Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Act 3 - Scene 2
The Forum.
Citizens : We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.
Brutus : Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.
[p]Cassius, go you into
the other street,
[p]And part the numbers.
[p]Those that will hear me
speak, let 'em stay here;
[p]Those that will follow Cassius, go with
him;
[p]And public reasons shall be rendered
[p]Of Caesar's death.
First Citizen : I will hear Brutus speak.
Second Citizen : I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,
[p]When severally we
hear them rendered.
[p][Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens.
BRUTUS]
[p]goes into the pulpit
Third Citizen : The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!
Brutus : Be patient till the last.
[p]Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me
for my
[p]cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me
[p]for
mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that
[p]you may believe:
censure me in your wisdom, and
[p]awake your senses, that you may the
better judge.
[p]If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend
of
[p]Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar
[p]was no
less than his. If then that friend demand
[p]why Brutus rose against
Caesar, this is my answer:
[p]--Not that I loved Caesar less, but that
I loved
[p]Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and
[p]die all
slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live
[p]all free men? As Caesar
loved me, I weep for him;
[p]as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as
he was
[p]valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I
[p]slew
him. There is tears for his love; joy for his
[p]fortune; honour for
his valour; and death for his
[p]ambition. Who is here so base that
would be a
[p]bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.
[p]Who
is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If
[p]any, speak; for him
have I offended. Who is here so
[p]vile that will not love his
country? If any, speak;
[p]for him have I offended. I pause for a
reply.
All : None, Brutus, none.
Brutus : Then none have I offended. I have done no more to
[p]Caesar than you
shall do to Brutus. The question of
[p]his death is enrolled in the
Capitol; his glory not
[p]extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his
offences
[p]enforced, for which he suffered death.
[p][Enter ANTONY
and others, with CAESAR's body]
[p]Here comes his body, mourned by
Mark Antony: who,
[p]though he had no hand in his death, shall
receive
[p]the benefit of his dying, a place in the
[p]commonwealth;
as which of you shall not? With this
[p]I depart,--that, as I slew my
best lover for the
[p]good of Rome, I have the same dagger for
myself,
[p]when it shall please my country to need my death.
All : Live, Brutus! live, live!
First Citizen : Bring him with triumph home unto his house.
Second Citizen : Give him a statue with his ancestors.
Third Citizen : Let him be Caesar.
Fourth Citizen : Caesar's better parts
[p]Shall be crown'd in Brutus.
First Citizen : We'll bring him to his house
[p]With shouts and clamours.
Brutus : My countrymen,--
Second Citizen : Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.
First Citizen : Peace, ho!
Brutus : Good countrymen, let me depart alone,
[p]And, for my sake, stay here
with Antony:
[p]Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his
speech
[p]Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony,
[p]By our
permission, is allow'd to make.
[p]I do entreat you, not a man
depart,
[p]Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.
First Citizen : Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.
Third Citizen : Let him go up into the public chair;
[p]We'll hear him. Noble Antony,
go up.
Fourth Citizen : What does he say of Brutus?
Third Citizen : He says, for Brutus' sake,
[p]He finds himself beholding to us all.
Fourth Citizen : 'Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.
First Citizen : This Caesar was a tyrant.
Third Citizen : Nay, that's certain:
[p]We are blest that Rome is rid of him.
Second Citizen : Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.
Citizens : Peace, ho! let us hear him.
First Citizen : Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
Second Citizen : If thou consider rightly of the matter,
[p]Caesar has had great
wrong.
Third Citizen : Has he, masters?
[p]I fear there will a worse come in his place.
Fourth Citizen : Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;
[p]Therefore 'tis
certain he was not ambitious.
First Citizen : If it be found so, some will dear abide it.
Second Citizen : Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.
Third Citizen : There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony.
Fourth Citizen : Now mark him, he begins again to speak.
Fourth Citizen : We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.
All : The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.
Fourth Citizen : Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony;
[p]You shall read us the will,
Caesar's will.
Fourth Citizen : They were traitors: honourable men!
All : The will! the testament!
Second Citizen : They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will.
Several Citizens : Come down.
Second Citizen : Descend.
Third Citizen : You shall have leave.
Fourth Citizen : A ring; stand round.
First Citizen : Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.
Second Citizen : Room for Antony, most noble Antony.
Several Citizens : Stand back; room; bear back.
First Citizen : O piteous spectacle!
Second Citizen : O noble Caesar!
Third Citizen : O woful day!
Fourth Citizen : O traitors, villains!
First Citizen : O most bloody sight!
Second Citizen : We will be revenged.
All : Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay!
[p]Let not a traitor
live!
First Citizen : Peace there! hear the noble Antony.
Second Citizen : We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.
All : We'll mutiny.
First Citizen : We'll burn the house of Brutus.
Third Citizen : Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.
All : Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!
All : Most true. The will! Let's stay and hear the will.
Second Citizen : Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death.
Third Citizen : O royal Caesar!
All : Peace, ho!
First Citizen : Never, never. Come, away, away!
[p]We'll burn his body in the holy
place,
[p]And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.
[p]Take up
the body.
Second Citizen : Go fetch fire.
Third Citizen : Pluck down benches.
Fourth Citizen : Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.
Servant : Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.
Servant : He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house.
Servant : I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius
[p]Are rid like madmen through the
gates of Rome.
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Next: Act 3 - Scene 3
