[Before the Capitol. Enter Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Casca, Decius, Metellus Cimber, Trebonius, Cinna, Antony, Lepidus, Popilius, Publius, and others.]
CAESAR:
The ides of March are come.
Translation:
The Ides of March (March 15th) have arrived.
SOOTHSAYER:
Ay, Caesar; but not gone.
Translation:
Yes, Caesar—but they haven’t passed yet.
[Enter Artemidorus with his letter]
ARTEMIDORUS:
Hail, Caesar! Read this schedule.
Translation:
Greetings, Caesar! Please read this paper (letter).
DECIUS:
Trebonius doth desire you to o’erread,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit.
Translation:
Trebonius wants you to read his humble request when you have time.
CAESAR:
What touches us ourself shall be last served.
Translation:
Anything that concerns me personally will be read last.
Word Meanings:
- Schedule: Letter or document
- Suit: Petition or request
- Touches us ourself: Concerns me directly
[Pushes Artemidorus aside. Enter Popilius Lena.]
POPILIUS:
I wish your enterprise today may thrive.
Translation:
I hope your secret plan goes well today.
BRUTUS (nervously):
What enterprise, Popilius?
Translation:
What plan are you talking about?
POPILIUS (walking away):
Fare you well.
Translation:
Goodbye.
CASSIUS (to Brutus, worried):
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.
Translation:
Brutus, what do we do now? If our conspiracy is discovered, either Caesar or I will not return alive—because I’ll kill myself.
BRUTUS:
Cassius, be constant.
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;
For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.
Translation:
Stay calm, Cassius. Popilius isn’t talking about our plan—look, he’s smiling and Caesar doesn’t look suspicious.
[Trebonius draws Antony aside. Metellus Cimber steps forward.]
METELLUS:
Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart.
Translation:
Most powerful Caesar, I bow before you with deep humility.
CAESAR:
I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and lowly courtesies
Might fire the blood of ordinary men…
But I am constant as the northern star.
Translation:
Stop, Cimber. These bows and flatteries might affect ordinary men. But I am as unchanging as the North Star.
Word Meanings:
- Couchings / Courtesies: Bowing and respectful behavior
- Puissant: Powerful
- Constant: Unchanging, firm
CAESAR (continues):
Let me know your petition.
METELLUS:
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?
Translation:
Isn’t there anyone more persuasive than me who can ask you to recall my banished brother?
BRUTUS:
I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar—
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.
Translation:
I respectfully kiss your hand, Caesar—not to flatter you, but to ask you to pardon Publius Cimber immediately.
CASSIUS:
Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon.
Translation:
Forgive him, Caesar—please.
CAESAR:
I could be well moved, if I were as you;
But I am constant as the northern star…
Know: Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.
Translation:
I might be moved by pity—if I were like you. But I’m like the northern star—steady and unchanging. Caesar doesn’t do wrong, and he won’t be convinced without a valid reason.
CASCA (to the conspirators):
Speak, hands, for me!
[He stabs Caesar first.]
Translation:
Let my hands speak for me!
(He begins the assassination.)
[They all stab Caesar.]
CAESAR:
Et tu, Brute?—Then fall, Caesar.
Translation:
You too, Brutus? Then let me die.
[Dies. All the conspirators gather around.]
[Caesar has just died. The conspirators gather around his body.]
CINNA:
Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.
Translation:
Freedom! We are free! The tyrant is dead!
Go—spread the news through the streets!
CASSIUS:
Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
“Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!”
Translation:
Go to public platforms and shout,
“Freedom and equal rights for all!”
BRUTUS (calmly):
People and senators, be not affrighted;
Fly not; stand still: ambition’s debt is paid.
Translation:
People, senators—don’t be afraid.
Don’t run—stand still. Ambition has been punished.
Word Meanings:
- Pulpits: Raised platforms for speeches
- Affrighted: Scared
- Ambition’s debt: The price of Caesar’s ambition
[Enter Mark Antony’s servant.]
SERVANT:
Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel.
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down,
And being prostrate, thus he bade me say:
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest…
My master bade me kneel to you in courtesy,
And say he shall not blame your wisdoms…
But beg a word with you…
Translation:
Brutus, Antony sent me to kneel before you,
To say that he respects you—he believes you are noble and wise.
He won’t blame you, but he asks to speak with you personally,
If it is safe for him to come.
BRUTUS:
Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman.
I know that we shall have him well to friend.
Translation:
Your master is a brave and wise Roman.
I’m sure he’ll be our ally.
CASSIUS (suspicious):
I wish we may. But yet have I a mind
That fears him much.
Translation:
I hope so too. But I still feel uneasy about him.
[Enter Mark Antony.]
ANTONY:
O mighty Caesar! Dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils,
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.
Translation:
Oh great Caesar! Have you fallen so low?
Have all your victories and glory come down to this?
Goodbye, my friend.
ANTONY (to the conspirators):
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar’s death’s hour; nor no instrument
Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
Translation:
If you plan to kill me too, there’s no better time than now,
And no better tools than the swords that killed Caesar.
BRUTUS (reassuring):
O Antony, beg not your death of us.
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel…
Our hearts, you see, have pity on Caesar.
Only his ambition made us rise against him.
Translation:
Antony, don’t ask us to kill you.
We may look cruel now, but our hearts still pitied Caesar.
It was only his ambition that forced us to act.
CASSIUS (adds):
Your voice shall be as strong as any man’s
In the disposing of new dignities.
Translation:
You’ll have just as much say as we do
When it comes to new positions of power.
ANTONY:
I do beseech you, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years,
I shall not find myself so apt to die.
Translation:
If you hate me, then while your hands are still bloody and smoking—kill me now.
I’ll never be more ready for death.
BRUTUS (nobly):
We’ll deliver you the reasons of our Caesar’s death:
Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar’s body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,
And say you do it by our permission.
Translation:
We’ll explain why Caesar had to die.
You may take his body for the funeral,
But you must not speak against us—only praise Caesar.
And say you speak with our permission.
ANTONY (aside, to audience):
O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth,
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers…
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war…
Translation:
Forgive me, Caesar’s body, for being kind to these murderers.
I swear I will cause chaos, war, and destruction across Rome.
[Scene ends with Antony preparing to give his famous funeral speech.]