RALPH: Welcome back to the studio, Brutus. Thanks for coming. Cassius was supposed to be joining us in studio, but maybe we can get started without him. 

BRUTUS: Sure. 

RALPH: Last we spoke, you were pretty optimistic that the people of Rome would be on your side. Things really haven't gone that way, have they? 

BRUTUS: I guess not. So be it. Now, we must fight for the future of Rome. 

RALPH: Yes, and so here you are in your battle gear. You're out on the field with your army, when Lucilius arrives. 

BRUTUS: Oh, good. He's supposed to check to see if Cassius is coming. 

RALPH: He is, apparently. And some of his men, Pindarus and Titinius, have arrived ahead of him. 

BRUTUS: Mm. 

RALPH: What's this all about? What's this meeting about? 

BRUTUS: Let's just say Cassius has given me reason to wish some things I've done could be undone, either by bad judgment on his part, or some bad advice. But we'll see what he says when he gets here. Actually, is there a place I can speak to Lucilius in private? 

RALPH: Sure, of course. That's exactly what you do. 

BRUTUS: I'd like to know what Cassius looked like when he arrived. 

RALPH: Lucilius says that Cassius was courteous and respectful, but less friendly than he usually is. 

BRUTUS: Mm. Sounds like a hot friend cooling. 

RALPH: Hot friend cooling? So is the relationship between the two of you starting to get difficult? I like what you say here. I realize this is a sensitive subject for you. But it's really wonderful how you put it. 

BRUTUS: When love begins to sicken and decay, it useth an enforced ceremony. 

RALPH: So when good relationships begin to break down, there is more of a show of manners, you might say. More formality. 

BRUTUS: There are no tricks in plain and simple faith. 

RALPH: You mean, people who really like each other don't need to act phony. 

BRUTUS: But hollow men, like horses hot at hand, make gallant show and promise of their mettle. 

RALPH: But people who don't really feel loyal—hollow men—know how to act loyal, know how to play the part. 

BRUTUS: But when they should endure the bloody spur—

RALPH: When they have to face actual hardships—

BRUTUS: —they fall their crests and, like deceitful jades, sink in the trial. 

RALPH: They collapse. They fail in their loyalty when it's actually needed. And you are worried that this is the case with Cassius. 

BRUTUS: Is he bringing his army, too? 

RALPH: Yes. They're coming, too. Oh. And look who we have here. Speak of the devil. It's Cassius. Welcome back, Cassius. It looks like the two of you have something—

CASSIUS: What's your problem? 

BRUTUS: What? 

CASSIUS: You have done me wrong. 

BRUTUS: What are you talking about? I don't even wrong my enemies. How could I wrong a brother? 

CASSIUS: Yes, you're very good at seeming noble on the outside. But it's to cover the wrongs that you do yourself. 

RALPH: Gentlemen, if you don't mind—

BRUTUS: Ralph, don't. I can handle this. Just calm down. 

RALPH: Speak your grief softly, you say. 

BRUTUS: Exactly. And we shouldn't be fighting in front of our troops. Is there a place we can speak in private? 

RALPH: Yes, actually. The two of you go into a tent to have a more private conversation. 

BRUTUS: Good. Let's hear it. 

RALPH: Enlarge your griefs, you say. 

CASSIUS: Oh, I can enlarge them. You condemned one of my men for taking bribes, when I wrote you a letter specifically asking to let him go. You ignored my request. 

BRUTUS: You shouldn't have written that letter. It was none of your business. 

CASSIUS: We are at war. You should not be wasting your time with such trivial offenses. 

BRUTUS: And, Cassius, you shouldn't be taking bribes, either. 

CASSIUS: Me, taking bribes? If you were not Brutus, I would kill you now. 

BRUTUS: And if you were not Cassius, I would punish you for what you've done. 

CASSIUS: Punish me? 

RALPH: If I could just—

BRUTUS: We killed Caesar for justice, because we thought honor was the most important thing. The most powerful man in the world—we thought he was promoting corruption. 

RALPH: Corruption? Wait a second. You thought Caesar was corrupt? That he was taking bribes for favors? You haven't really said that before. 

BRUTUS: So if we killed him for that, we can't just go do the same thing. 

CASSIUS: I don't have to take this. I am older than you. I have seen more battles. You had better watch yourself. 

BRUTUS: You're not the Cassius I know, that's for sure. 

CASSIUS: Yes, I am. 

BRUTUS: No, you're not. 

CASSIUS: I'm warning you. 

BRUTUS: Get out of my face, you sad excuse for a man. 

CASSIUS: You are unbelievable. 

RALPH: Gentlemen, if—if I could—

BRUTUS: I won't take his temper any more. And I'm not afraid of a crazy person. 

CASSIUS: I won't stand for this. 

BRUTUS: Then don't. Go yell at your slaves, not at me. Scream your head off. I think you're a joke. 

RALPH: Gentlemen, please. Things have gotten so tense between the two of you. And you seem to be such good friends. Brothers, as you both say. 

BRUTUS: You say you're a better soldier than me? Let's see it. Right now. Prove to me that you're a better soldier, and I'll bow down to you. 

CASSIUS: I said I was an older soldier, more experienced, not better. Did I say better? 

BRUTUS: Whatever. 

CASSIUS: Even Caesar would not have dared to treat me this way. 

BRUTUS: And you would not have dared to do something to Caesar to make him react this way. 

CASSIUS: Oh, I wouldn't have, would I? 

BRUTUS: No, you'd be too scared to upset him. 

CASSIUS: You are really testing me. I might do something I regret. 

BRUTUS: You've already done something you regret. 

RALPH: Yes. And could we get into the specifics here, a little bit? What happened, exactly? 

BRUTUS: It's simple. I was running out of money to pay my soldiers, and I asked Cassius for some gold, which he denied me. And I'm not going to beg for favors, or threaten the peasants for their money. I am Brutus, after all. 

RALPH: Okay. But so where does Cassius get his money? Does he do any of these things? 

BRUTUS: Hmm. The Cassius I know wouldn't. 

CASSIUS: I didn't. 

BRUTUS: You did. 

CASSIUS: No, I didn't. You were misinformed. A mistake must have been made. You should have more faith in me. Isn't that what friends are for? You don't love me. 

BRUTUS: I don't like your faults. 

CASSIUS: A good friend wouldn't even see such little faults. 

BRUTUS: Little? 

CASSIUS: That's it. I give up. Antony and Octavius, kill me now. 

RALPH: Yes. Tell us what you say there. 

CASSIUS: Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, revenge yourselves alone on Cassius. For Cassius is aweary of the world. Hated by one he loves. Braved by his brother. Checked like a bondman. All his faults observed, set in notebook, learned, and conned by rote to cast into your teeth. Oh, I could weep my spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger. And here, my naked breast. Within, a heart dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold. If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth. I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart. Strike, as thou didst at Caesar. For I know when thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better than ever thou lovedst Cassius. 

RALPH: Well, that's nice. Sounds like an apology. It kind of sounds like an apology. 

BRUTUS: Can you believe this man? Furious one second, and then sorry the next. God, you have a temper. 

CASSIUS: I know. I've always had a problem with that. Forgive me? 

BRUTUS: I mean, I got mad, too. 

CASSIUS: Give me your hand. 

BRUTUS: And my heart, too. 

RALPH: Well, and that's more like it. I'm glad that that worked out, you guys. You know, this is interesting. You got along so well during the conspiracy. And that was a pretty tense atmosphere. But now, you're starting to have all of this trouble. What's that about? 

CASSIUS: I'm sorry. I got my temper from my mother. 

BRUTUS: Well, the next time you act like this, I'll pretend it's your mother chiding at me, and ignore you. 

RALPH: Well, so this is weird. It's at this point that a poet pushes into the tent. 

BRUTUS: A poet? 

RALPH: Yeah. He pushes right past your guards. He says that it's vitally important that he talk to both of you. 

CASSIUS: What does he want? 

RALPH: Well, he seems to know that you're upset with each other, and he thinks that you should be ashamed of this. He says, love and be friends, as two such men should be. 

CASSIUS: Just because you can rhyme does not make you a poet, cynic. 

RALPH: Yes. You call him a cynic. What do you mean? 

CASSIUS: A cynic? A cynic is a type of philosopher. A cynic believes that, in order to achieve happiness, you should return to nature. You know, a simpler way of living. Forgoing the things that men typically pursue, like sex, power, wealth, and fame. 

RALPH: Well, it seems like that would solve a lot of your problems, if you took that approach to life. 

BRUTUS: Not a very practical philosophy when you're at war, Ralph. 

RALPH: But then maybe you wouldn't be at war. I mean, isn't the pursuit of power and wealth and fame what causes wars like this in the first place? 

BRUTUS: Look, Ralph. The poet needs to go. You can go with him, if you like. 

RALPH: Okay. Okay. Sorry. That's fine. 

BRUTUS: All right. 

RALPH: The poet leaves. 

BRUTUS: All right, we should get our armies together. And we should also have Lucius bring us a bowl of wine. 

CASSIUS: You know, I don't know that I have ever seen you as mad as you were just now. 

BRUTUS: Yeah, well, I'm more sad than mad. 

CASSIUS: Sad? Brutus? You know, speaking of philosophy, let me tell you something. This guy never lets himself get sad, because he believes that we should be more detached from the accidents that life throws our way. 

BRUTUS: No man bears sorrow better. 

RALPH: I've heard that said about you. 

BRUTUS: Hmm. But Portia's dead. 

CASSIUS: What? Your wife is dead? 

BRUTUS: She's dead. 

RALPH: Oh, dear. I'm so sorry to hear that. 

CASSIUS: Oh, my gods! How did you not kill me just now when I was throwing my temper tantrum? How did she die? 

BRUTUS: Well, she was getting impatient with me. And once she heard that Octavius and Antony built a stronger army against us, she couldn't take it. So when she was alone, she ate some hot coals. 

RALPH: Hot coals? She put hot coals in her mouth? 

CASSIUS: And that killed her? 

BRUTUS: It did. 

CASSIUS: O, ye immortal gods. 

RALPH: Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt. But it's at this point that Lucius shows up with the bowl of wine. 

BRUTUS: Oh, good. Good. Enough about Portia. Let's drink this wine and forget about that fight. 

CASSIUS: Gladly. I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love. 

RALPH: Oh, good. I'm glad to see you guys friends again. It's at this point that Titinius and Messala come in. And they have a lot of news. Octavius and Antony have a large army on the way, and there are reports that they've put to death over a hundred senators back in Rome. 

BRUTUS: I heard it was 70, including Cicero. 

CASSIUS: Cicero was killed? 

RALPH: He was. And then, Messala wonders if you've heard any news about your wife. 

BRUTUS: Uh, nope. Does he have any? 

RALPH: Well, yes. I mean, you know what he's referring to. We just talked about the fact that your wife has committed suicide. 

BRUTUS: What does Messala say? 

RALPH: Well, he tells you that she's dead, but you already know that. 

BRUTUS: Tell Messala that we all have to die. And since I knew that Portia, too, would one day die, I have the patience to endure it now. 

RALPH: Okay. But it's just that you're having such a different conversation about this than you've just had with Cassius one minute ago. 

BRUTUS: Did you tell him? 

RALPH: Well, yes I did. And he's impressed with your reaction to the news. He says this must be how great men endure great losses. 

BRUTUS: Mm-hmm. 

RALPH: He should have seen you a minute ago. 

CASSIUS: Look. I have the same philosophy as he does. And I could not possibly deal with this as well as he is dealing with it right now. 

BRUTUS: Come on, we have a war to fight. Should we meet them in battle at Philippi? 

CASSIUS: I don't think so. I think we should make them come to us. We will wear them out with their travel on the way, and we can rest up for battle. 

BRUTUS: No, that's good, but I have a better idea. The people around here don't support us. If they march their army through this territory, they'll pick up more men along the way. So I think we should just meet them at Philippi. 

CASSIUS: Listen. 

BRUTUS: No, no, no, no. It's time to strike. 

RALPH: That's right. You seem to think that timing is the most important factor. Tell us what you say there. 

BRUTUS: There's a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures. 

CASSIUS: It's hard to argue with that. 

BRUTUS: Right. 

CASSIUS: I guess we'll go to Philippi. 

BRUTUS: But first, we'll get a good night's sleep. We'll leave in the morning. 

RALPH: Everybody seems to think that's a great idea. And you all say your good nights. But, Brutus, if you don't mind, perhaps we could talk just a minute more, once everyone has left. 

BRUTUS: Sure, no problem. 

RALPH: Great, thanks. 

CASSIUS: Good night, gentlemen. 

BRUTUS: Good night. 

RALPH: Good night.