Original Text |
Translated Text |
| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library |
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Enter Brutus and Cassius with the Plebeians. PLEBEIANS
We will be satisfied! Let us be satisfied! BRUTUS
Then follow me and give me audience, friends.—
Cassius, go you into the other street
And part the numbers.—
Those that will hear me speak, let ’em stay here; 5
Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;
And public reasons shall be renderèd
Of Caesar’s death. FIRST PLEBEIAN I will hear Brutus speak. SECOND PLEBEIAN
I will hear Cassius, and compare their reasons 10
When severally we hear them renderèd. Cassius exits with some of the Plebeians.
Brutus goes into the pulpit. | Brutus and Cassius hit the streets, surrounded by crowds of common folks. So many people are clamoring to hear them that Cassius takes one group off while the others stay to listen to Brutus speak. |
THIRD PLEBEIAN
The noble Brutus is ascended. Silence. BRUTUS Be patient till the last.
Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my
cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me 15
for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor
that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom,
and awake your senses that you may the better
judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear
friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love 20
to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend
demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my
answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved
Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and
die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all 25
freemen? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him. As he
was fortunate, I rejoice at it. As he was valiant, I
honor him. But, as he was ambitious, I slew him.
There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor
for his valor, and death for his ambition. Who is 30
here so base that would be a bondman? If any,
speak, for him have I offended. Who is here so rude
that would not be a Roman? If any, speak, for him
have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not
love his country? If any, speak, for him have I 35
offended. I pause for a reply. | Brutus ascends to the pulpit and the crowd falls silent. He delivers an earnest, honest, and simple speech. First, he says that the people should trust his honor, which they know to be true. He asks if anyone can say they loved Caesar more than he did. No one can. Brutus says he rose against Caesar not because he didn't love him, but because he loved Rome more. If Caesar were still living, they'd all be slaves. While Caesar was a lot of good things, he had to die for his ambition. To have let him live would be to submit to slavery, and that's downright un-Roman. Brutus asks whether anyone doesn't love Rome and freedom, and of course the answer is no. So obviously Caesar had to die. |
PLEBEIANS None, Brutus, none. BRUTUS Then none have I offended. I have done no
more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The
question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol, his 40
glory not extenuated wherein he was worthy, nor
his offenses enforced for which he suffered death. Enter Mark Antony and others with Caesar’s body. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony,
who, though he had no hand in his death, shall
receive the benefit of his dying—a place in the 45
commonwealth—as which of you shall not? With
this I depart: that, as I slew my best lover for the
good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself
when it shall please my country to need my death. | Everybody is buying this, but then Antony shows up with Caesar's body. Brutus introduces Antony to the crowd and closes his speech by restating that he slew his best friend for Rome's sake and that he will turn the same dagger on himself if his country ever needs his death. (Sounds like foreshadowing.) |
PLEBEIANS Live, Brutus, live, live! 50 FIRST PLEBEIAN
Bring him with triumph home unto his house. SECOND PLEBEIAN
Give him a statue with his ancestors. THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him be Caesar. FOURTH PLEBEIAN Caesar’s better parts
Shall be crowned in Brutus. 55 FIRST PLEBEIAN
We’ll bring him to his house with shouts and
clamors. BRUTUS
My countrymen— SECOND PLEBEIAN Peace, silence! Brutus speaks. FIRST PLEBEIAN Peace, ho! 60 BRUTUS
Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
And, for my sake, stay here with Antony.
Do grace to Caesar’s corpse, and grace his speech
Tending to Caesar’s glories, which Mark Antony
(By our permission) is allowed to make. 65
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke. He descends and exits. | Everyone is so happy with Brutus that there are some calls to give him a statue among his ancestors and to make him the new Caesar. (These folks are really missing the democratic message of his speech.) Brutus politely dismisses himself and asks everyone to stay and listen to Antony's speech. |
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Stay, ho, and let us hear Mark Antony! THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him go up into the public chair. PLEBEIANS
We’ll hear him.—Noble Antony, go up. 70 ANTONY
For Brutus’ sake, I am beholding to you. He goes into the pulpit. FOURTH PLEBEIAN What does he say of Brutus? THIRD PLEBEIAN He says for Brutus’ sake
He finds himself beholding to us all. FOURTH PLEBEIAN
’Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here. 75 FIRST PLEBEIAN
This Caesar was a tyrant. THIRD PLEBEIAN Nay, that’s certain.
We are blest that Rome is rid of him. SECOND PLEBEIAN
Peace, let us hear what Antony can say. | The crowd is firmly behind Brutus, and they shout out that Caesar was a tyrant and Brutus has done them all a favor. |
ANTONY
You gentle Romans— 80 PLEBEIANS Peace, ho! Let us hear him. ANTONY
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interrèd with their bones. 85
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest 90
(For Brutus is an honorable man;
So are they all, all honorable men),
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me,
But Brutus says he was ambitious, 95
And Brutus is an honorable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill.
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; 100
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,
And Brutus is an honorable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown, 105
Which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious,
And sure he is an honorable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know. 110
You all did love him once, not without cause.
What cause withholds you, then, to mourn for
him?—
O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason!—Bear with me; 115
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me. He weeps. | Antony takes over at the mic, with the famous speech beginning: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears..." He says he has come to bury Caesar, not praise him, but then he stealthily manages to bring his speech around to the opinion that Caesar has been killed wrongfully. He keeps insisting that Brutus and the other murderers are honorable, but each time he says it, he then undermines the statement by pointing out how their chief gripe against Caesar, his ambition, could not be true. Antony gives examples of how Caesar loved his people, bringing in money to the country, weeping with the poor, and even refusing the crown three times. Clearly, he suggests, Caesar wasn't ambitious at all, but was devoted and loving to his citizens. |
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. SECOND PLEBEIAN
If thou consider rightly of the matter,
Caesar has had great wrong. 120 THIRD PLEBEIAN Has he, masters?
I fear there will a worse come in his place. FOURTH PLEBEIAN
Marked you his words? He would not take the
crown;
Therefore ’tis certain he was not ambitious. 125 FIRST PLEBEIAN
If it be found so, some will dear abide it. SECOND PLEBEIAN
Poor soul, his eyes are red as fire with weeping. THIRD PLEBEIAN
There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony. FOURTH PLEBEIAN
Now mark him. He begins again to speak. | The easily swayed crowd is easily swayed. |
ANTONY
But yesterday the word of Caesar might 130
Have stood against the world. Now lies he there,
And none so poor to do him reverence.
O masters, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong, 135
Who, you all know, are honorable men.
I will not do them wrong. I rather choose
To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,
Than I will wrong such honorable men.
But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar. 140
I found it in his closet. ’Tis his will.
Let but the commons hear this testament,
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read,
And they would go and kiss dead Caesar’s wounds
And dip their napkins in his sacred blood— 145
Yea, beg a hair of him for memory
And, dying, mention it within their wills,
Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
Unto their issue. FOURTH PLEBEIAN
We’ll hear the will. Read it, Mark Antony. 150 PLEBEIANS
The will, the will! We will hear Caesar’s will. ANTONY
Have patience, gentle friends. I must not read it.
It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men.
And, being men, hearing the will of Caesar, 155
It will inflame you; it will make you mad.
’Tis good you know not that you are his heirs,
For if you should, O, what would come of it? FOURTH PLEBEIAN
Read the will! We’ll hear it, Antony. PLEBEIANS
You shall read us the will, Caesar’s will. 160 | Next, Antony uses a little reverse psychology on the crowd, getting them all excited about hearing Caesar's will by insisting that they really shouldn't hear it. It will only upset them. (That's some masterful manipulation, right there.) |
ANTONY
Will you be patient? Will you stay awhile?
I have o’ershot myself to tell you of it.
I fear I wrong the honorable men
Whose daggers have stabbed Caesar. I do fear it. FOURTH PLEBEIAN They were traitors. Honorable men? 165 PLEBEIANS The will! The testament! SECOND PLEBEIAN They were villains, murderers. The
will! Read the will. | As the crowd demands to read the will, Antony continues his reverse psychology ploy, saying, "Forget I said anything. I shouldn't have brought it up." But of course, no one's about to forget he mentioned the will now. |
ANTONY
You will compel me, then, to read the will?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar, 170
And let me show you him that made the will.
Shall I descend? And will you give me leave? PLEBEIANS Come down. SECOND PLEBEIAN Descend. THIRD PLEBEIAN You shall have leave. 175 Antony descends. FOURTH PLEBEIAN A ring; stand round. FIRST PLEBEIAN
Stand from the hearse. Stand from the body. SECOND PLEBEIAN
Room for Antony, most noble Antony. ANTONY
Nay, press not so upon me. Stand far off. PLEBEIANS Stand back! Room! Bear back! 180 ANTONY
If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle. I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on.
’Twas on a summer’s evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii. 185
Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through.
See what a rent the envious Casca made.
Through this the well-belovèd Brutus stabbed,
And, as he plucked his cursèd steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it, 190
As rushing out of doors to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all. 195
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart,
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey’s statue 200
(Which all the while ran blood) great Caesar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I and you and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourished over us.
O, now you weep, and I perceive you feel 205
The dint of pity. These are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here,
Antony lifts Caesar’s cloak.
Here is himself, marred as you see with traitors. | Antony finally agrees to share the will the everyone, but when he descends from the podium to read the private document aloud, he gets sidetracked by mourning over Caesar's body. Again, he insists Brutus is honorable, but then points out the gash Brutus made in his friend's bloody body. Eventually, he even lifts up Caesar's toga to show how the traitors ravaged his body. |
FIRST PLEBEIAN O piteous spectacle! 210 SECOND PLEBEIAN O noble Caesar! THIRD PLEBEIAN O woeful day! FOURTH PLEBEIAN O traitors, villains! FIRST PLEBEIAN O most bloody sight! SECOND PLEBEIAN We will be revenged. 215 PLEBEIANS Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill!
Slay! Let not a traitor live! | The crowd is clearly buying all of Antony's theatrics. They begin calling for revenge on the traitors in the form of lots of slaying and burning. |
ANTONY Stay, countrymen. FIRST PLEBEIAN Peace there! Hear the noble Antony. SECOND PLEBEIAN We’ll hear him, we’ll follow him, 220
we’ll die with him. ANTONY
Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They that have done this deed are honorable.
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not, 225
That made them do it. They are wise and honorable
And will no doubt with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
I am no orator, as Brutus is,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man 230
That love my friend, and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech
To stir men’s blood. I only speak right on. 235
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Caesar’s wounds, poor poor dumb
mouths,
And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony 240
Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny. PLEBEIANS
We’ll mutiny. FIRST PLEBEIAN We’ll burn the house of Brutus. 245 THIRD PLEBEIAN
Away then. Come, seek the conspirators. | Antony calms the crowd temporarily, only to rile them again. He again repeats his pattern of calling Brutus & Co. honorable and then pointing out their savagery. By the time he's done, the entire crowd is ready to mutiny against Brutus and the other conspirators. |
ANTONY
Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak. PLEBEIANS
Peace, ho! Hear Antony, most noble Antony! ANTONY
Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.
Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves? 250
Alas, you know not. I must tell you then.
You have forgot the will I told you of. PLEBEIANS
Most true. The will! Let’s stay and hear the will. | The crowd is so caught up and ready to go a-rioting that they forget about Caesar's will. Antony has to remind them that they wanted to hear it. |
ANTONY
Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal:
To every Roman citizen he gives, 255
To every several man, seventy-five drachmas. SECOND PLEBEIAN
Most noble Caesar! We’ll revenge his death. THIRD PLEBEIAN O royal Caesar! ANTONY Hear me with patience. PLEBEIANS Peace, ho! 260 ANTONY
Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
His private arbors, and new-planted orchards,
On this side Tiber. He hath left them you,
And to your heirs forever—common pleasures
To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. 265
Here was a Caesar! When comes such another? FIRST PLEBEIAN
Never, never!—Come, away, away!
We’ll burn his body in the holy place
And with the brands fire the traitors’ houses.
Take up the body. 270 | After the mob gets the news that Caesar left them some nice gardens and 75 drachmas each, they decide to cremate Caesar in the holy place and burn down the traitors' houses with the same fire. (Even the mob has a sense of poetic justice.) |
SECOND PLEBEIAN Go fetch fire. THIRD PLEBEIAN Pluck down benches. FOURTH PLEBEIAN Pluck down forms, windows,
anything. Plebeians exit with Caesar’s body. ANTONY
Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot; 275
Take thou what course thou wilt. Enter Servant. How now, fellow? | As the mob sets off to carry out the chaos and killing, Antony delights that his plan has worked. (Psst! We think you should try to work the phrase,"Mischief, thou art afoot," into your own villainous aside sometime in the next couple of days.) |
SERVANT
Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome. ANTONY Where is he? SERVANT
He and Lepidus are at Caesar’s house. 280 ANTONY
And thither will I straight to visit him.
He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry
And in this mood will give us anything. SERVANT
I heard him say Brutus and Cassius
Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome. 285 ANTONY
Belike they had some notice of the people
How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius. They exit. | A servant arrives with the news that Octavius has come to Rome with Lepidus, and that Brutus and Cassius have fled the city. Antony's not surprised. He says they probably noticed how worked up he'd gotten people when they saw the angry mob marching around with torches and weapons. Antony's feeling pretty pleased with himself. |