Julius Caesar (Folger Shakespeare Library)

by William Shakespeare

No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself 58 But by reflection, by some other things.

The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, 147 But in ourselves, that we are underlings.

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. 204 He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.

Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man 75 Most like this dreadful night, 76 That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars 77 As doth the lion in the Capitol; 78 A man no mightier than thyself or me 79 In personal action, yet prodigious grown, 80 And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

I know where I will wear this dagger then; 92 Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius. 93 Therein, you gods, you make the weak most strong; 94 Therein, you gods, you tyrants do defeat. 95 Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, 96 Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron, 97 Can be retentive to the strength of spirit; 98 But life, being weary of these worldly bars, 99 Never lacks power to dismiss itself. 100 If I know this, know all the world besides, 101 That part of tyranny that I do bear 102 I can shake off at pleasure.

O, he sits high in all the people’s hearts, 162 And that which would appear offense in us 163 His countenance, like richest alchemy, 164 Will change to virtue and to worthiness

Th’ abuse of greatness is when it disjoins 19 Remorse from power.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing 66 And the first motion, all the interim is 67 Like a phantasma or a hideous dream. 68 The genius and the mortal instruments 69 Are then in council, and the state of man, 70 Like to a little kingdom, suffers then 71 The nature of an insurrection.

O conspiracy, 84 Sham’st thou to show thy dang’rous brow by night, 85 When evils are most free? O, then, by day 86 Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough 87 To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, 88 conspiracy. 89 Hide it in smiles and affability; 90 For if thou path, thy native semblance on, 91 Not Erebus itself were dim enough 92 To hide thee from prevention.

Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me 10 Ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see 11 The face of Caesar, they are vanishèd.

Cowards die many times before their deaths; 34 The valiant never taste of death but once.

But I am constant as the Northern Star, 66 Of whose true fixed and resting quality 67 There is no fellow in the firmament.

not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved 23 Rome more.

There is tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor 29 for his valor, and death for his ambition

O judgment, thou <art> fled to brutish beasts, 114 And men have lost their reason!

Remember March; the ides of March remember. 19 Did not great Julius bleed for justice’ sake? 20 What villain touched his body that did stab 21 And not for justice?

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats, 75 For I am armed so strong in honesty 76 That they pass by me as the idle wind,

But Cassius is no more. O setting sun, 67 As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night, 68 So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set. 69 The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone; 70 Clouds, dews, and dangers come. Our deeds are 71 done.

This was the noblest Roman of them all. 74 All the conspirators save only he 75 Did that they did in envy of great Caesar. 76 He only in a general honest thought 77 And common good to all made one of them. 78 His life was gentle and the elements 79 So mixed in him that nature might stand up 80 And say to all the world “This was a man.”