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Julius Caesar

Act I, Scene 3

The same. A street.
 
[Thunder and lightning. Enter from opposite sides, CASCA, with his sword drawn, and CICERO]
 
CICERO
            ,      ,         ,           ,        ,
      Good ev|en, Cas|ca: brought | you Cae|sar home?
       ,               ,          ,          ,          ,
      Why are | you breath|less, and | why stare | you so?
 
CASCA
           ,          ,           ,          ,         ,
      Are not | you moved,| when all | the sway | of earth
        ,                ,         ,       ,    ,
      Shakes, like | a thing | unfirm?| O Cic|ero,
                 ,   ,           ,          ,         ,
      I have / seen temp|ests, when | the scold|ing winds
             ,           ,       ,        ,          ,
      Have rived | the knot|ty oaks,| and I | have seen
         2   ,       ,        ,           ,          ,
      The ambi|tious o|cean swell,| and rage,| and foam,
          ,      ,       ,          ,      2      ,
      To be | exalt|ed with | the threat|ening clouds:
           ,       ,        ,      ,            ,
      But nev|er till | tonight,| never | till now,
          ,         ,          ,        ,         ,
      Did I | go through | a temp|est drop|ping fire.
       ,         ,           ,        ,           x
      Either | there is | a civ|il strife | in heaven,
           ,          ,          ,       ,          ,
      Or else | the world,| too sau|cy with | the gods,
         ,        ,         ,         ,
      Incens|es them | to send | destruc|tion.
 
CICERO
      <- ,      ,        ,     T     T   T      ,
        Why,|| saw you | any|thing more wond|erful?
 
CASCA
         ,        ,           ,          ,         ,
      A com|mon slave,| you know | him well | by sight,
            ,         ,      ,                 ,           ,
      Held^up | his left | hand, which | did flame | and burn
             ,      ,          ,          ,          ,
      Like twen|ty torch|es joined;| and yet | his hand,
           ,     ,         ,         ,           ,
      Not sens|ible | of fire,| remained | unscorched.
          ,         ,          ,          ,        ,
      Besides,| I have | not since | put up | my sword,
          ,          ,    ,       ,        x
      Against | the cap|itol | I met | a lion,
             ,       ,         ,          ,      ,
      Who glazed | upon | me, and | went sur|ly by,
           ,       ,       ,         ,            ,
      Without | annoy|ing me.| and there | were drawn
        ,        ,       ,         ,        x
      Upon | a heap,| a hund|red ghast|ly women,
              ,       ,            ,          ,           ,
      Trans^form|ed with | their fear,| who swore,| they saw
       T    T   .   T          ,         ,           ,
      Men, all in fire,| walk^up | and down | the streets.
            ,     ,          ,         ,          ,
      And yest|erday,| the bird | of night | did sit,
        T   .   T   T      ,         ,        ,
      Eene at noon-day,| upon | the mark|et-place,
        ,             ,           ,            ,     ,
      Hooting,| and shriek|ing. When | these prod|igies
          ,        ,        ,         ,         ,
      Do so | conjoint|ly meet,| let^not | men say,
        ,                ,          ,         ,    ,
      These are | their reas|ons, they | are na|tural:
          ,       ,           ,        ,          ,
      For I | believe,| they are | porten|tous things
         ,         ,         ,           ,       ,
      Unto | the clim|ate, that | they point | upon.
 
CICERO
          ,        ,        ,         ,       ,
      Indeed,| it is | a strange-|dispos|ed time:
           ,       2     ,        ,    ,              ,
      But men | may construe | things aft/er their | fashion,
        ,               ,        ,          ,            ,
      Clean from | the pur|pose of | the things | themselves.
        ,   ,                ,    ,       ,       2->
      Come Cae/sar to | the Cap|itol | tomor||row?
 
CASCA
           ,         ,        ,       ,   ,
      He doth:| for he | did bid | Anton|ius
             ,        ,         ,          ,        ,       2->
      Send^word | to you,| he would | be there | tomor||row.
 
CICERO
             ,            ,
      Good night | then, Cas|ca:  \\
        ,       ,        ,        ,         ,
      This dis|turbed | sky is | not to | walk in.
 
CASCA
            ,     ,
      Farewell | Cicero.  \\
 
[Exit CICERO. Enter CASSIUS]
 
CASSIUS
              ,
      Who's there?
 
CASCA
                      ,
                   A Rom|an.
 
CASSIUS
                              ,      ,          ,
                             Cas|ca by | your voice.
 
CASCA
            ,         ,
      Your ear | is good.
                            ,               ,          ,
                           Cassius,| what night | is this?
 
CASSIUS
         ,      ,         ,         ,       ,
      A ve|ry pleas|ing night | to hon|est men.
 
CASCA
          ,       ,         ,        ,       ,
      Who ev|er knew | the heav|ens men|ace so?
 
CASSIUS
        ,                 ,           ,          ,          ,
      Those that | have known | the earth | so full | of faults.
           ,     ,               ,        ,           ,
      For my | part, I | have walked | about | the streets,
          ,        ,      ,         x         ,
      Submit|ting me | unto | the peril|ous night;
            ,        ,       ,       ,        ,
      And thus | unbrac|ed, Cas|ca, as | you see,
             ,         ,      ,         ,        ,
      Have bared | my bos|om to | the thund|er-stone:
       ,      2        T     T    T           ,         x
      And when the | cross blue light|ning seemed | to open
             ,           x        ,         ,        ,
      The breast | of heaven,| I did | present | myself
      ,        2     ,         ,      ,         ,
      Even | in the aim | and ve|ry flash | of it.
 
CASCA
            ,         ,         ,          ,            x
      But where|fore did | you so | much tempt | the heavens?
       ,   2        ,        ,          ,          ,     
      It is the | part of | men, to | fear and | tremble,
                   ,    ,       ,        ,        ,
      When the / most migh|ty gods,| by tok|ens send
             ,        ,         ,     ,        ,
      Such dread|ful her|alds, to | aston|ish us.
 
CASSIUS
                  ,    ,
      You are / dull, Cas|ca:   \\
         2         ,          ,            ,      ,   2     ,
      And those sparks | of life,| that should | be in a | Roman,
       T   T   T         ,     T   T   T
      You do want,| or else | you use not.
       T    T    T          ,         ,         ,
      You look pale,| and gaze,| and put | on fear,
            ,         ,          ,
      And cast | yourself | in wond|er,   \\
          ,           ,         ,         ,          x
      To see | the strange | impa|tience of | the heavens:
           ,         ,         ,             ,    ,
      But if | you would | consid|er the / true cause,
           ,            ,          ,           ,          ,
      Why all | these fires,| why all | these glid|ing ghosts,
            ,            ,           ,     ,         ,
      Why birds | and beasts,| from qual|ity | and kind,
           ,           ,          ,        ,      ,
      Why old | men* fool,| and child|ren cal|culate,
           ,             ,        ,                 ,     ,
      Why all | these things | change from | their ord|inance,
             ,              ,  ,       ,      ,
      Their na|tures and / preform|ed fac|ulties,
          ,          ,     ,        ,            ,
      To monst|rous qual|ity;| why you | shall find,
            ,        ,        ,            ,             x
      That heav|en hath | infused | them with | these spirits,
           ,          ,       ,          ,         ,       ->
      To make | them inst|ruments | of fear,| and warn||ing,
       ,      ,     ,           ___    oo
      Un|to some | monstrous | state.|
            ,         ,        ,         ,       ,
      Now could | I (Cas|ca) name | to thee | a man,
        T    T    T      ,         ___    oo
      Most like this | dreadful | night,|
             ,          ,        ,         ,           ,
      That thund|ers, light|ens, op|ens graves,| and roars,
           ,         ,     ,        ,    ,
      As doth | the li|on in | the cap|itol:
         ,         ,    2    ,         ,        ,
      A man | no might|ier than | thyself,| or me,
          ,    2    ,        ,        ,   2     ,
      In pers|onal ac|tion; yet | prodig|ious grown,
            ,        ,            ,        ,         ,
      And fear|ful, as | these strange | erup|tions are.
 
CASCA
            ,        ,          ,
      'Tis Cae|sar that | you mean:
                                      2    ,     ,
                                    Is it not,| Cassius?
 
CASSIUS
       ,        ,           ,        ,       ,
      Let it | be who | it is:| for Rom|ans now
             ,           ,       ,              ,  ,
      Have thews,| and limbs,| like to | their an|cestors;
           ,          ,          ,          ,           ,
      But woe | the while,| our fath|ers' minds | are dead,
           ,        ,          ,         ,           x
      And we | are gov|erned with | our moth|ers' spirits,
            ,         ,     2       ,        ,     ,
      Our yoke,| and suf|ferance, show | us wom|anish.
 
CASCA
          ,          ,         ,     ,       ,      2->
      Indeed,| they say,| the sen|ators | tomor||row
        ,      2   ,        ,       ,       ,
      Mean | to estab|lish Cae|sar as | a king:
           ,           ,          ,         ,          ,
      And he | shall wear | his crown | by sea,| and land,
         ,        ,            ,       ,    ,
      In ev|ery place,| save^here | in It|aly.
 
CASSIUS
          ,          ,          ,          ,        ,
      I know | where I | will wear | this dag|ger then;
       ,          ,   ,           2    ,       ,
      Cassius | from bond/age will de|liver | Cassius:
            ,        ,          ,     .    T    T     T
      Therein,| ye gods,| you make | the weak most strong;
            ,        ,         ,        ,       ,
      Therein,| ye gods,| you tyr|ants do | defeat.
           ,       ,           ,         ,        ,
      Nor sto|ny tower,| nor walls | of beat|en brass,
           ,        ,                 ,     ,          ,
      Nor air|less dun|geon, nor / strong links | of iron,
           ,      ,        ,           ,            x
      Can be | retent|ive to | the strength | of spirit:
            ,      2    ,      ,           ,        ,
      But life | being wea|ry of | these world|ly bars,
       ,        ,    ,               ,        ,
      Never | lacks pow/er to | dismiss | itself.
         ,          ,          ,          ,         ,
      If I | know this,| know all | the world | besides,
             ,        ,     ,        ,        ,
      That part | of tyr|anny | that I | do bear,
         ,           ,         ,
      I can | shake^off | at pleas|ure.
 
[Thunder still]
 
CASCA
                                        ,       ,
                                       So | can I:
         ,        ,                 ,    ,    ,
      So ev|ery bond|man in his // own hand bears
            x         ,       ,        ,    ,
      The power | to can|cel his | captiv|ity.
 
CASSIUS
           ,            ,       ,      ,        ,
      And why | should Cae|sar be | a tyr|ant then?
        T   T   T     ,    2         ,           ,
      Poor man, I | know he would | not be | a wolf,
            ,         ,         ,       ,          ,
      But that | he sees | the Rom|ans are | but sheep:
           ,        ,             ,   ,        ,
      He were | no li|on, were / not Rom|ans hinds.
        ,                 ,            ,        ,       ,
      Those that | with haste | will make | a migh|ty fire,
         ,                ,     ,            ,          ,
      Begin | it with / weak straws.| What trash | is Rome?
            ,                ,   ,        ,          ,
      What rub|bish, and / what of|fal? When | it serves
                  ,   ,       ,      ,     ,
      For the / base mat|ter to | illum|inate
           ,        ,         ,        ,         ,
      So vile | a thing | as Cae|sar. But | oh grief,
              ,          ,        ,       ,       ,
      Where hast | thou led | me? I |(perhaps)| speak this
          ,       ,         ,         ,        ,
      Before | a wil|ling bond|man: then | I know
          ,        ,         ,        ,        ,
      My ans|wer must | be made.| But I | am armed,
           ,        ,        ,      ,      ,
      And dang|ers are | to me | indif|ferent.
 
CASCA
            ,         ,       ,         ,       ,
      You speak | to Cas|ca, and | to such | a man,
        ,    2       ,          T    T     T         ,
      That is no | fleering | tell-tale. Hold,| my hand:
          ,         ,        ,         ,             ,
      Be fac|tious for | redress | of all | these griefs,
          ,         ,           ,         ,        ,
      And I | will set | this foot | of mine | as far,
          ,           ,
      As who | goes farth|est.
 
CASSIUS
                                 ,         ,         ,
                              There's | a bar|gain made.
       T    T   T     ,       2       ,        ,     2->
      Now know you,| Casca,| I have moved | alrea||dy
            ,        ,        ,        ,       ,      2->
      Some cert|ain of | the nob|lest-mind|ed Rom||ans
          ,     ,         ,       ,      ,
      To und|ergo,| with me,| an ent|erprise,
          ,    ,      ,     2    ,       ,
      Of hon|ora|ble-dang|erous cons|equence;
          ,        ,         ,           ,         ,
      And I | do know | by this,| they stay | for me
          ,          ,          ,           ,        ,
      In Pom|pey's porch:| for now | this fear|ful night,
             ,        ,        ,        ,          ,
      There is | no stir,| or walk|ing in | the streets;
       ,            ,        ,        ,    ,
      And the | comple|xion of | the el|ement
          ,          ,          ,         ,         ,
      In fav|or's, like | the work | we have | in hand,
             ,       ,              ,   ,     ,
      Most bloo|dy, fie|ry, and / most ter|rible.
 
CASCA
        T     T   .  T           ,           ,         ,
      Stand close awhile,| for here | comes^one | in haste.
 
CASSIUS
            ,      ,        ,         ,         ,
      'Tis Cin|na, I | do know | him by | his gait,
          ,        ,      ,               ,          ,
      He is | a friend.| Cinna,| where* haste | you so?
 
[Enter CINNA]
 
CINNA
           ,         ,            ,      ,       ,       ->
      To find | out you:| Who's that, Metel|lus Cim||ber?
 
CASSIUS
       ,     2    ,       ,       ,      ,
      No,| it is Cas|ca, one | incor|porate
          ,         ,      ,  2         ,          ,
      To our | attempts.| Am I not | stayed for,| Cinna?
 
CINNA
       2     ,      2  
      I am glad | on it.
                          ,        ,        ,          ,
                        What | a fear|ful night | is this?
               ,         ,                     ,     ,       ,
      There's two | or three | of us have // seen strange sights.
 
CASSIUS
       ,  2         ,           ,
      Am I not | stayed for?| Tell me.
 
CINNA
       ,          ,        ,
      Yes, you | are. O | Cassius,  (tri with prev)
       ,         ,          ,         ,       ,
      If you | could but | win the | noble | Brutus
       ,        ,
      To our | party--  \\
 
CASSIUS
       ,    2      ,           ,        ,          ,
      Be you con|tent. Good*| Cinna,| take this | paper,
            ,         ,        ,         ,          ,
      And look | you lay | it in | the praet|or's chair,
             ,       ,          ,                ,     ,
      Where Brut|us may | but find | it: and / throw this
       ,           ,        ,          ,         ,
      In at | his wind|ow; set | this up | with wax
        ,         ,        ,        ,           ,
      Upon | old^Brut|us' sta|tue: all | this done,
          ,        ,          ,            ,              x
      Repair | to Pom|pey's porch,| where you | shall find us.
          ,       ,       ,        ,   2    ,
      Is De|cius Brut|us and | Trebon|ius there?
 
CINNA
       ,            ,       ,               ,    ,
      All, but | Metel|lus Cim|ber, and / he's gone
           ,         ,          ,       ,    2        ,
      To seek | you at | your house.| Well, I will | hie,
      <-        ,      ,           ,        ,         ,
        And || so be|stow these | papers | as you | bade me.
 
CASSIUS
        T    T    .  T        ,         ,    ,
      That done, repair | to Pom|pey's the|ater.
 
[Exit CINNA]
        ,   ,                ,         ,          ,
      Come Cas/ca, you | and I | will yet,| ere* day,
           ,       ,         ,       ,     ,
      See Brut|us at | his house:| three parts / of him
           ,       ,       ,         ,        ,
      Is ours | alrea|dy, and | the man | entire
        ,          ,        ,          ,           ,
      Upon | the next | encount|er, yields | him ours.
 
CASCA
      ,         ,    ,                  ,           ,
      O, he | sits high / in all | the peo|ple's hearts:
            ,            ,         ,        ,         ,
      And that | which would | appear | offense | in us,
            ,      ,           ,        ,     ,
      His count|enance,| like rich|est al|chemy,
              ,         ,        ,        ,       ,
      Will change | to vir|tue, and | to worth|iness.
 
CASSIUS
       ,               ,                 ,     ,        ,
      Him, and | his worth,| and our / great need | of him,
                   ,     ,        ,        ,        ,
      You have / right well | conceit|ed: Let | us go,
           ,       ,      ,                ,   ,
      For it | is aft|er mid|night, and / ere day,
       ,           ,          ,         ,        ,
      We will | awake | him, and | be sure | of him.
 
[Exeunt]

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