Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare [top ten books of all time txt] 📗

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 of the 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 honour, and have respect to mine honour, 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 free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour for his valour; 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 offences 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 Citizen

We’ll bring him to his house
With shouts and clamours.

Brutus My countrymen⁠— Second Citizen Peace, silence! Brutus speaks. First Citizen Peace, ho! 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 allow’d to make.
I do entreat you, not a man depart,
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke. Exit.

First Citizen Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony. Third Citizen

Let him go up into the public chair;
We’ll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.

Antony For Brutus’ sake, I am beholding to you. Goes into the pulpit. Fourth Citizen What does he say of Brutus? Third Citizen

He says, for Brutus’ sake,
He finds himself beholding to us all.

Fourth Citizen ’Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here. First Citizen This Caesar was a tyrant. Third Citizen

Nay, that’s certain:
We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Second Citizen Peace! let us hear what Antony can say. Antony You gentle Romans⁠— Citizens 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 interred with their bones;
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 answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest⁠—
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men⁠—
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable 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:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
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;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen Methinks there is much reason in his sayings. Second Citizen

If thou consider rightly of the matter,
Caesar has had great wrong.

Third Citizen

Has he, masters?
I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Citizen

Mark’d ye his words? He would not take the crown;
Therefore ’tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Citizen If it be found so, some will dear abide it. Second Citizen Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping. Third Citizen There’s not a nobler man in Rome than Antony. Fourth Citizen Now mark him, he begins again to speak. Antony

But yesterday the word of Caesar might
Have