The Tragedy of Julius Caesar: ACT V
Introduction ACT I ACT II ACT III ACT IV ACT V SCENE I. The plains of Philippi. SCENE II. The same. The field of battle. SCENE III. Another part of the field. SCENE IV. Another part of the field. SCENE V. Another part of the field. About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: SCENE I. The plains of Philippi. Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army OCTAVIUS       Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:       You said the enemy would not come down,       But keep the hills and upper regions;       It proves not so: their battles are at hand; 5     They mean to warn us at Philippi here,       Answering before we do demand of them. ANTONY       Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know       Wherefore they do it: they could be content       To visit other places; and come down 10    With fearful bravery, thinking by this face       To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;       But 'tis not so. Enter a Messenger Messenger       Prepare you, generals:       The enemy comes on in gallant show; 15    Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,       And something to be done immediately. ANTONY       Octavius, lead your battle softly on,       Upon the left hand of the even field. OCTAVIUS       Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left. ANTONY 20    Why do you cross me in this exigent? OCTAVIUS       I do not cross you; but I will do so. March Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others BRUTUS       They stand, and would have parley. CASSIUS       Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk. OCTAVIUS       Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle? ANTONY 25    No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.       Make forth; the generals would have some words. OCTAVIUS       Stir not until the signal. BRUTUS       Words before blows: is it so, countrymen? OCTAVIUS       Not that we love words better, as you do. BRUTUS 30    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, 35    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; 40    For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,       And very wisely threat before you sting. ANTONY       Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers       Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar:       You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds, 45    And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;       Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind       Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers! CASSIUS       Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself:       This tongue had not offended so to-day, 50    If Cassius might have ruled. OCTAVIUS       Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,       The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look;       I draw a sword against conspirators;       When think you that the sword goes up again? 55    Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds       Be well avenged; or till another Caesar       Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors. BRUTUS       Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,       Unless thou bring'st them with thee. OCTAVIUS 60    So I hope;       I was not born to die on Brutus' sword. BRUTUS       O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,       Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable. CASSIUS       A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour, 65    Join'd with a masker and a reveller! ANTONY       Old Cassius still! OCTAVIUS       Come, Antony, away!       Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:       If you dare fight to-day, come to the field; 70    If not, when you have stomachs. Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army CASSIUS       Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!       The storm is up, and all is on the hazard. BRUTUS       Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you. LUCILIUS       (Standing forth) My lord? BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart CASSIUS 75    Messala! MESSALA       (Standing forth) What says my general? CASSIUS       Messala,       This is my birth-day; as this very day       Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala: 80    Be thou my witness that against my will,       As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set       Upon one battle all our liberties.       You know that I held Epicurus strong       And his opinion: now I change my mind, 85    And partly credit things that do presage.       Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign       Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,       Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;       Who to Philippi here consorted us: 90    This morning are they fled away and gone;       And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,       Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,       As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem       A canopy most fatal, under which 95    Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost. MESSALA       Believe not so. CASSIUS       I but believe it partly;       For I am fresh of spirit and resolved       To meet all perils very constantly. BRUTUS 100   Even so, Lucilius. CASSIUS       Now, most noble Brutus,       The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,       Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!       But since the affairs of men rest still incertain, 105   Let's reason with the worst that may befall.       If we do lose this battle, then is this       The very last time we shall speak together:       What are you then determined to do? BRUTUS       Even by the rule of that philosophy 110   By which I did blame Cato for the death       Which he did give himself, I know not how,       But I do find it cowardly and vile,       For fear of what might fall, so to prevent       The time of life: arming myself with patience 115   To stay the providence of some high powers       That govern us below. CASSIUS       Then, if we lose this battle,       You are contented to be led in triumph       Thorough the streets of Rome? BRUTUS 120   No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,       That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;       He bears too great a mind. But this same day       Must end that work the ides of March begun;       And whether we shall meet again I know not. 125   Therefore our everlasting farewell take:       For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!       If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;       If not, why then, this parting was well made. CASSIUS       For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus! 130   If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;       If not, 'tis true this parting was well made. BRUTUS       Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know       The end of this day's business ere it come!       But it sufficeth that the day will end, 135   And then the end is known. Come, ho! away! Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene