That tidings came. With this she fell distract,
  5. And (her attendants absent) swallow’d fire.

Cassius

174
  1. And died so?

Brutus

175
  1.              Even so.

Cassius

176
  1.          O ye immortal gods!
  1. Enter Boy Lucius with wine and tapers.

Brutus

177 - 178
  1. Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
  2. In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
  1. Drinks.

Cassius

179 - 181
  1. My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
  2. Fill, Lucius, till the wine o’erswell the cup;
  3. I cannot drink too much of Brutus’ love.
  1. Drinks.
  1. Exit Lucius.
  1. Enter Titinius and Messala.

Brutus

182 - 184
  1. Come in, Titinius. Welcome, good Messala.
  2. Now sit we close about this taper here,
  3. And call in question our necessities.

Cassius

185
  1. Portia, art thou gone?

Brutus

186 - 190
  1.                        No more, I pray you.
  2. Messala, I have here received letters
  3. That young Octavius and Mark Antony
  4. Come down upon us with a mighty power,
  5. Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Messala

191
  1. Myself have letters of the self-same tenure.

Brutus

192
  1. With what addition?

Messala

193 - 195
  1. That by proscription and bills of outlawry
  2. Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus
  3. Have put to death an hundred senators.

Brutus

196 - 198
  1. Therein our letters do not well agree;
  2. Mine speak of seventy senators that died
  3. By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Cassius

199
  1. Cicero one?

Messala

200 - 202
  1.             Cicero is dead,
  2. And by that order of proscription.
  3. Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?

Brutus

203
  1. No, Messala.

Messala

204
  1. Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

Brutus

205
  1. Nothing, Messala.

Messala

206
  1.                   That, methinks, is strange.

Brutus

207
  1. Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?

Messala

208
  1. No, my lord.

Brutus

209
  1. Now as you are a Roman tell me true.

Messala

210 - 211
  1. Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
  2. For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

Brutus

212 - 214
  1. Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala.
  2. With meditating that she must die once,
  3. I have the patience to endure it now.

Messala

215
  1. Even so great men great losses should endure.

Cassius

216 - 217
  1. I have as much of this in art as you,
  2. But yet my nature could not bear it so.

Brutus

218 - 219
  1. Well, to our work alive. What do you think
  2. Of marching to Philippi presently?

Cassius

220
  1. I do not think it good.

Brutus

221
  1.                         Your reason?

Cassius

222 - 226
  1.              This it is:
  2. ’Tis better that the enemy seek us;
  3. So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
  4. Doing himself offense, whilst we, lying still,
  5. Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.

There is my dagger, and here my naked breast

John Masey Wright, Robert Smirke, Thomas Stothard, 1800

Brutus

227 - 236
  1. Good reasons must of force give place to better:
  2. The people ’twixt Philippi and this ground
  3. Do stand but in a forc’d affection,
  4. For they have grudg’d us contribution.
  5. The enemy, marching along by them,
  6. By them shall make a fuller number up,
  7. Come on refresh’d, new-added, and encourag’d;
  8. From which advantage shall we cut him off
  9. If at Philippi we do face him there,
  10. These people at our back.

Cassius

237
  1.                           Hear me, good brother.

Brutus

238 - 249
  1. Under your pardon. You must note beside
  2. That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
  3. Our legions are brimful, our cause is ripe:
  4. The enemy increaseth every day;
  5. We, at the height, are ready to decline.
  6. There is a tide in the affairs of men,
  7. Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
  8. Omitted, all the voyage of their life
  9. Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
  10. On such a full sea are we now afloat,
  11. And we must take the current when it serves,
  12. Or lose our ventures.

Cassius

250 - 251
  1.                       Then with your will go on;
  2. We’ll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi .

Brutus

252 - 255
  1. The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
  2. And nature must obey necessity,
  3. Which we will niggard with a little rest.
  4. There is no more to say?

Cassius

256 - 257
  1.                          No more. Good night.
  2. Early tomorrow will we rise, and hence.

Brutus

258 - 262
  1. Lucius!
  2. Enter Lucius.
  3.         My gown.
  4. Exit Lucius.
  5.          Farewell, good Messala.
  6. Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
  7. Good night, and good repose.

Cassius

263 - 266
  1.                              O my dear brother!
  2. This was an ill beginning of the night.
  3. Never come such division ’tween our souls!
  4. Let it not, Brutus.
  1. Enter Lucius with the gown.

Brutus

267
  1.                     Every thing is well.

Cassius

268
  1. Good night, my lord.

Brutus

269
  1.                      Good night, good brother.

Both Titinius and Messala

270
  1. Good night, Lord Brutus.

Brutus

271 - 272
  1.                          Farewell every one.
  2. Exeunt all but Brutus and Lucius.
  3. Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?

Lucius

273
  1. Here in the tent.

Brutus

274 - 277
  1.                   What, thou speak’st drowsily?
  2. Poor knave, I blame thee not, thou art o’erwatch’d.
  3. Call Claudio and some other of my men,
  4. I’ll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

Lucius

278
  1. Varrus and Claudio!
  1. Enter Varrus and Claudio.

Varrus

279
  1. Calls my lord?

Brutus

280 - 282
  1. I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;
  2. It may be I shall raise you by and by
  3. On business to my brother Cassius.

Varrus

283
  1. So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.

Brutus

284 - 287
  1. I will not have it so. Lie down, good sirs,
  2. It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
  3. Varrus and Claudio lie down.
  4. Look, Lucius, here’s the book I sought for so;
  5. I put it in the pocket of my gown.

Lucius

288
  1. I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

Brutus

289 - 291
  1. Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
  2. Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
  3. And touch thy instrument a strain or two?

Lucius

292
  1. Ay, my lord, an’t please you.

Brutus

293 - 294
  1.                               It does, my boy.
  2. I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

Lucius

295
  1. It is my duty, sir.

Brutus

296 - 297
  1. I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
  2. I know young bloods look for a time of rest.
Julius Caesar

Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil

Julius Caesar

1901

Lucius

298
  1. I have slept, my lord, already.

Brutus

299 - 316
  1. It was well done, and thou shalt sleep again;
  2. I will not hold thee long. If I do live,
  3. I will be good to thee.
  4. Music, and a song.
  5. This is a sleepy tune. O murd’rous slumber!
  6. Layest thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
  7. That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
  8. I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee.
  9. If thou dost nod, thou break’st thy instrument,
  10. I’ll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
  11. Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn’d down
  12. Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
  13. Enter the Ghost of Caesar.
  14. How ill this taper burns! Ha! Who comes here?
  15. I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
  16. That shapes this monstrous apparition.
  17. It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?
  18. Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
  19. That mak’st my blood cold, and my hair to stare?
  20. Speak to me what thou art.

Ghost of Caesar

317
  1. Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Brutus

318
  1.                          Why com’st thou?

Ghost of Caesar

319
  1. To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

Brutus

320
  1. Well; then I shall see thee again?

Ghost of Caesar

321
  1. Ay, at Philippi.

Brutus

322 - 326
  1. Why, I will see thee at Philippi then.
  2. Exit Ghost.
  3. Now I have taken heart thou vanishest.
  4. Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
  5. Boy, Lucius! Varrus! Claudio! Sirs, awake!
  6. Claudio!

Lucius

327
  1. The strings, my lord, are false.

Brutus

328 - 329
  1. He thinks he still is at his instrument.
  2. Lucius, awake!

Lucius

330
  1. My lord?

Brutus

331
  1. Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Lucius

332
  1. My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

Brutus

333
  1. Yes, that thou didst. Didst thou see any thing?

Lucius

334
  1. Nothing, my lord.

Brutus

335 - 336
  1. Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudio!
  2. To Varrus.
  3. Fellow thou, awake!

Varrus

337
  1. My lord?

Claudio

338
  1. My lord?

Brutus

339
  1. Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

Both Claudio and Varrus

340
  1. Did we, my lord?

Brutus

341
  1.                  Ay. Saw you any thing?

Varrus

342
  1. No, my lord, I saw nothing.

Claudio

343
  1.                             Nor I, my lord.

Brutus

344 - 346
  1. Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
  2. Bid him set on his pow’rs betimes before,
  3. And we will follow.

Both Claudio and Varrus

347
  1.                     It shall be done, my lord.
  1. Exeunt.
Brutus and Caesar's Ghost

Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Brutus and Caesar's Ghost

William Blake, 1806

© 2021 Unotate.com • contact • privacy policy • Creative Commons text from PlayShakespeare.com • All illustrations are public domain or Creative Commons