Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Act 5 - Scene 3
Another part of the field.
Cassius : O, look, Tintinius, look, the villains fly!
[p]Myself have to mine own
turn'd enemy:
[p]This ensign here of mine was turning back;
[p]I slew
the coward, and did take it from him.
Tintinius : O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early;
[p]Who, having some
advantage on Octavius,
[p]Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to
spoil,
[p]Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Pindarus : Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
[p]Mark Antony is in your
tents, my lord
[p]Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
Cassius : This hill is far enough. Look, look, Tintinius;
[p]Are those my tents
where I perceive the fire?
Tintinius : They are, my lord.
Cassius : Tintinius, if thou lovest me,
[p]Mount thou my horse, and hide thy
spurs in him,
[p]Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops,
[p]And
here again; that I may rest assured
[p]Whether yond troops are friend
or enemy.
Tintinius : I will be here again, even with a thought.
Cassius : Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
[p]My sight was ever thick;
regard Tintinius,
[p]And tell me what thou notest about the
field.
[p][PINDARUS ascends the hill]
[p]This day I breathed first:
time is come round,
[p]And where I did begin, there shall I end;
[p]My
life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news?
Pindarus : [Above O my lord!
Cassius : What news?
Pindarus : [Above Tintinius is enclosed round about
[p]With horsemen, that make
to him on the spur;
[p]Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on
him.
[p]Now, Tintinius! Now some light. O, he lights too.
[p]He's
ta'en.
[p][Shout]
[p]And, hark! they shout for joy.
Cassius : Come down, behold no more.
[p]O, coward that I am, to live so
long,
[p]To see my best friend ta'en before my face!
[p][PINDARUS
descends]
[p]Come hither, sirrah:
[p]In Parthia did I take thee
prisoner;
[p]And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
[p]That
whatsoever I did bid thee do,
[p]Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now,
keep thine oath;
[p]Now be a freeman: and with this good
sword,
[p]That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this
bosom.
[p]Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts;
[p]And, when
my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
[p]Guide thou the sword.
[p][PINDARUS
stabs him]
[p]Caesar, thou art revenged,
[p]Even with the sword that
kill'd thee.
Pindarus : So, I am free; yet would not so have been,
[p]Durst I have done my
will. O Cassius,
[p]Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
[p]Where
never Roman shall take note of him.
Messala : It is but change, Tintinius; for Octavius
[p]Is overthrown by noble
Brutus' power,
[p]As Cassius' legions are by Antony.
Tintinius : These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
Messala : Where did you leave him?
Tintinius : All disconsolate,
[p]With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
Messala : Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
Tintinius : He lies not like the living. O my heart!
Messala : Is not that he?
Tintinius : No, this was he, Messala,
[p]But Cassius is no more. O setting
sun,
[p]As in thy red rays thou dost sink to-night,
[p]So in his red
blood Cassius' day is set;
[p]The sun of Rome is set! Our day is
gone;
[p]Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are
done!
[p]Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.
Messala : Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
[p]O hateful error,
melancholy's child,
[p]Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of
men
[p]The things that are not? O error, soon conceived,
[p]Thou never
comest unto a happy birth,
[p]But kill'st the mother that engender'd
thee!
Tintinius : What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?
Messala : Seek him, Tintinius, whilst I go to meet
[p]The noble Brutus,
thrusting this report
[p]Into his ears; I may say, thrusting
it;
[p]For piercing steel and darts envenomed
[p]Shall be as welcome
to the ears of Brutus
[p]As tidings of this sight.
Tintinius : Hie you, Messala,
[p]And I will seek for Pindarus the while.
[p][Exit
MESSALA]
[p]Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
[p]Did I not
meet thy friends? and did not they
[p]Put on my brows this wreath of
victory,
[p]And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their
shouts?
[p]Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing!
[p]But, hold
thee, take this garland on thy brow;
[p]Thy Brutus bid me give it
thee, and I
[p]Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,
[p]And see how
I regarded Caius Cassius.
[p]By your leave, gods:--this is a Roman's
part
[p]Come, Cassius' sword, and find Tintinius' heart.
[p][Kills
himself]
[p][Alarum. Re-enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, CATO,]
[p]STRATO,
VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS
Brutus : Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
Messala : Lo, yonder, and Tintinius mourning it.
Brutus : Tintinius' face is upward.
Young Cato : He is slain.
Brutus : O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
[p]Thy spirit walks abroad and
turns our swords
[p]In our own proper entrails.
Young Cato : Brave Tintinius!
[p]Look, whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!
Brutus : Are yet two Romans living such as these?
[p]The last of all the
Romans, fare thee well!
[p]It is impossible that ever Rome
[p]Should
breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears
[p]To this dead man than
you shall see me pay.
[p]I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find
time.
[p]Come, therefore, and to Thasos send his body:
[p]His funerals
shall not be in our camp,
[p]Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius,
come;
[p]And come, young Cato; let us to the field.
[p]Labeo and
Flavius, set our battles on:
[p]'Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet
ere night
[p]We shall try fortune in a second fight.
Previous: Act 5 - Scene 2
Next: Act 5 - Scene 4
