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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...