Julius Caesar

Brutus

Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.
[Enter the Ghost of Caesar.]
How ill this taper burns! Ha! who comes here?
I think it is the weakness of mine eyes
That shapes this monstrous apparition.
It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?
Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
That mak'st my blood cold and my hair to stare?
Speak to me what thou art.

Ghost

Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Brutus

                                      Why com'st thou?

Ghost

To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

Brutus

Well; then I shall see thee again?

Ghost

Ay, at Philippi.

Brutus

Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.

Antony

This is a slight unmeritable man,
Meet to be sent on errands. Is it fit,
The threefold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it?

Octavius

                                                So you thought him,
And took his voice who should be pricked to die
In our black sentence and proscription.

Antony

Octavius, I have seen more days than you;
And though we lay these honors on this man
To ease ourselves of divers sland’rous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way.
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears
And graze in commons.

Brutus

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.

All

Live, Brutus! live, live!
[Brutus descends from pulpit.]

First Plebeian

Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Plebeian

Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Plebeian

Let him be Caesar.

Fourth Plebeian

First Plebeian

Brutus

Second Plebeian

First Plebeian

Brutus

[Exit Brutus.]

First Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Antony

[Goes into the pulpit.]

Fourth Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Fourth Plebeian

First Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Antony

Plebeians

Antony

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Fourth Plebeian

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Fourth Plebeian

Antony

Fourth Plebeian

All

Antony

Fourth Plebeian

Antony

Fourth Plebeian

All

Second Plebeian

Antony

Several Plebeians

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

[Antony comes down.]

Fourth Plebeian

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Antony

Several Plebeians

Antony

[He removes the mantle.]

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Fourth Plebeian

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

All

Antony

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Antony

All

First Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Antony

All

Antony

All

Antony

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Antony

All

Antony

First Plebeian

Second Plebeian

Third Plebeian

Fourth Plebeian

[Exit Plebeians with the body.]

Antony

[Enter a Servant]

Servant

Antony

Servant

Antony

Servant

Antony

[Exit.]

All

Live, Brutus! live, live!
[Brutus descends from pulpit.]

First Plebeian

Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Plebeian

Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Plebeian

Let him be Caesar.

Fourth Plebeian

                                  Caesar's better parts
Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

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 interrèd 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 answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest — 
For Brutus is an honorable man;
So are they all, all honorable 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 honorable 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 honorable 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 honorable 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.

Antony

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle. I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on.
'Twas on a summer's evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii.

Antony

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle. I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on.
'Twas on a summer's evening in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii.
Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through.
See what a rent the envious Casca made.
Through this, the well-belovèd Brutus stabbed;
And as he plucked his cursèd steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it,
As rushing out of doors to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked or no — 
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all,
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart,
And in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.

Antony

Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through.
See what a rent the envious Casca made.
Through this, the well-belovèd Brutus stabbed;
And as he plucked his cursèd steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar followed it,
As rushing out of doors to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knocked or no — 
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all,
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms,
Quite vanquished him. Then burst his mighty heart,
And in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey's statue,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.

Antony

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
I am no orator, as Brutus is,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man
That love my friend; and that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,
Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech
To stir men's blood; I only speak right on.
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
Would ruffle up your spirits, and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.

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