Beware The Ides Of March!
Act 3. Scene I
Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above. A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish. Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others
CAESAR [To the Soothsayer] The ides of March are come.
SOOTHSAYER: Ay, Caesar; but not gone.
ARTEMIDORUS: Hail, Caesar! read this schedule.
DECIUS BRUTUS: Trebonius doth desire you to o’erread, At your best leisure, this his humble suit.
ARTEMIDORUS: O Caesar, read mine first; for mine’s a suit That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar.
CAESAR: What touches us ourself shall be last served.
ARTEMIDORUS: Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.
CAESAR: What, is the fellow mad?
PUBLIUS: Sirrah, give place.
CASSIUS: What, urge you your petitions in the street? Come to the Capitol.
CAESAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest following
POPILIUS: I wish your enterprise to-day may thrive.
CASSIUS: What enterprise, Popilius?
POPILIUS: Fare you well.
Advances to CAESAR
BRUTUS: What said Popilius Lena?
CASSIUS: He wish’d to-day our enterprise might thrive. I fear our purpose is discovered.
BRUTUS: Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him.
CASSIUS: Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention. Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back, For I will slay myself.
BRUTUS: Cassius, be constant:
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes; For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.
CASSIUS: Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus. He draws Mark Antony out of the way.
Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS
DECIUS BRUTUS: Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go, And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.
BRUTUS: He is address’d: press near and second him.
CINNA: Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.
CAESAR: Are we all ready? What is now amiss That Caesar and his senate must redress?
METELLUS CIMBER: Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart,—
Kneeling
CAESAR: I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies Might fire the blood of ordinary men, And turn pre-ordinance and first decree Into the law of children. Be not fond, To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood That will be thaw’d from the true quality With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words, Low-crooked court’sies and base spaniel-fawning. Thy brother by decree is banished: If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, I spurn thee like a cur out of my way. Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause Will he be satisfied.
METELLUS CIMBER: Is there no voice more worthy than my own To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear For the repealing of my banish’d brother?
BRUTUS: I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar; Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
CAESAR: What, Brutus!
CASSIUS: Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:as low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall, To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.
CASSIUS: I could be well moved, if I were as you: If I could pray to move, prayers would move me: But I am constant as the northern star, Of whose true-fix’d and resting quality There is no fellow in the firmament. The skies are painted with unnumber’d sparks, They are all fire and every one doth shine, But there’s but one in all doth hold his place: So in the world; ’tis furnish’d well with men, And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive; Yet in the number I do know but one That unassailable holds on his rank, Unshaked of motion: and that I am he, Let me a little show it, even in this; That I was constant Cimber should be banish’d, And constant do remain to keep him so.
CINNA: O Caesar,—
CAESAR: Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?
DECIUS BRUTUS: Great Caesar,—
CAESAR: Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?
CASCA: Speak, hands for me!
CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and BRUTUS stab CAESAR
CAESAR: Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar.
Dies
CINNA: Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
CASSIUS: Some to the common pulpits, and cry out ’Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!’
BRUTUS: People and senators, be not affrighted; Fly not; stand stiff: ambition’s debt is paid.
From William Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR. (The Ides Of
March Occur on March 15...)