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Never fear that. If he be so resolved, 219 I can o’ersway him, for he loves to hear 220 That unicorns may be betrayed with trees, 221 And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, 222 Lions with toils, and men with flatterers. 223 But when I tell him he hates flatterers, 224 He says he does, being then most flatterèd. 225 Let me work, 226 For I can give his humor the true bent, 227 And I will bring him to the Capitol.
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, 13 Yet now they fright me. There is one within, 14 Besides the things that we have heard and seen, 15 Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. 16 A lioness hath whelpèd in the streets, 17 And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead. 18 Fierce fiery warriors <fought> upon the clouds 19 In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, 20 Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. 21 The noise of battle hurtled in the air, 22 Horses <did> neigh, and dying men did groan, 23 And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
When beggars die there are no comets seen; 31 The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of 32 princes. 33 CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths; 34 The valiant never taste of death but once. 35 Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, 36 It seems to me most strange that men should fear, 37 Seeing that death, a necessary end, 38 Will come when it will come.
The gods do this in shame of cowardice. 44 Caesar should be a beast without a heart 45 If he should stay at home today for fear. 46 No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well 47 That Caesar is more dangerous than he. 48 We <are> two lions littered in one day, 49 And I the elder and more terrible. 50 And Caesar shall go forth.
CAESAR The cause is in my will. I will not come. 76 That is enough to satisfy the Senate. 77 But for your private satisfaction, 78 Because I love you, I will let you know. 79 Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home. 80 She dreamt tonight she saw my statue, 81 Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, 82 Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
104 If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper 105 “Lo,
Caesar is afraid”? 106 Pardon me, Caesar, for my dear dear love 107 To your proceeding bids me tell you this, 108 And reason to my love is liable. 109 CAESAR How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia! 110 I am ashamèd I did yield to them.
It would become me better than to close 221 In terms of friendship with thine enemies. 222 Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bayed, brave 223 hart, 224 Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand 225 Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned in thy Lethe. 226 O world, thou wast the forest to this hart, 227 And this indeed, O world, the heart of thee. 228 How like a deer strucken by many princes 229 Dost thou here lie!
pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, 280 That I am meek and gentle with these butchers. 281 Thou art the ruins of the noblest man 282 That ever livèd in the tide of times. 283 Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy 285 (Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips 286 To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue) 287 A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; 288 Domestic fury and fierce civil strife 289 Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; 290 Blood and destruction shall be so in use 291 And dreadful objects so familiar 292 That mothers shall but smile when they behold 293 Their infants quartered with the hands of war, 294 All pity choked with custom of fell deeds; 295 And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge, 296 With Ate by his side come hot from hell, 297 Shall in
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cause, and be silent that you may hear. Believe me 15 for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor 16 that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, 17 and awake your senses that you may the better 18 judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear 19 friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love 20 to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend 21 demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my 22 answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved 23 Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and 24 die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live all 25 freemen?
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Then none have I offended. I have done no 38 more to Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The 39 question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol, his 40 glory not extenuated wherein he was worthy, nor 41 his offenses enforced for which he suffered death. 42 Enter Mark Antony <and others> with Caesar’s body. Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, 43 who, though he had no hand in his death, shall 44 receive the benefit of his dying—a place in the 45 commonwealth—as which of you shall not? With 46 this I depart: that, as I slew my best lover for the 47 good of Rome, I have the same dagger
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Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. 82 I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. 83 The evil that men do lives after them; 84 The good is oft interrèd with their bones. 85 So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus 86 Hath told you Caesar was ambitious. 87 If it were so, it was a grievous fault, 88 And grievously hath Caesar answered it.
(For Brutus is an honorable man; 91 So are they all, all honorable men), 92 Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. 93 He was my friend, faithful and just to me, 94 But Brutus says he was ambitious, 95 And Brutus is an honorable man. 96 He hath brought many captives home to Rome, 97 Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. 98 Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? 99 When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept; 100 Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. 101 Yet Brutus says he was ambitious, 102 And Brutus is an honorable man. 103 You all did see that on the Lupercal 104 I thrice presented
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And men have lost their reason!—Bear with me; 115 My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, 116 And I must pause till it come back to me.
Have stood against the world. Now lies he there, 131 And none so poor to do him reverence. 132 O masters, if I were disposed to stir 133 Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage, 134 I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong, 135 Who, you all know, are honorable men. 136 I will not do them wrong. I rather choose 137 To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you, 138 Than I will wrong such honorable men. 139 But here’s a parchment with the seal of Caesar. 140 I found it in his closet. ’Tis his will. 141 Let but the commons hear this testament, 142 Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read, 143 And
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Here is the will, and under Caesar’s seal: 254 To every Roman citizen he gives,
To every several man, seventy-five drachmas
Moreover, he hath left you all his walks, 261 His private arbors, and new-planted orchards, 262 On this side Tiber. He hath left them you, 263 And to your heirs forever—common pleasures 264 To walk abroad and recreate yourselves. 265 Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?
