Shakespeare Portal

Act 3, Scene 2

The same. The Forum.

  1. [Enter Brutus and Cassius, with a throng of Citizens.]
  2. Citizens
  3. 1442 We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.
  4. Marcus Brutus
  5. 1443 Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.—
  6. 1444 Cassius, go you into the other street
  7. 1445 And part the numbers.—
  8. 1446 Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here;
  9. 1447 Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;
  10. 1448 And public reasons shall be rendered
  11. 1449 Of Caesar's death.
  12. First Citizen
  13. 1450 I will hear Brutus speak.
  14. Second Citizen
  15. 1451 I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,
  16. 1452 When severally we hear them rendered.
  17. [Exit Cassius, with some of the Citizens. Brutus goes into the rostrum.]
  18. Third Citizen
  19. 1453 The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!
  20. Marcus Brutus
  21. 1454 Be patient till the last.
  22. 1455 Romans, countrymen, and lovers! Hear me for my cause; and be
  23. 1456 silent, that you may hear: believe me for mine honour, and have
  24. 1457 respect to mine honor, that you may believe: censure me in your
  25. 1458 wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.
  26. 1459 If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar's, to
  27. 1460 him I say that Brutus' love to Caesar was no less than his. If
  28. 1461 then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is
  29. 1462 my answer,—Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome
  30. 1463 more. Had you rather Caesar were living, and die all slaves, than
  31. 1464 that Caesar were dead, to live all freemen? As Caesar loved me, I
  32. 1465 weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was
  33. 1466 valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him.
  34. 1467 There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his
  35. 1468 valour; and death for his ambition. Who is here so base that
  36. 1469 would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who
  37. 1470 is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him
  38. 1471 have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his
  39. 1472 country? If any, speak; for him have I offended. I pause for a
  40. 1473 reply.
  41. Citizens
  42. 1474 None, Brutus, none.
  43. Marcus Brutus
  44. 1475 Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Caesar
  45. 1476 than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is
  46. 1477 enroll'd in the Capitol, his glory not extenuated, wherein he
  47. 1478 was worthy;, nor his offenses enforced, for which he suffered
  48. 1479 death.
  49. [Enter Antony and others, with Caesar's body.]
  50. Marcus Brutus
  51. 1480 Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had
  52. 1481 no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a
  53. 1482 place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this
  54. 1483 I depart— that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I
  55. 1484 have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country
  56. 1485 to need my death.
  57. Citizens
  58. 1486 Live, Brutus! live, live!
  59. First Citizen
  60. 1487 Bring him with triumph home unto his house.
  61. Second Citizen
  62. 1488 Give him a statue with his ancestors.
  63. Third Citizen
  64. 1489 Let him be Caesar.
  65. Fourth Citizen
  66. 1490 Caesar's better parts
  67. 1491 Shall be crown'd in Brutus.
  68. First Citizen
  69. 1492 We'll bring him to his house with shouts and clamours.
  70. Marcus Brutus
  71. 1493 My countrymen,—
  72. Second Citizen
  73. 1494 Peace! silence! Brutus speaks.
  74. First Citizen
  75. 1495 Peace, ho!
  76. Marcus Brutus
  77. 1496 Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
  78. 1497 And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:
  79. 1498 Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech
  80. 1499 Tending to Caesar's glory; which Mark Antony,
  81. 1500 By our permission, is allow'd to make.
  82. 1501 I do entreat you, not a man depart,
  83. 1502 Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.
  84. [Exit.]
  85. First Citizen
  86. 1503 Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
  87. Third Citizen
  88. 1504 Let him go up into the public chair;
  89. 1505 We'll hear him.—Noble Antony, go up.
  90. Mark Antony
  91. 1506 For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.
  92. [Goes up.]
  93. Fourth Citizen
  94. 1507 What does he say of Brutus?
  95. Third Citizen
  96. 1508 He says, for Brutus' sake,
  97. 1509 He finds himself beholding to us all.
  98. Fourth Citizen
  99. 1510 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.
  100. First Citizen
  101. 1511 This Caesar was a tyrant.
  102. Third Citizen
  103. 1512 Nay, that's certain:
  104. 1513 We are blest that Rome is rid of him.
  105. Second Citizen
  106. 1514 Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
  107. Mark Antony
  108. 1515 You gentle Romans,—
  109. Citizens
  110. 1516 Peace, ho! let us hear him.
  111. Mark Antony
  112. 1517 Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
  113. 1518 I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
  114. 1519 The evil that men do lives after them;
  115. 1520 The good is oft interred with their bones:
  116. 1521 So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
  117. 1522 Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
  118. 1523 If it were so, it was a grievous fault;
  119. 1524 And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
  120. 1525 Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,—
  121. 1526 For Brutus is an honourable man;
  122. 1527 So are they all, all honorable men,—
  123. 1528 Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
  124. 1529 He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
  125. 1530 But Brutus says he was ambitious;
  126. 1531 And Brutus is an honourable man.
  127. 1532 He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
  128. 1533 Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
  129. 1534 Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
  130. 1535 When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
  131. 1536 Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
  132. 1537 Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
  133. 1538 And Brutus is an honourable man.
  134. 1539 You all did see that on the Lupercal
  135. 1540 I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
  136. 1541 Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
  137. 1542 Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
  138. 1543 And, sure, he is an honourable man.
  139. 1544 I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
  140. 1545 But here I am to speak what I do know.
  141. 1546 You all did love him once,—not without cause:
  142. 1547 What cause withholds you, then, to mourn for him?—
  143. 1548 O judgment, thou art fled to brutish beasts,
  144. 1549 And men have lost their reason!—Bear with me;
  145. 1550 My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
  146. 1551 And I must pause till it come back to me.
  147. First Citizen
  148. 1552 Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
  149. Second Citizen
  150. 1553 If thou consider rightly of the matter,
  151. 1554 Caesar has had great wrong.
  152. Third Citizen
  153. 1555 Has he not, masters?
  154. 1556 I fear there will a worse come in his place.
  155. Fourth Citizen
  156. 1557 Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;
  157. 1558 Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.
  158. First Citizen
  159. 1559 If it be found so, some will dear abide it.
  160. Second Citizen
  161. 1560 Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.
  162. Third Citizen
  163. 1561 There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.
  164. Fourth Citizen
  165. 1562 Now mark him; he begins again to speak.
  166. Mark Antony
  167. 1563 But yesterday the word of Caesar might
  168. 1564 Have stood against the world: now lies he there,
  169. 1565 And none so poor to do him reverence.
  170. 1566 O masters, if I were disposed to stir
  171. 1567 Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
  172. 1568 I should do Brutus wrong and Cassius wrong,
  173. 1569 Who, you all know, are honourable men:
  174. 1570 I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
  175. 1571 To wrong the dead, to wrong myself, and you,
  176. 1572 Than I will wrong such honourable men.
  177. 1573 But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar,—
  178. 1574 I found it in his closet,—'tis his will:
  179. 1575 Let but the commons hear this testament,—
  180. 1576 Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read,—
  181. 1577 And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds,
  182. 1578 And dip their napkins in his sacred blood;
  183. 1579 Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,
  184. 1580 And, dying, mention it within their wills,
  185. 1581 Bequeathing it as a rich legacy
  186. 1582 Unto their issue.
  187. Fourth Citizen
  188. 1583 We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.
  189. Citizens
  190. 1584 The will, the will! We will hear Caesar's will.
  191. Mark Antony
  192. 1585 Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;
  193. 1586 It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you.
  194. 1587 You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;
  195. 1588 And, being men, hearing the will of Caesar,
  196. 1589 It will inflame you, it will make you mad.
  197. 1590 'Tis good you know not that you are his heirs;
  198. 1591 For if you should, O, what would come of it!
  199. Fourth Citizen
  200. 1592 Read the will! we'll hear it, Antony;
  201. 1593 You shall read us the will,—Caesar's will!
  202. Mark Antony
  203. 1594 Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?
  204. 1595 I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it:
  205. 1596 I fear I wrong the honorable men
  206. 1597 Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.
  207. Fourth Citizen
  208. 1598 They were traitors: honourable men!
  209. Citizens
  210. 1599 The will! The testament!
  211. Second Citizen
  212. 1600 They were villains, murderers. The will! read the will!
  213. Mark Antony
  214. 1601 You will compel me, then, to read the will?
  215. 1602 Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,
  216. 1603 And let me show you him that made the will.
  217. 1604 Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?
  218. Citizens
  219. 1605 Come down.
  220. Second Citizen
  221. 1606 Descend.
  222. [He comes down.]
  223. Third Citizen
  224. 1607 You shall have leave.
  225. Fourth Citizen
  226. 1608 A ring! stand round.
  227. First Citizen
  228. 1609 Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.
  229. Second Citizen
  230. 1610 Room for Antony!—most noble Antony!
  231. Mark Antony
  232. 1611 Nay, press not so upon me; stand far' off.
  233. Citizens
  234. 1612 Stand back; room! bear back.
  235. Mark Antony
  236. 1613 If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
  237. 1614 You all do know this mantle: I remember
  238. 1615 The first time ever Caesar put it on;
  239. 1616 'Twas on a Summer's evening, in his tent,
  240. 1617 That day he overcame the Nervii.
  241. 1618 Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:
  242. 1619 See what a rent the envious Casca made:
  243. 1620 Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb'd;
  244. 1621 And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,
  245. 1622 Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it,—
  246. 1623 As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
  247. 1624 If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no;
  248. 1625 For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:
  249. 1626 Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
  250. 1627 This was the most unkindest cut of all;
  251. 1628 For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
  252. 1629 Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
  253. 1630 Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;
  254. 1631 And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
  255. 1632 Even at the base of Pompey's statua,
  256. 1633 Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
  257. 1634 O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
  258. 1635 Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
  259. 1636 Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.
  260. 1637 O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
  261. 1638 The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
  262. 1639 Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
  263. 1640 Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,
  264. 1641 Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.
  265. First Citizen
  266. 1642 O piteous spectacle!
  267. Second Citizen
  268. 1643 O noble Caesar!
  269. Third Citizen
  270. 1644 O woeful day!
  271. Fourth Citizen
  272. 1645 O traitors, villains!
  273. First Citizen
  274. 1646 O most bloody sight!
  275. Second Citizen
  276. 1647 We will be revenged.
  277. Citizens
  278. 1648 Revenge,—about,—seek,—burn,—fire,—kill,—slay,—let not a
  279. 1649 traitor live!
  280. Mark Antony
  281. 1650 Stay, countrymen.
  282. First Citizen
  283. 1651 Peace there! hear the noble Antony.
  284. Second Citizen
  285. 1652 We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.
  286. Mark Antony
  287. 1653 Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up
  288. 1654 To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
  289. 1655 They that have done this deed are honourable:
  290. 1656 What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
  291. 1657 That made them do it; they're wise and honourable,
  292. 1658 And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
  293. 1659 I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:
  294. 1660 I am no orator, as Brutus is;
  295. 1661 But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
  296. 1662 That love my friend; and that they know full well
  297. 1663 That gave me public leave to speak of him:
  298. 1664 For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
  299. 1665 Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,
  300. 1666 To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;
  301. 1667 I tell you that which you yourselves do know;
  302. 1668 Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor dumb mouths,
  303. 1669 And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus,
  304. 1670 And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
  305. 1671 Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
  306. 1672 In every wound of Caesar, that should move
  307. 1673 The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
  308. Citizens
  309. 1674 We'll mutiny.
  310. First Citizen
  311. 1675 We'll burn the house of Brutus.
  312. Third Citizen
  313. 1676 Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.
  314. Mark Antony
  315. 1677 Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.
  316. Citizens
  317. 1678 Peace, ho! hear Antony; most noble Antony!
  318. Mark Antony
  319. 1679 Why, friends, you go to do you know not what.
  320. 1680 Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?
  321. 1681 Alas, you know not; I must tell you then:
  322. 1682 You have forgot the will I told you of.
  323. Citizens
  324. 1683 Most true; the will!—let's stay, and hear the will.
  325. Mark Antony
  326. 1684 Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.
  327. 1685 To every Roman citizen he gives,
  328. 1686 To every several man, seventy-five drachmas.
  329. Second Citizen
  330. 1687 Most noble Caesar!—we'll revenge his death.
  331. Third Citizen
  332. 1688 O, royal Caesar!
  333. Mark Antony
  334. 1689 Hear me with patience.
  335. Citizens
  336. 1690 Peace, ho!
  337. Mark Antony
  338. 1691 Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,
  339. 1692 His private arbors, and new-planted orchards,
  340. 1693 On this side Tiber: he hath left them you,
  341. 1694 And to your heirs forever; common pleasures,
  342. 1695 To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.
  343. 1696 Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?
  344. First Citizen
  345. 1697 Never, never.—Come, away, away!
  346. 1698 We'll burn his body in the holy place,
  347. 1699 And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
  348. 1700 Take up the body.
  349. Second Citizen
  350. 1701 Go, fetch fire.
  351. Third Citizen
  352. 1702 Pluck down benches.
  353. Fourth Citizen
  354. 1703 Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.
  355. [Exeunt Citizens, with the body.]
  356. Mark Antony
  357. 1704 Now let it work.—Mischief, thou art afoot,
  358. 1705 Take thou what course thou wilt!—
  359. [Enter a Servant.]
  360. Mark Antony
  361. 1706 How now, fellow?
  362. Servant
  363. 1707 Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
  364. Mark Antony
  365. 1708 Where is he?
  366. Servant
  367. 1709 He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house.
  368. Mark Antony
  369. 1710 And thither will I straight to visit him:
  370. 1711 He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,
  371. 1712 And in this mood will give us any thing.
  372. Servant
  373. 1713 I heard 'em say Brutus and Cassius
  374. 1714 Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.
  375. Mark Antony
  376. 1715 Belike they had some notice of the people,
  377. 1716 How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.
  378. [Exeunt.]