Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Burton Raffel (1928–2015) was Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities emeritus and professor of English emeritus at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Among his many edited and translated publications are Poems and Prose from the Old English, Cligès, Lancelot, Perceval, Erec and Enide, and Yvain. Harold Bloom (1930–2019) was Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University and Berg Professor of English at New York University. His many books include The Western Canon, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, and Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds.

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Julius Caesar

Yale University Press

Contents

About This Book................................................ixIntroduction...................................................xviiSome Essentials of the Shakespearean Stage.....................xxixJulius Caesar..................................................1An Essay by Harold Bloom.......................................145Further Reading................................................151Finding List...................................................157

Chapter One

Julius Caesar Marcus Brutus Caius Cassius (Brutus'brother-in-law) Casca Octavius Caesar (great-nephew of Julius Caesar) Mark Antony Lepidus Cicero, Publius, Popilius Lena (senators) Marullus, Flavius (tribunes) Cinna, Caius Ligarius, Metellus Cimber, Decius Brutus, Trebonius (conspirators) Calphurnia (Caesar's wife) Portia (Brutus'wife) Lucius (Brutus'personal servant) Titinius (Caesar's personal servant) Lucilius, Pindarus, Messala, Young Cato, Strato (officers in army of Brutus and Cassius) Varro,Claudio,Clitus,Dardanius,Volumnius (soldiers in army of Brutus and Cassius), Artemidorus, Carpenter, Cobbler, Soothsayer, Cinna (a poet - neither a conspirator nor a lucky man),and another Poet (Marcus Favonius,though not named in the text)

Servants, Messengers, Plebeians Caesar's Ghost

Act 1

SCENE 1 Rome, a street

Enter Flavius, Marullus, and Commoners

Flavius Hence! Home, you idle creatures, get you home. Is this a holiday? What, know you not (Being mechanical) you ought not walk Upon a laboring day without the sign Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou? 5

Commoner 1 Why sir, a carpenter.

Marullus Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? What dost thou with thy best apparel on? You sir, what trade are you?

Commoner 2 Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but 10 - as you would say - a cobbler.

Marullus But what trade art thou? Answer me directly.

Commoner 2 A trade sir, that I hope I may use with a safe conscience, which is indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.

Flavius What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, 15 what trade?

Commoner 2 Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me. Yet, if you be out, sir, I can mend you.

Marullus What meanest thou by that? Mend me, thou saucy 20 fellow?

Commoner 2 Why sir, cobble you.

Flavius Thou art a cobbler, art thou?

Commoner 2 Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl. I meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's matters, but with awl I am indeed, sir, a surgeon to old shoes. 25 When they are in great danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.

Flavius But wherefore art not in thy shop today? Why dost thou lead these men about the streets? 30

Commoner 2 Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself into more work. But indeed, sir, we make holiday, to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph.

Marullus Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

What tributaries follow him to Rome, 35 To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels? You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things! O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome, Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft Have you climbed up to walls and battlements, 40 To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops, Your infants in your arms, and there have sat The livelong day, with patient expectation, To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome.

And when you saw his chariot but appear, 45 Have you not made an universal shout, That Tiber trembled underneath her banks To hear the replication of your sounds Made in her concave shores? And do you now put on your best attire? 50 And do you now cull out a holiday? And do you now strew flowers in his way, That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone! Run to your houses, fall upon your knees, 55 Pray to the gods to intermit the plague That needs must light on this ingratitude.

Flavius Go, go, good countrymen, and for this fault Assemble all the poor men of your sort. Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears 60 Into the channel, till the lowest stream Do kiss the most exalted shores of all. See whe'r their basest mettle be not moved. They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. Go you down that way towards the Capitol, 65 This way will I. Disrobe the images, If you do find them decked with ceremonies.

Marullus May we do so? You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

Flavius It is no matter, let no images 70 Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about, And drive away the vulgar from the streets. So do you too, where you perceive them thick. These growing feathers plucked from Caesar's wing Will make him fly an ordinary pitch, 75 Who else would soar above the view of men And keep us all in servile fearfulness. EXEUNT

SCENE 2 A public place

FLOURISH

ENTER Caesar, Antony (STRIPPED DOWN FOR MAKING THE RELIGIOUS RUN), Calphurnia, Portia, Decius Brutus, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, and Casca, a crowd and a Soothsayer following

Caesar Calphurnia!

Casca Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.

Caesar Calphurnia!

Calphurnia Here my lord.

Caesar Stand you directly in Antonio's way,

When he doth run his course. Antonio!

Antony Caesar, my lord? 5

Caesar Forget not in your speed, Antonio, To touch Calphurnia. For our elders say The barren, touchd in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile curse.

Antony I shall remember:

When Caesar says "Do this," it is performed. 10

Caesar Set on, and leave no ceremony out.

Soothsayer Caesar!

Caesar Ha? Who calls?

Casca Bid every noise be still! Peace yet again!

Caesar Who is it in the press that calls on me? 15 I hear a tongue shriller than all the music Cry "Caesar!" Speak. Caesar is turned to hear.

Soothsayer Beware the Ides of March.

Caesar What man is that?

Brutus A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.

Caesar Set him before me, let me see his face. 20

Cassius Fellow, come from the throng, look upon Caesar.

Caesar What say'st thou to me now? Speak once again.

Soothsayer Beware the Ides of March.

Caesar He is a dreamer, let us leave him. Pass.

FLOURISH

EXEUNT ALL EXCEPT Brutus and Cassius

Cassius Will you go see the order of the course? 25

Brutus Not I.

Cassius I pray you, do.

Brutus I am not gamesome. I do lack some part Of that quick spirit that is in Antony. Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires. 30 I'll leave you.

Cassius Brutus, I do observe you now of late. I have not from your eyes that gentleness And show of love as I was wont to have.

You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand 35 Over your friend that loves you.

Brutus Cassius, Be not deceived. If I have veiled my look, I turn the trouble of my countenance Merely upon myself. Vexed I am

Of late with passions of some difference, 40 Conceptions only proper to myself, Which give some soil (perhaps) to my behaviors. But let not therefore my good friends be grieved - Among which number, Cassius, be you one - Nor construe any further my neglect 45 Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war, Forgets the shows of love to other men.

Cassius Then Brutus, I have much mistook your passion, By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations. Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face? 50

Brutus No, Cassius. For the eye sees not itself But by reflection, by some other things.

Cassius 'Tis just, And it is very much lamented, Brutus, 55 That you have no such mirrors as will turn Your hidden worthiness into your eye, That you might see your shadow. I have heard, Where many of the best respect in Rome (Except immortal Caesar), speaking of Brutus 60 And groaning underneath this age's yoke, Have wished that noble Brutus had his eyes.

Brutus Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, That you would have me seek into myself For that which is not in me? 65

Cassius Therefore good Brutus, be prepared to hear; And since you know you cannot see yourself So well as by reflection, I, your glass, Will modestly discover to yourself That of yourself which you yet know not of. 70 And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus, Were I a common laughter, or did use To stale with ordinary oaths my love To every new protester. If you know That I do fawn on men and hug them hard 75 And after scandal them, or if you know That I profess myself in banqueting To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

FLOURISH, AND SHOUT

Brutus What means this shouting? I do fear the people Choose Caesar for their king.

Cassius Ay, do you fear it? 80 Then must I think you would not have it so.

Brutus I would not, Cassius, yet I love him well. But wherefore do you hold me here so long? What is it that you would impart to me? If it be aught toward the general good, 85 Set honor in one eye, and death i'the other, And I will look on both indifferently. For let the gods so speed me as I love The name of honor more than I fear death.

Cassius I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus, 90 As well as I do know your outward favor. Well, honor is the subject of my story. I cannot tell what you and other men Think of this life. But for my single self, 95 I had as lief not be as live to be In awe of such a thing as I myself. I was born free as Caesar, so were you. We both have fed as well, and we can both Endure the winter's cold as well as he. For once, upon a raw and gusty day, 100 The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores, Caesar said to me, "Dar'st thou, Cassius, now Leap in with me into this angry flood, And swim to yonder point? "Upon the word, Accoutred as I was, I plungd in 105 And bade him follow. So indeed he did. The torrent roared, and we did buffet it With lusty sinews, throwing it aside And stemming it with hearts of controversy. But ere we could arrive the point proposed, 110 Caesar cried, "Help me, Cassius, or I sink!" I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor, Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder 115 The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber Did I the tired Caesar. And this man Is now become a god, and Cassius is A wretched creature and must bend his body If Caesar carelessly but nod on him. He had a fever when he was in Spain, And when the fit was on him I did mark 120 How he did shake. 'Tis true, this god did shake, His coward lips did from their color fly, And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world Did lose his luster. I did hear him groan. Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans 125 Mark him, and write his speeches in their books, Alas, it cried, "Give me some drink, Titinius," As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me A man of such a feeble temper should So get the start of the majestic world And bear the palm alone.

SHOUT. FLOURISH

Brutus Another general shout? I do believe that these applauses are For some new honors that are heaped on Caesar.

Cassius Why man, he doth bestride the narrow world 135 Like a colossus, and we petty men Walk under his huge legs and peep about To find ourselves dishonorable graves. Men at some time are masters of their fates. The fault (dear Brutus) is not in our stars, 140 But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that "Caesar"? Why should that name be sounded more than yours? Write them together, yours is as fair a name. Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well. 145 Weigh them, it is as heavy. Conjure with 'em, Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar. Now in the names of all the gods at once, Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed, That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed! 150 Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods! When went there by an age, since the great flood, But it was famed with more than with one man? When could they say (till now), that talked of Rome, That her wide walks encompassed but one man? 155 Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough, When there is in it but one only man. O! You and I have heard our fathers say There was a Brutus once that would have brooked Th'eternal Divel to keep his state in Rome 160 As easily as a king.

Brutus That you do love me, I am nothing jealous. What you would work me to, I have some aim. How I have thought of this, and of these times, I shall recount hereafter. For this present, I would not so (with love I might entreat you) 165 Be any further moved. What you have said I will consider. What you have to say I will with patience hear, and find a time Both meet to hear and answer such high things. 170 Till then, my noble friend, chew upon this. Brutus had rather be a villager Than to repute himself a son of Rome Under these hard conditions as this time Is like to lay upon us. 175

Cassius I am glad that my weak words Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus. enter Caesar and his followers

Brutus The games are done and Caesar is returning.

Cassius As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve, And he will (after his sour fashion) tell you 180 What hath proceeded worthy note today.

Brutus I will do so. But look you, Cassius, The angry spot doth glow on Caesar's brow, And all the rest look like a chidden train. Calphurnia's cheek is pale, and Cicero 185 Looks with such ferret and such fiery eyes As we have seen him in the Capitol, Being crossed in conference by some senators.

Cassius Casca will tell us what the matter is.

Cassius and Brutus stand aside

Caesar Antonio.

Antony Caesar? 190

Caesar Let me have men about me that are fat, Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o'nights. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look, He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous. 195

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Julius Caesarby William Shakespeare Copyright © 2006 by Burton Raffel. Excerpted by permission.
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