Julius Caesar
Act V, Scene 5
The plains of Philippi. Another part of the battlefield.
Byam Shaw, 1901
- Enter Brutus, Dardanius, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius.
Brutus
1- Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.
Clitus
2 - 3- Statilius show’d the torchlight, but, my lord,
- He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain.
Brutus
4 - 5- Sit thee down, Clitus; slaying is the word,
- It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
- Whispering.
Clitus
6- What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
Brutus
7- Peace then, no words.
Clitus
8- I’ll rather kill myself.
Brutus
9- Hark thee, Dardanius.
- Whispering.
Dardanius
10- Shall I do such a deed?
Clitus
11- O Dardanius!
Dardanius
12- O Clitus!
Clitus
13- What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
Dardanius
14- To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
Clitus
15 - 16- Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
- That it runs over even at his eyes.
Brutus
17- Come hither, good Volumnius; list a word.
Volumnius
18- What says my lord?
Brutus
19 - 23- Why, this, Volumnius:
- The ghost of Caesar hath appear’d to me
- Two several times by night; at Sardis once,
- And this last night, here in Philippi fields.
- I know my hour is come.
Volumnius
24- Not so, my lord.
Brutus
25 - 32- Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
- Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes;
- Our enemies have beat us to the pit.
- Low alarums.
- It is more worthy to leap in ourselves
- Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
- Thou know’st that we two went to school together;
- Even for that our love of old, I prithee
- Hold thou my sword—hilts, whilest I run on it.
Volumnius
33- That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
- Alarum still.
Clitus
34- Fly, fly, my lord, there is no tarrying here.
Brutus
35 - 46- Farewell to you, and you, and you, Volumnius.
- Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep;
- Farewell to thee too, Strato. Countrymen,
- My heart doth joy that yet in all my life
- I found no man but he was true to me.
- I shall have glory by this losing day
- More than Octavius and Mark Antony
- By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
- So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue
- Hath almost ended his live’s history.
- Night hangs upon mine eyes, my bones would rest,
- That have but labor’d to attain this hour.
- Alarum. Cry within, “Fly, fly, fly!”
Clitus
47- Fly, my lord, fly.
Brutus
48 - 53- Hence! I will follow.
- Exeunt Clitus, Dardanius, and Volumnius.
- I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.
- Thou art a fellow of a good respect;
- Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it.
- Hold then my sword, and turn away thy face,
- While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
Caesar, now be still, I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.
The Death of Brutus
Henry Fuseli, circa 1783
Strato
54- Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
Brutus
55 - 57- Farewell, good Strato.
- Runs on his sword.
- Caesar, now be still,
- I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.
- Dies.
- Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius,
- and the army.
Octavius
58- What man is that?
Messala
59- My master’s man. Strato, where is thy master?
Strato
60 - 63- Free from the bondage you are in, Messala;
- The conquerors can but make a fire of him;
- For Brutus only overcame himself,
- And no man else hath honor by his death.
Lucilius
64 - 65- So Brutus should be found. I thank thee, Brutus,
- That thou hast prov’d Lucilius’ saying true.
Octavius
66 - 67- All that serv’d Brutus, I will entertain them.
- Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
Strato
68- Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
Octavius
69- Do so, good Messala.
Messala
70- How died my master, Strato?
Strato
71- I held the sword, and he did run on it.
Messala
72 - 73- Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
- That did the latest service to my master.
Mark Antony
74 - 81- This was the noblest Roman of them all:
- All the conspirators, save only he,
- Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;
- He, only in a general honest thought
- And common good to all, made one of them.
- His life was gentle, and the elements
- So mix’d in him that Nature might stand up
- And say to all the world, “This was a man!”
Octavius
82 - 87- According to his virtue let us use him,
- With all respect and rites of burial.
- Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
- Most like a soldier, ordered honorably.
- So call the field to rest, and let’s away,
- To part the glories of this happy day.
- Exeunt omnes.
