Julius Caesar
Act V, Scene 3
The plains of Philippi. Another part of the battlefield.
O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
Edwin Austin Abbey, 1904
- Alarums. Enter Cassius and Titinius.
Cassius
1 - 4- O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
- Myself have to mine own turn’d enemy.
- This ensign here of mine was turning back;
- I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
Titinius
5 - 8- O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
- Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
- Took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil,
- Whilst we by Antony are all enclos’d.
- Enter Pindarus.
Pindarus
9 - 11- Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
- Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord;
- Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
Cassius
12 - 13- This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius,
- Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
Titinius
14- They are, my lord.
Cassius
15 - 19- 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 assur’d
- Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
Titinius
20- I will be here again, even with a thought.
- Exit.
Cassius
21 - 26- Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
- My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius,
- And tell me what thou not’st about the field.
- Pindarus goes up.
- 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
27- Above.
- O my lord!
Cassius
28- What news?
Pindarus
29 - 34- Titinius is enclosed round about
- With horsemen, 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.
Cassius
35 - 49- Come down, behold no more.
- O, coward that I am, to live so long,
- To see my best friend ta’en before my face!
- Pindarus descends.
- 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 freeman, and with this good sword,
- That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this bosom.
- Stand not to answer; here, take thou the hilts,
- And when my face is cover’d, as ’tis now,
- Guide thou the sword.
- Pindarus stabs him.
- Caesar, thou art reveng’d,
- Even with the sword that kill’d thee.
- Dies.
Pindarus
50 - 53- 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.
Messala
54 - 56- It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius
- Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power,
- As Cassius’ legions are by Antony.
Titinius
57- These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
Messala
58- Where did you leave him?
Titinius
59 - 60- All disconsolate,
- With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
Messala
61- Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
Titinius
62- He lies not like the living. O my heart!
Messala
63- Is not that he?
Titinius
64 - 70- 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!
- 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.
Come down, behold no more.
John Gilbert, 1867
Messala
71 - 76- Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
- O hateful error, melancholy’s child,
- Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
- The things that are not? O error, soon conceiv’d,
- Thou never com’st unto a happy birth,
- But kill’st the mother that engend’red thee!
Titinius
77- What, Pindarus? Where art thou, Pindarus?
Messala
78 - 83- 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
- As tidings of this sight.
Titinius
84 - 96- 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,
- And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?
- Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing.
- 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,
- 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.
- Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Strato,
- Volumnius, and Lucilius.
Brutus
97- Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
Messala
98- Lo yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
Brutus
99- Titinius’ face is upward.
Cato
100- He is slain.
Brutus
101 - 103- O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
- Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
- In our own proper entrails.
- Low alarums.
Cato
104 - 105- Brave Titinius!
- Look whe’er he have not crown’d dead Cassius!
Brutus
106 - 118- 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.
- I shall find time, Cassius; I shall find time.
- Come therefore, and to Thasos send his body;
- His funerals shall not be in our camp,
- Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come,
- And come, young Cato, let us to the field,
- Labio and Flavio set our battles on.
- ’Tis three a’ clock, and, Romans, yet ere night
- We shall try fortune in a second fight.
- Exeunt.
Titinius is enclosed round about
From: The Henry Irving Shakespeare
Henry, Sir Irving; Edward Dowden; Gordon Browne; 1888