TPTT The Tragedy of Julius Caesar: ACT IV
Introduction
ACT I
ACT II
ACT III
ACT IV
SCENE I. A house in Rome.
SCENE II. Camp near Sardis. Before BRUTUS's tent.
SCENE III. Brutus's tent.
ACT V
About the Play
Feedback
  Search:   
for:

Amazon Honor System Click Here to Pay Learn More
SCENE III. Brutus's tent.
Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS
CASSIUS
      That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
      You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
      For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
      Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
5     Because I knew the man, were slighted off.
BRUTUS
      You wronged yourself to write in such a case.
CASSIUS
      In such a time as this it is not meet
      That every nice offence should bear his comment.
BRUTUS
      Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself
10    Are much condemn'd to have an itching palm;
      To sell and mart your offices for gold
      To undeservers.
CASSIUS
      I an itching palm!
      You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
15    Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.
BRUTUS
      The name of Cassius honours this corruption,
      And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.
CASSIUS
      Chastisement!
BRUTUS
      Remember March, the ides of March remember:
20    Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?
      What villain touch'd his body, that did stab,
      And not for justice? What, shall one of us
      That struck the foremost man of all this world
      But for supporting robbers, shall we now
25    Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,
      And sell the mighty space of our large honours
      For so much trash as may be grasped thus?
      I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,
      Than such a Roman.
CASSIUS
30    Brutus, bay not me;
      I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
      To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
      Older in practise, abler than yourself
      To make conditions.
BRUTUS
35    Go to; you are not, Cassius.
CASSIUS
      I am.
BRUTUS
      I say you are not.
CASSIUS
      Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
      Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.
BRUTUS
40    Away, slight man!
CASSIUS
      Is't possible?
BRUTUS
      Hear me, for I will speak.
      Must I give way and room to your rash choler?
      Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?
CASSIUS
45    O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?
BRUTUS
      All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;
      Go show your slaves how choleric you are,
      And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?
      Must I observe you? must I stand and crouch
50    Under your testy humour? By the gods
      You shall digest the venom of your spleen,
      Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,
      I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,
      When you are waspish.
CASSIUS
55    Is it come to this?
BRUTUS
      You say you are a better soldier:
      Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,
      And it shall please me well: for mine own part,
      I shall be glad to learn of noble men.
CASSIUS
60    You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
      I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
      Did I say 'better'?
BRUTUS
      If you did, I care not.
CASSIUS
      When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.
BRUTUS
65    Peace, peace! you durst not so have tempted him.
CASSIUS
      I durst not!
BRUTUS
      No.
CASSIUS
      What, durst not tempt him!
BRUTUS
      For your life you durst not!
CASSIUS
70    Do not presume too much upon my love;
      I may do that I shall be sorry for.
BRUTUS
      You have done that you should be sorry for.
      There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,
      For I am arm'd so strong in honesty
75    That they pass by me as the idle wind,
      Which I respect not. I did send to you
      For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:
      For I can raise no money by vile means:
      By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,
80    And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring
      From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash
      By any indirection: I did send
      To you for gold to pay my legions,
      Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?
85    Should I have answer'd Caius Cassius so?
      When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,
      To lock such rascal counters from his friends,
      Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;
      Dash him to pieces!
CASSIUS
90    I denied you not.
BRUTUS
      You did.
CASSIUS
      I did not: he was but a fool that brought
      My answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:
      A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
95    But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.
BRUTUS
      I do not, till you practise them on me.
CASSIUS
      You love me not.
BRUTUS
      I do not like your faults.
CASSIUS
      A friendly eye could never see such faults.
BRUTUS
100   A flatterer's would not, though they do appear
      As huge as high Olympus.
CASSIUS
      Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
      Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
      For Cassius is aweary of the world;
105   Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
      Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
      Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
      To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
      My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
110   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,
115   When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
      Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.
BRUTUS
      Sheathe your dagger:
      Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;
      Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.
120   O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb
      That carries anger as the flint bears fire;
      Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,
      And straight is cold again.
CASSIUS
      Hath Cassius lived
125   To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
      When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?
BRUTUS
      When I spoke that, I was ill-temper'd too.
CASSIUS
      Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.
BRUTUS
      And my heart too.
CASSIUS
130   O Brutus!
BRUTUS
      What's the matter?
CASSIUS
      Have not you love enough to bear with me,
      When that rash humour which my mother gave me
      Makes me forgetful?
BRUTUS
135   Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,
      When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,
      He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.
Poet
      (Within) Let me go in to see the generals;
      There is some grudge between 'em, 'tis not meet
140   They be alone.
LUCILIUS
      (Within) You shall not come to them.
Poet
      (Within) Nothing but death shall stay me.
Enter Poet, followed by LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, and LUCIUS
CASSIUS
      How now! what's the matter?
Poet
      For shame, you generals! what do you mean?
145   Love, and be friends, as two such men should be;
      For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye.
CASSIUS
      Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!
BRUTUS
      Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!
CASSIUS
      Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.
BRUTUS
150   I'll know his humour, when he knows his time:
      What should the wars do with these jigging fools?
      Companion, hence!
CASSIUS
      Away, away, be gone.
Exit Poet
BRUTUS
      Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders
155   Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.
CASSIUS
      And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
      Immediately to us.
Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS
BRUTUS
      Lucius, a bowl of wine!
Exit LUCIUS
CASSIUS
      I did not think you could have been so angry.
BRUTUS
160   O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.
CASSIUS
      Of your philosophy you make no use,
      If you give place to accidental evils.
BRUTUS
      No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.
CASSIUS
      Ha! Portia!
BRUTUS
165   She is dead.
CASSIUS
      How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so?
      O insupportable and touching loss!
      Upon what sickness?
BRUTUS
      Impatient of my absence,
170   And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony
      Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death
      That tidings came;--with this she fell distract,
      And, her attendants absent, swallow'd fire.
CASSIUS
      And died so?
BRUTUS
175   Even so.
CASSIUS
      O ye immortal gods!
Re-enter LUCIUS, with wine and taper
BRUTUS
      Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.
      In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.
CASSIUS
      My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
180   Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
      I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.
BRUTUS
      Come in, Titinius!

Exit LUCIUS

Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA

      Welcome, good Messala.
      Now sit we close about this taper here,
185   And call in question our necessities.
CASSIUS
      Portia, art thou gone?
BRUTUS
      No more, I pray you.
      Messala, I have here received letters,
      That young Octavius and Mark Antony
190   Come down upon us with a mighty power,
      Bending their expedition toward Philippi.
MESSALA
      Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.
BRUTUS
      With what addition?
MESSALA
      That by proscription and bills of outlawry,
195   Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,
      Have put to death an hundred senators.
BRUTUS
      Therein our letters do not well agree;
      Mine speak of seventy senators that died
      By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.
CASSIUS
200   Cicero one!
MESSALA
      Cicero is dead,
      And by that order of proscription.
      Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?
BRUTUS
      No, Messala.
MESSALA
205   Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?
BRUTUS
      Nothing, Messala.
MESSALA
      That, methinks, is strange.
BRUTUS
      Why ask you? hear you aught of her in yours?
MESSALA
      No, my lord.
BRUTUS
210   Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.
MESSALA
      Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:
      For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.
BRUTUS
      Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:
      With meditating that she must die once,
215   I have the patience to endure it now.
MESSALA
      Even so great men great losses should endure.
CASSIUS
      I have as much of this in art as you,
      But yet my nature could not bear it so.
BRUTUS
      Well, to our work alive. What do you think
220   Of marching to Philippi presently?
CASSIUS
      I do not think it good.
BRUTUS
      Your reason?
CASSIUS
      This it is:
      'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
225   So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
      Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
      Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.
BRUTUS
      Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.
      The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground
230   Do stand but in a forced affection;
      For they have grudged us contribution:
      The enemy, marching along by them,
      By them shall make a fuller number up,
      Come on refresh'd, new-added, and encouraged;
235   From which advantage shall we cut him off,
      If at Philippi we do face him there,
      These people at our back.
CASSIUS
      Hear me, good brother.
BRUTUS
      Under your pardon. You must note beside,
240   That we have tried the utmost of our friends,
      Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe:
      The enemy increaseth every day;
      We, at the height, are ready to decline.
      There is a tide in the affairs of men,
245   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,
250   Or lose our ventures.
CASSIUS
      Then, with your will, go on;
      We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.
BRUTUS
      The deep of night is crept upon our talk,
      And nature must obey necessity;
255   Which we will niggard with a little rest.
      There is no more to say?
CASSIUS
      No more. Good night:
      Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.
BRUTUS
      Lucius!

Enter LUCIUS

260   My gown.

Exit LUCIUS

      Farewell, good Messala:
      Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,
      Good night, and good repose.
CASSIUS
      O my dear brother!
265   This was an ill beginning of the night:
      Never come such division 'tween our souls!
      Let it not, Brutus.
BRUTUS
      Every thing is well.
CASSIUS
      Good night, my lord.
BRUTUS
270   Good night, good brother.
TITINIUS
MESSALA
      Good night, Lord Brutus.
BRUTUS
      Farewell, every one.

Exeunt all but BRUTUS

Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown

      Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?
LUCIUS
      Here in the tent.
BRUTUS
275   What, thou speak'st drowsily?
      Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watch'd.
      Call Claudius and some other of my men:
      I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.
LUCIUS
      Varro and Claudius!
Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS
VARRO
280   Calls my lord?
BRUTUS
      I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;
      It may be I shall raise you by and by
      On business to my brother Cassius.
VARRO
      So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.
BRUTUS
285   I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;
      It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.
      Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;
      I put it in the pocket of my gown.
VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down
LUCIUS
      I was sure your lordship did not give it me.
BRUTUS
290   Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.
      Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,
      And touch thy instrument a strain or two?
LUCIUS
      Ay, my lord, an't please you.
BRUTUS
      It does, my boy:
295   I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.
LUCIUS
      It is my duty, sir.
BRUTUS
      I should not urge thy duty past thy might;
      I know young bloods look for a time of rest.
LUCIUS
      I have slept, my lord, already.
BRUTUS
300   It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;
      I will not hold thee long: if I do live,
      I will be good to thee.

Music, and a song

      This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber,
      Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,
305   That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;
      I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:
      If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;
      I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.
      Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turn'd down
310   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?
315   Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,
      That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare?
      Speak to me what thou art.
GHOST
      Thy evil spirit, Brutus.
BRUTUS
      Why comest thou?
GHOST
320   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.

Exit Ghost

      Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:
325   Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.
      Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!
LUCIUS
      The strings, my lord, are false.
BRUTUS
      He thinks he still is at his instrument.
      Lucius, awake!
LUCIUS
330   My lord?
BRUTUS
      Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?
LUCIUS
      My lord, I do not know that I did cry.
BRUTUS
      Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?
LUCIUS
      Nothing, my lord.
BRUTUS
335   Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!

To VARRO

      Fellow thou, awake!
VARRO
      My lord?
CLAUDIUS
      My lord?
BRUTUS
      Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?
VARRO
CLAUDIUS
340   Did we, my lord?
BRUTUS
      Ay: saw you any thing?
VARRO
      No, my lord, I saw nothing.
CLAUDIUS
      Nor I, my lord.
BRUTUS
      Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;
345   Bid him set on his powers betimes before,
      And we will follow.
VARRO
CLAUDIUS
      It shall be done, my lord.
Exeunt
Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene