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Brutus

Words before blows; is it so, countrymen?

Octavius

Not that we love words better, as you do.

Brutus

Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

Antony

In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words.
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying 'Long live! Hail, Caesar!'

Cassius

Antony

Brutus

Antony

Cassius

Octavius

Brutus

Octavius

Brutus

Cassius

Antony

Octavius

[Exit Octavius, Antony, and their army.]

Cassius

Brutus

Lucilius

[Brutus and Lucilius converse apart.]

Cassius

Messala

Cassius

Messala

Cassius

Brutus

[Brutus rejoins Cassius.]

Cassius

Brutus

Cassius

Brutus

Cassius

Brutus

[Exit.]

Brutus

Words before blows; is it so, countrymen?

Octavius

Not that we love words better, as you do.

Brutus

Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.

Antony

In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words.
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying 'Long live! Hail, Caesar!'

Cassius

                                                        Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But, for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

Antony

Not stingless too?

Brutus

O yes, and soundless too!
For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.

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.

Artemidorus

Hail, Caesar!  Read this schedule.

Decius Brutus

Trebonius doth desire you to o'er-read,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.

Artemidorus

O Caesar, read mine first, for mine's a suit
That touches Caesar nearer.  Read it, great Caesar!

Caesar

What touches us ourself shall be last served.

Casca

Speak, hands for me!
[Casca first, then the other Conspirators, and finally Brutus stab Caesar.]

Caesar

Et tu, Brute? — Then fall, Caesar!
[Caesar dies.]

Cinna

Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets!

Cassius

Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'

Brutus

Soft! Who comes here? A friend of Antony's.

Servant

[Kneeling] 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 feared Caesar, honored 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

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 no strength of malice, and our hearts
Of brothers' temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

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