The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

the knot of us be call’d The men that gave their country liberty.

DECIUS. What, shall we forth?

CASSIUS. Ay, every man away.

Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

 

Enter a Servant.

 

BRUTUS. Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony’s.

SERVANT. Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel, Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down, And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest; Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving.

Say I love Brutus and I honor him;

Say I fear’d Caesar, honor’d him, and loved him.

If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony

May safely come to him and be resolved How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death, Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead So well as Brutus living, but will follow The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus Thorough the hazards of this untrod state With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

BRUTUS. Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman; I never thought him worse.

Tell him, so please him come unto this place, He shall be satisfied and, by my honor, Depart untouch’d.

SERVANT. I’ll fetch him presently. Exit.

BRUTUS. I know that we shall have him well to friend.

CASSIUS. I wish we may, but yet have I a mind That fears him much, and my misgiving still Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

 

Re-enter Antony.

 

BRUTUS. But here comes Antony. Welcome, Mark Antony.

ANTONY. O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?

Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.

I know not, gentlemen, what you intend, Who else must be let blood, who else is rank.

If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Caesar’s death’s hour, nor no instrument Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard, Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke, Fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years, I shall not find myself so apt to die; No place will please me so, no means of death, As here by Caesar, and by you cut off, The choice and master spirits of this age.

BRUTUS. O Antony, beg not your death of us!

Though now we must appear bloody and cruel, As, by our hands and this our present act You see we do, yet see you but our hands And this the bleeding business they have done.

Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; And pity to the general wrong of Rome-As fire drives out fire, so pity pity-Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part, To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony; Our arms in strength of malice, and our hearts Of brothers’ temper, do receive you in With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

CASSIUS. Your voice shall be as strong as any man’s In the disposing of new dignities.

BRUTUS. Only be patient till we have appeased The multitude, beside themselves with fear, And then we will deliver you the cause Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him, Have thus proceeded.

ANTONY. I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand.

First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you; Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand; Now, Decius Brutus, yours; now yours, Metellus; Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours; Though last, not least in love, yours, good Trebonius.

Gentlemen all-alas, what shall I say?

My credit now stands on such slippery ground, That one of two bad ways you must conceit me, Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Caesar, O, ‘tis true!

If then thy spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death To see thy Antony making his peace,

Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes, Most noble! In the presence of thy corse?

Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds, Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, It would become me better than to close In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay’d, brave hart, Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand, Sign’d in thy spoil, and crimson’d in thy Lethe.

O world, thou wast the forest to this hart, And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.

How like a deer strucken by many princes Dost thou here lie!

CASSIUS. Mark Antony—

ANTONY. Pardon me, Caius Cassius.

The enemies of Caesar shall say this: Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

CASSIUS. I blame you not for praising Caesar so; But what compact mean you to have with us?

Will you be prick’d in number of our friends, Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

ANTONY. Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed Sway’d from the point by looking down on Caesar.

Friends am I with you all and love you all, Upon this hope that you shall give me reasons Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.

BRUTUS. Or else were this a savage spectacle.

Our reasons are so full of good regard That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar, You should be satisfied.

ANTONY. That’s all I seek;

And am moreover suitor that I may

Produce his body to the marketplace,

And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend, Speak in the order of his funeral.

BRUTUS. You shall, Mark Antony.

CASSIUS. Brutus, a word with you.

[Aside to Brutus.] You know not what you do. Do not consent That Antony speak in his funeral.

Know you how much the people may be moved By that which he will utter?

BRUTUS. By your pardon,

I will myself into the pulpit first,

And show the reason of our Caesar’s death.

What Antony shall speak, I will protest He speaks by leave and by permission, And that we are contented Caesar shall Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.

It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

CASSIUS. I know not what may fall; I like it not.

BRUTUS. Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar’s body.

You shall not in your funeral speech blame us, But speak all good you can devise of Caesar, And say you do’t by our permission,

Else shall you not have any hand at all About his funeral. And you shall speak In the same pulpit whereto I am going, After my speech is ended.

ANTONY. Be it so,

I do desire no more.

BRUTUS. Prepare the body then, and follow us.

Exeunt all but Antony.

ANTONY. O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!

Thou art the ruins of the noblest man That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy

(Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue) A curse shall light upon the limbs of men; Domestic fury and fierce civil strife Shall cumber all the parts of Italy;

Blood and destruction shall be so in use, And dreadful objects so familiar,

That mothers shall but smile when they behold Their infants quarter’d with the hands of war; All pity choked with custom of fell deeds, And Caesar’s spirit ranging for revenge, With Ate by his side come hot from hell, Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial.

 

Enter a Servant.

 

You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?

SERVANT. I do, Mark Antony.

ANTONY. Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.

SERVANT. He did receive his letters, and is coming, And bid me say to you by word of mouth-O Caesar! Sees the body.

ANTONY. Thy heart is big; get thee apart and weep.

Passion, I see, is catching, for mine eyes, Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, Began to water. Is thy master coming?

SERVANT. He lies tonight within seven leagues of Rome.

ANTONY. Post back with speed and tell him what hath chanced.

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, No Rome of safety for Octavius yet;

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet stay awhile, Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse Into the marketplace. There shall I try, In my oration, how the people take

The cruel issue of these bloody men,

According to the which thou shalt discourse To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand. Exeunt with Caesar’s body.

 

SCENE II.

The Forum.

 

Enter Brutus and Cassius, and a throng of Citizens.

 

CITIZENS. 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; Those that will follow Cassius, go with him; And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Caesar’s death.

FIRST CITIZEN. I will hear Brutus speak.

SECOND CITIZEN. I will hear Cassius and compare their reasons, When severally we hear them rendered.

Exit Cassius, with some Citizens.

Brutus goes into the pulpit.

THIRD CITIZEN. 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 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 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 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 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 offended. I pause for a reply.

ALL. 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 glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offenses enforced, for which he suffered death.

 

Enter 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 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.

ALL. Live, Brutus, live, live!

FIRST CITIZEN. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

SECOND CITIZEN. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

THIRD CITIZEN. Let him be Caesar.

FOURTH CITIZEN. Caesar’s better parts

Shall be crown’d in Brutus.

FIRST