Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare

• Editorial: HarperPerennial Classics
• Año: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781443443371
• Categoría: Literature
• Categoría: Shakespeare Drama

Out of fear that Caesar might overthrow the Roman Senate and rule by tyranny, Brutus, convinced by Cassius, kills Caesar in the Senate. Acting for the republic, the conspirators do not flee, but defend their actions and Rome remains on their side—until Mark Antony speaks and rouses the crowd against the conspirators. A revered favourite of scholars and dramatists alike, Julius Caesar remains one of Shakespeare's most popular plays.

Known as "The Bard of Avon, " William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare's works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare's innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech.

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ACT THREE

SCENE I. Rome. A street before the Capitol.

Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS, METELLUS, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, ARTEMIDORUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and the Soothsayer.

CAESAR The ides of March are come.

SOOTHSAYER Ay, Caesar, but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS Hail, Caesar! Read this schedule.

DECIUS 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 serv’d.

ARTEMIDORUS Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.

CAESAR What, is the fellow mad?

[10]

PUBLIUS Sirrah, give place.

CASSIUS What, urge you your petitions in the street?

Come to the Capitol.

Caesar enters the Capitol, the rest following.

POPILIUS I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.

CASSIUS What enterprise, Popilius?

POPILIUS Fare you well.

[Advances to Caesar.

[15]

BRUTUS Wharsaid Popilius Lena?

CASSIUS He wish’d to-day our enterprise might thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

BRUTUS Look how he makes to Caesar. Mark him.

CASSIUS Casca be sudden, for we fear prevention.

[20]

Brutus; what shall be done? If this be known,

Cassius or Caesar never shall rum back,

For I will slay myself.

BRUTUS Cassius, be constant.

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

CASSIUS Trebonius knows his time; for look you,

[25]

Brutus,

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt Antony and Trebonius.

DECIUS Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go

And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

BRUTUS He is address’d; press near and second him.

[30]

CINNA Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

CAESAR Are we all ready? What is now amiss

That Caesar and his Senate must redress?

METELLUS Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart. [Kneeling.

[35]

CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber.

These couchings and these lowly courtesies

Might fire the blood of ordinary men,

And turn pre-ordinance and first decree

Into the law of children. Be not fond

[40]

To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood

That will be thaw’d from the true quality

With that which melteth fools — I mean, sweet words,

Low-crooked curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished;

[45]

If thou dost bend, and pray, and fawn for him.

I spurn thee like acur out of my way.

Know, Caesar doth not wrong; nor without cause

Will he be satisfied.

METELLUS Is there no voice more worthy than my own

[50]

To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear

For the repealing of my banish’d brother?

BRUTUS I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery,

Caesar,

Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

CAESAR What, Brutus!

[55]

CASSIUS Pardon, Caesar! Caesar, pardon!

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

CAESAR I could be well mov’d, if I were as you;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;

[60]

But I am constant as the northern star,

Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality

There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumb’red sparks,

They are all fire, and every one doth shine;

[65]

But there’s but one in all doth hold his place.

So in the world: ’tis furnish’d well with men,

And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;

Yet in the number I do know but one

That unassailable holds on his rank,

[70]

Unshak’d of motion; and that I am he,

Let me a little show it, even in this —

That I was constant Cimber should be banish’d,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

CINNA O Caesar!

CAESAR Hence! Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

DECIUS Great Caesar!

[75]

CAESAR Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

CASCA Speak, hands, for me!

[They stab Caesar. Casca strikes the first, Brutus the last blow.

CAESAR Et tu, Brute? — Then fall, Caesar!

[Dies.

CINNA Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!

Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

[80]

CASSIUS Some to the common pulpits, and cry out

‘Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!’

BRUTUS People and Senators, be not affrighted.

Fly not; stand still. Ambition’s debt is paid.

CASCA Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

[85]

DECIUS And Cassius too.

BRUTUS Where’s Publius?

CINNA Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

METELLUS Stand fast together, lest some friend of

Caesar’s

Should chance —

[90]

BRUTUS Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer!

There is no harm intended to your person,

Nor to no Roman else. So tell them, Publius.

CASSIUS And leave us, Publius, lest that the people,

Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

[95]

BRUTUS Do so; and let no man abide this deed

But we the doers.

Re-enter TREBONIUS.

CASSIUS Where is Antony?

TREBONIUS Fled to his house amaz’d.

Men, wives, and children, stare, cry out, and run,

As it were doomsday.

BRUTUS Fates, we will know your pleasures.

[100]

That we shall die, we know; ’tis but the time,

And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

C...