Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Act 2 - Scene 4
Another part of the same street, before the house of BRUTUS.
Portia : I prithee, boy, run to the senate-house;
[p]Stay not to answer me, but
get thee gone:
[p]Why dost thou stay?
Lucius : To know my errand, madam.
Portia : I would have had thee there, and here again,
[p]Ere I can tell thee
what thou shouldst do there.
[p]O constancy, be strong upon my
side,
[p]Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue!
[p]I have a
man's mind, but a woman's might.
[p]How hard it is for women to keep
counsel!
[p]Art thou here yet?
Lucius : Madam, what should I do?
[p]Run to the Capitol, and nothing
else?
[p]And so return to you, and nothing else?
Portia : Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,
[p]For he went sickly
forth: and take good note
[p]What Caesar doth, what suitors press to
him.
[p]Hark, boy! what noise is that?
Lucius : I hear none, madam.
Portia : Prithee, listen well;
[p]I heard a bustling rumour, like a
fray,
[p]And the wind brings it from the Capitol.
Lucius : Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.
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,
[p]To see him pass on to the
Capitol.
Portia : Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?
Soothsayer : That I have, lady: if it will please Caesar
[p]To be so good to Caesar
as to hear me,
[p]I shall beseech him to befriend himself.
Portia : Why, know'st thou any harm's intended towards him?
Soothsayer : None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.
[p]Good morrow
to you. Here the street is narrow:
[p]The throng that follows Caesar
at the heels,
[p]Of senators, of praetors, common suitors,
[p]Will
crowd a feeble man almost to death:
[p]I'll get me to a place more
void, and there
[p]Speak to great Caesar as he comes along.
Portia : I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing
[p]The heart of woman is! O
Brutus,
[p]The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!
[p]Sure, the
boy heard me: Brutus hath a suit
[p]That Caesar will not grant. O, I
grow faint.
[p]Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;
[p]Say I am
merry: come to me again,
[p]And bring me word what he doth say to
thee.
Previous: Act 2 - Scene 3
Next: Act 3 - Scene 1
