Act II
Scene I
Rome. Brutus’s orchard.
Enter Brutus. | |
Brutus |
What, Lucius, ho!
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Enter Lucius. | |
Lucius | Call’d you, my lord? |
Brutus |
Get me a taper in my study, Lucius:
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Lucius | I will, my lord. Exit. |
Brutus |
It must be by his death: and for my part,
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Re-enter Lucius. | |
Lucius |
The taper burneth in your closet, sir.
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Brutus |
Get you to bed again; it is not day.
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Lucius | I know not, sir. |
Brutus | Look in the calendar, and bring me word. |
Lucius | I will, sir. Exit. |
Brutus |
The exhalations whizzing in the air
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Re-enter Lucius. | |
Lucius | Sir, March is wasted fourteen days. Knocking within. |
Brutus |
’Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks. Exit Lucius.
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Re-enter Lucius. | |
Lucius |
Sir, ’tis your brother Cassius at the door,
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Brutus | Is he alone? |
Lucius | No, sir, there are moe with him. |
Brutus | Do you know them? |
Lucius |
No, sir; their hats are pluck’d about their ears,
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Brutus |
Let ’em enter. Exit Lucius.
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Enter the conspirators, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Cinna, Metellus Cimber, and Trebonius. | |
Cassius |
I think we are too bold upon your rest:
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Brutus |
I have been up this hour, awake all night.
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Cassius |
Yes, every man of them, and no man here
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Brutus | He is welcome hither. |
Cassius | This, Decius Brutus. |
Brutus | He is welcome too. |
Cassius | This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber. |
Brutus |
They are all welcome.
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Cassius | Shall I entreat a word? Brutus and Cassius whisper. |
Decius | Here lies the east: doth not the day break here? |
Casca | No. |
Cinna |
O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon gray lines
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Casca |
You shall confess that you are both deceived.
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Brutus | Give me your hands all over, one by one. |
Cassius | And let us swear our resolution. |
Brutus |
No, not an oath: if not the face of men,
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Cassius |
But what of Cicero? shall we sound him?
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Casca | Let us not leave him out. |
Cinna | No, by no means. |
Metellus |
O, let us have him, for his silver hairs
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Brutus |
O, name him not: let us not break with him;
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Cassius | Then leave him out. |
Casca | Indeed he is not fit. |
Decius | Shall no man else be touch’d but only Caesar? |
Cassius |
Decius, well urged: I think it is not meet,
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Brutus |
Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,
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Cassius |
Yet I fear him;
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Brutus |
Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him:
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Trebonius |
There is no fear in him: let him not die;
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Brutus | Peace! count the clock. |
Cassius | The clock hath stricken three. |
Trebonius | ’Tis time to part. |
Cassius |
But it is doubtful yet,
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Decius |
Never fear that: if he be so resolved,
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Cassius | Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him. |
Brutus | By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost? |
Cinna | Be that the uttermost, and fail not then. |
Metellus |
Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard,
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Brutus |
Now, good Metellus, go along by him:
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Cassius |
The morning comes upon’s: we’ll leave you, Brutus.
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Brutus |
Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;
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Enter Portia. | |
Portia | Brutus, my lord! |
Brutus |
Portia, what mean you? wherefore rise you now?
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Portia |
Nor for yours neither. You’ve ungently, Brutus,
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Brutus | I am not well in health, and that is all. |
Portia |
Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,
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Brutus | Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed. |
Portia |
Is Brutus sick? and is it physical
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Brutus | Kneel not, gentle Portia. |
Portia |
I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.
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Brutus |
You are my true and honourable wife,
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Portia |
If this were true, then should I know this secret.
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Brutus |
O ye gods,
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Re-enter Lucius with Ligarius. | |
Lucius | Here is a sick man that would speak with you. |
Brutus |
Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of.
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Ligarius | Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue. |
Brutus |
O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius,
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Ligarius |
I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand
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Brutus |
Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius,
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Ligarius |
By all the gods that Romans bow before,
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Brutus | A piece of work that will make sick men whole. |
Ligarius | But are not some whole that we must make sick? |
Brutus |
That must we also. What it is, my Caius,
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Ligarius |
Set on your foot,
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Brutus | Follow me, then. Exeunt. |
Scene II
Caesar’s house.
Thunder and lightning. Enter Caesar, in his night-gown. | |
Caesar |
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to-night:
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Enter a Servant. | |
Servant | My lord? |
Caesar |
Go bid the priests do present sacrifice
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Servant | I will, my lord. Exit. |
Enter Calpurnia. | |
Calpurnia |
What mean you, Caesar, think you to walk forth?
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Caesar |
Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten’d me
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Calpurnia |
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
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Caesar |
What can be avoided
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Calpurnia |
When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
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Caesar |
Cowards die many times before their deaths;
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Re-enter Servant. | |
What say the augurers? | |
Servant |
They would not have you to stir forth to-day.
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Caesar |
The gods do this in shame of cowardice:
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Calpurnia |
Alas, my lord,
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Caesar |
Mark Antony shall say I am not well;
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Enter Decius. | |
Here’s Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so. | |
Decius |
Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:
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Caesar |
And you are come in very happy time,
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Calpurnia | Say he is sick. |
Caesar |
Shall Caesar send a lie?
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Decius |
Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
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Caesar |
The cause is in my will: I will not come;
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Decius |
This dream is all amiss interpreted;
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Caesar | And this way have you well expounded it. |
Decius |
I have, when you have heard what I can say:
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Caesar |
How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
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Enter Publius, Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius, and Cinna. | |
And look where Publius is come to fetch me. | |
Publius | Good morrow, Caesar. |
Caesar |
Welcome, Publius.
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Brutus | Caesar, ’tis strucken eight. |
Caesar | I thank you for your pains and courtesy. |
Enter Antony. | |
See! Antony, that revels long o’ nights,
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Antony | So to most noble Caesar. |
Caesar |
Bid them prepare within:
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Trebonius |
Caesar, I will: aside and so near will I be,
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Caesar |
Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
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Brutus |
Aside. That every like is not the same, O Caesar,
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Scene III
A street near the Capitol.
Enter Artemidorus, reading a paper. | |
Artemidorus |
“Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius; come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna; trust not Trebonius; mark well Metellus Cimber: Decius Brutus loves thee not: thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius. There is but one mind in all these men, and it is bent against Caesar. If thou beest not immortal, look about you: security gives way to conspiracy. The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover, “Artemidorus.” |
Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,
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Scene IV
Another part of the same street, before the house of Brutus.
Enter Portia and Lucius. | |
Portia |
I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house;
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Lucius | To know my errand, madam. |
Portia |
I would have had thee there, and here again,
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Lucius |
Madam, what should I do?
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Portia |
Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
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Lucius | I hear none, madam. |
Portia |
Prithee, listen well;
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Lucius | Sooth, madam, I hear nothing. |
Enter the Soothsayer. | |
Portia | Come hither, fellow: which way hast thou been? |
Soothsayer | At mine own house, good lady. |
Portia | What is’t o’clock? |
Soothsayer | About the ninth hour, lady. |
Portia | Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol? |
Soothsayer |
Madam, not yet: I go to take my stand,
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Portia | Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not? |
Soothsayer |
That I have, lady: if it will please Caesar
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Portia | Why, know’st thou any harm’s intended towards him? |
Soothsayer |
None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.
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Portia |
I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing
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