The Illustrated Works of Shakespeare/Illustrated Works of Shakespeare, The (1990)(Animated Pixels)[!][CDTV-PC].iso/shakes/text/33/01_02

Text File | 1991-04-10 | 15KB | 428 lines

Rome. A Public Place.
 Enter CAESAR, ANTONY stripped for the course, CALPURNIA, PORTIA,
 DECIUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, a SOOTHSAYER,
 and a great CROWD; after them MARULLUS and FLAVIUS.

Caesar    Calpurnia!

Casca                    Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.

Caesar                                            Calpurnia!

Calpurnia    Here, my lord.

Caesar    Stand you directly in Antonius' way
    When he doth run his course. - Antonius!

Antony    Caesar, my lord?

Caesar    Forget not, in you speed, Antonius,
    To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say
    The barren touchd in this holy chase
    Shake off their sterile curse.

Antony                                        I shall remember.
    When Caesar says "Do this", it is performed.

Caesar    Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
                                                    [Music.
Soothsayer    Caesar!

Caesar    Ha! Who calls?

Casca    Bid every noise be still! Peace yet again!
                                                    [Music ceases.

Caesar    Who is it in the press that calls on me?
    I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
    Cry "Caesar!" Speak; Caesar is turned to hear.

Soothsayer    Beware the ides of March.

Caesar                                    What man is that?

Brutus    A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

Caesar    Set him before me; let me see his face.

Cassius    Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

Caesar    What sayst thou to me now? Speak once again.

Soothsayer    Beware the ides of March.

Caesar    He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass.
                                                    [Sennet.
                                     [Exeunt all but BRUTUS and CASSIUS.

Cassius    Will you go see the order of the course?

Brutus    Not I.

Cassius    I pray you, do.

Brutus    I am not gamesome. I do lack some part
    Of that quick spirit that is Antony.
    Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;
    I'll leave you.

Cassius    Brutus, I do observe you now of late;
    I have not from your eyes that gentleness
    And show of love as I was wont to have.
    You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
    Over your friend that loves you.

Brutus                                            Cassius,
    Be not deceived. If I have veiled my look,
    I turn the trouble of my countenance
    Merely upon myself. Vexd I am
    Of late with passions of some difference,
    Conceptions only proper to myself,
    Which give some soil, perhaps, to my behaviours;
    But let not therefore my good friends be grieved-
    Among which number, Cassius, be you one-
    Nor construe any further my neglect
    Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,
    Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cassius    Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
    By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
    Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
    Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

Brutus    No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself
    But by reflection, by some other things.

Cassius    'Tis just;
    And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
    That you have no such mirrors as will turn
    Your hidden worthiness into your eye
    That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
    Where many of the best respect in Rome,
    Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus,
    And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
    Have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes.

Brutus    Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,
    That you would have me seek into myself
    For that which is not in me?

Cassius    Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear;
    And since you know you cannot see yourself
    So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
    Will modestly discover to yourself
    That of yourself which you yet know not of.
    And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
    Were I a common laughter, or did use
    To stale with ordinary oaths my love
    To every new protester; if you know
    That I do fawn on men and hug them hard,
    And after scandal them; or if you know
    That I profess myself in banqueting
    To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.
                                                    [Flourish and shout.

Brutus    What means this shouting? I do fear the people
    Choose Caesar for their king.

Cassius                                        Ay, do you fear it?
    Then must I think you would not have it so.

Brutus    I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.
    But wherefore do you hold me here so long?
    What is it that you would impart to me?
    If it be aught toward the general good,
    Set honour in one eye and death i'th' other,
    And I will look on both indifferently;
    For let the gods speed me as I love
    The name of honour more than I fear death.

Cassius    I know that virtue be in you, Brutus,
    As well as I know your outward favour.
    Well, honour is the subject of my story.
    I cannot tell what you and other men
    Think of this life; but, for my single self,
    I had as lief not be as live to be
    In awe of such a thing as I myself.
    I was born free as Caesar; so were you.
    We both have fed as well, and we can both
    Endure the winter's cold as well as he.
    For once upon a raw and gusty day
    The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
    Caesar said to me "Dar'st thou, Cassius, now
    Leap in with me into this angry flood,
    And swim to yonder point?" Upon my word,
    Accoutrd as I was, I plungd in,
    And bade him follow. So indeed he did.
    The torrent roared, and we did buffet it
    With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
    And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
    But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
    Caesar cried "Help me, Cassius, or I sink!"
    I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
    Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
    The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
    Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
    Is now become a god; and Cassius is
    A wretched creature and must bend his body
    If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
    He had a fever when he was in Spain,
    And when the fit was on him I did mark
    How he did shake - 'tis true, this god did shake.
    His coward lips did from their colour fly,
    And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
    Did lose his lustre. I did hear him groan,
    Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
    Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
    "Alas!" it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinius",
    As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
    A man of such feeble temper should
    So get the start of the majestic world,
    And bear the palm alone.
                                                    [Shout. Flourish.

Brutus                                Another general shout!
    I do believe that these applauses are
    For some new honours that are heaped on Caesar.

Cassius    Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
    Like a Colossus, and we petty men
    Walk under his huge legs, and peep about
    To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
    Men at some time are masters of their fates;
    The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
    But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
    "Brutus" and "Caesar": what should be in that "Caesar"?
    Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
    Write them together: yours is as fair a name.
    Sound them: it doth become the mouth as well.
    Weigh them: it as heavy. Conjure with 'em:
    "Brutus" will start a spirit as soon as "Caesar".
    Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
    Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed
    That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!
    Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
    When went there by an age since the great flood
    But it was famed with more than with one man?
    When could they say, till now, that talked of Rome,
    That her wide walls encompassed but one man?
    Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough,
    When there is in it but one only man.
    O, you and I have heard our fathers say
    There was a Brutus once that would have brooked
    Th' eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
    As easily as a king.

Brutus    That you do love me, I am nothing jealous.
    What you would work me to, I have some aim.
    How I have thought of this, and of these times,
    I shall recount hereafter; for this present,
    I would not - so with love I might entreat you-
    Be any further moved. What you have said,
    I will consider; what you have to say,
    I will with patience hear, and find a time
    Both meet to hear and answer such high things.
    Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this:
    Brutus had rather be a villager
    Than to repute himself a son of Rome
    Under these hard conditions as this time
    Is like to lay upon us.

Cassius                                    I am glad
    That my weak words have struck but thus much show
    Of fire from Brutus.

                      Re-enter CAESAR and his TRAIN.

Brutus    The games are done, and Caesar is returning.

Cassius    As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve,
    And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
    What hath proceeded worthy note today.

Brutus    I will do so. But, look you, Cassius,
    The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow,
    And all the rest look like a chidden train.
    Calpurnia's cheek is pale, and Cicero
    Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes
    As we have seen him in the Capitol
    Being crossed in conference by some senators.

Cassius    Casca will tell us what the matter is.

Caesar    Antonius!

Antony    Caesar?

Caesar    Let me have men about me that are fat;
    Sleek-headed men, and such as sleep a-nights.
    Yond Cassius hath a lean and hungry look;
    He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous.

Antony    Fear him not, Caesar; he's not dangerous.
    He is a noble Roman, and well given.

Caesar    Would he were fatter! But I fear him not.
    Yet if my name were liable to fear,
    I do not know the man I should avoid
    So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much,
    He is a great observer, and he looks
    Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
    As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;
    Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort
    As if he mocked himself, and scorned his spirit
    That could be moved to smile at anything.
    Such men as he be never at heart's ease
    Whiles they behold a greater than themselves;
    And therefore are they very dangerous.
    I rather tell thee what it is to be feared
    Than what I fear; for always I am Caesar.
    Come on my right hand, for this ear is deaf,
    And tell me truly what thou think'st of him.
                                                    [Sennet.
                                                    [Exeunt CAESAR and his TRAIN.

Casca    You pulled me by the cloak; would you speak with me?

Brutus    Ay, Casca; tell us what hath chanced today
    That Caesar looks so sad.

Casca    Why, you were with him, were you not?

Brutus    I should not then ask Casca what had chanced.

Casca    Why, there was a crown offered him; and being offered him,
    he put it by with the back of his hand, thus; and then the
    people fell a-shouting.

Brutus    What was the second noise for?

Casca    Why, for that too.

Cassius    They shouted thrice. What was the last cry for?

Casca    Why, for that too.

Brutus    Was the crown offered him thrice?

Casca    Ay, marry, was't, and he put it by thrice, every time
    gentler than other; and at every putting-by mine honest
    neighbours shouted.

Cassius    Who offered him the crown?

Casca    Why, Antony.

Brutus    Tell us the manner of it, gentle Casca.

Casca    I can as well be hanged as tell the manner of it. It was
    mere foolery; I did not mark it. I saw Mark Antony offer
    him a crown - yet 'twas not a crown neither, 'twas one of
    these coronets - and, as I told you, he put it by once;
    but, for all that, to my thinking he would have fain have
    had it. Then he offered it to him again; then he put it by
    again; but, to my thinking, he was very loath to lay his
    fingers off it. And then he offered it the third time; he
    put it the third time by. And still he refused it the
    rabblement shouted, and clapped their chopped hands, and
    threw up their sweaty nightcaps, and uttered such a deal of
    stinking breath because Caesar refused the crown, that it
    had almost choked Caesar; for he swooned and fell down at
    it. And for mine own part I durst not laugh, for fear of
    opening my lips and receiving the bad air.

Cassius    But, soft, I pray you. What, did Caesar swoon?

Casca    He fell down in the market-place, and foamed at mouth, and
    was speechless.

Brutus    'Tis very like; he hath the falling sickness.

Cassius    No, Caesar hath it not: but you and I
    And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness.

Casca    I know not what you mean by that, but I am sure Caesar fell
    down. If the tag-rag people did not clap him and hiss him
    according as he pleased and displeased them, as they use to
    do the players in the theatre, I am no true man.

Brutus    What said he when he came unto himself?

Casca    Marry, before he fell down, when he perceived the common
    herd was glad he refused the crown, he plucked me ope his
    doublet, and offered them his throat to cut. An I had been
    a man of my occupation, if I would not have taken him at a
    word, I would I might go to hell among the rogues. And so
    he fell. When he came to himself again, he said, if he had
    done or said anything amiss, he desired their worships to
    think it was his infirmity. Three or four wenches where I
    stood cried 'Alas, good soul!' and forgave him with all
    their hearts. But there's no heed to be taken of them; if
    Caesar had stabbed their mothers they would have done no
    less.

Brutus    And after that, he came thus sad away?

Casca    Ay.

Cassius    Did Cicero say anything?

Casca    Ay, he spoke Greek.

Cassius    To what effect?

Casca    Nay, an I tell you that I'll ne'er look you i'th' face
    again. But those that understood him smiled at one another,
    and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek
    to me. I could tell you more news too: Marullus and
    Flavius, for pulling scarfs off Caesar's images, are put to
    silence. Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I
    could remember it.

Cassius    Will you sup with me tonight, Casca?

Casca    No, I am promised forth.

Cassius    Will you dine with me tomorrow?

Casca    Ay, if I be alive, and your mind hold, and your dinner
    worth the eating.

Cassius    Good; I will expect you.

Casca    Do so. Farewell, both.

Brutus    What a blunt fellow is this grown to be!
    He was quick mettle when he went to school.

Cassius    So is he now in execution
    Of any bold or noble enterprise,
    However he puts on this tardy form.
    This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
    Which gives men stomach to digest his words
    With better appetite.

Brutus    And so it is. For this time I will leave you.
    Tomorrow, if you please to speak with me,
    I will come home to you; or if you will,
    Come home to me, and I will wait for you.

Cassius    I will do so. Till then, think of the world.
                                                    [Exit BRUTUS.
    Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
    Thy honourable metal may be wrought
    From that it is disposed. Therefore it is meet
    That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
    For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
    Caesar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus.
    If I were Brutus now, and he were Cassius,
    He should not humour me. I will this night,
    In several hands, in at his windows throw,
    As if they came from several citizens,
    Writings all tending to the great opinion
    That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
    Caesar's ambition shall be glancd at.
    And after this let Caesar seat him sure;
    For we will shake him, or worse days endure.
                                                    [Exit.