SCENE 1: ROME. BRUTUS'S ORCHARD.

[Enter BRUTUS]

BRUTUS

What, Lucius, ho!

Hey, Lucius, come here!

I cannot, by the progress of the stars,

I cannot tell, by looking at the stars,

Give guess how near to day. Lucius, I say!

How close it is to daybreak. Lucius!

I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.

I wish I had the problem of such sound sleep.

When, Lucius, when? Awake, I say! What, Lucius!

Where are you, Lucius? Wake up, Lucius, wake!

[Enter LUCIUS]

LUCIUS

Called you, my lord?

Did you call for me, my lord?

BRUTUS

Get me a taper in my study, Lucius:

Go put a candle in my study, Lucius.

When it is lighted, come and call me here.

When it’s alight, come back and call for me.

LUCIUS

I will, my lord.

[Exit]

BRUTUS

It must be by his death: and for my part,

The only way’s to kill him; for my part

I know no personal cause to spurn at him,

I have no reason to lash out at him

But for the general. He would be crowned:

But for the greater good. He would be king:

How that might change his nature, there's the question.

And how would he behave then? That’s the question.

It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;

The snakes come out to bask when it is sunny

And that craves wary walking. Crown him?--that;--

And then we have to watch our step. Make him king?

And then, I grant, we put a sting in him,

If he is king, we’ll make him poisonous,

That at his will he may do danger with.

And he may choose to hurt us on a whim.

The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins

Authority can be abused when splitting

Remorse from power: and, to speak truth of Caesar,

Remorse from power. And, comparing Caesar,

I have not known when his affections swayed

I haven’t seen his firm opinions waver

More than his reason. But 'tis a common proof,

More than is reasonable. But it’s well known,

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,

Humility is used when climbing ladders

Whereto the climber-upward turns his face;

Of power, as the climber looks ahead;

But when he once attains the upmost round.

But when he’s scaled the highest rung of all,

He then unto the ladder turns his back,

He’ll turn his back on all the steps he’s climbed,

Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees

Then look ahead, belittling those below him

By which he did ascend. So Caesar may.

He used to reach the top. Caesar might do that.

Then, lest he may, prevent. And, since the quarrel

In case he does, he must be stopped. But since

Will bear no colour for the thing he is,

He’s not yet where we fear that he will get to,

Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented,

The logic’s this: extrapolating him,

Would run to these and these extremities:

He will become the thing that we all fear.

And therefore think him as a serpent's egg

And so, let’s think he’s like a serpent’s egg now,

Which, hatched, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,

That, when it’s hatched, will grow to someone dangerous,

And kill him in the shell.

And so we’ll kill him in the shell.

[Re-enter LUCIUS]

LUCIUS

The taper burneth in your closet, sir.

The candle’s burning in your office, sir.

Searching the window for a flint, I found

When searching by the window for a match,

This paper, thus sealed up; and, I am sure,

I found this sealed-up paper, and I’m sure

It did not lie there when I went to bed.

It wasn’t there before I went to bed.

[Gives him the letter]

BRUTUS

Get you to bed again; it is not day.

Go back to bed again. It’s not day yet.

Is not to-morrow, boy, the ides of March?

Am I correct, tomorrow’s March 15th?

LUCIUS

I know not, sir.

I don’t know, sir.

BRUTUS

Look in the calendar, and bring me word.

Go check the calendar, and let me know.

LUCIUS

I will, sir.

[Exit]

BRUTUS

The exhalations whizzing in the air

The meteors that whizz across the skies

Give so much light that I may read by them.

Are making so much light that I can read.

[Opens the letter and reads]

'Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake, and see thyself.

“Brutus, you’re sleeping. Wake and see yourself!

Shall Rome, etc. Speak, strike, redress!

Will Rome become…etc. Speak up, do something!

Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake!'

Brutus, you’re sleeping. Wake up!”

Such instigations have been often dropped

Notes similar to this have been positioned

Where I have took them up.

In places where I’ve found them.

'Shall Rome, etc.' Thus must I piece it out:

“Will Rome become…etc.” I’ll work this out:

Shall Rome stand under one man's awe? What, Rome?

Shall Rome be ruled by one man? What, our Rome?

My ancestors did from the streets of Rome

My ancestors drove out from Roman streets

The Tarquin drive, when he was called a king.

Tarquin the Proud when he was ordained king.

'Speak, strike, redress!' Am I entreated

“Speak up, do something!” Am I being implored

To speak and strike? O Rome, I make thee promise:

To fix this problem? Rome, I promise you,

If the redress will follow, thou receivest

If this will fix the faults, you will receive

Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus!

All that you ask for from the hand of Brutus!

[Re-enter LUCIUS]

LUCIUS

Sir, March is wasted fourteen days.

Sir, this is now the 15th day of March.

[Knocking within]

BRUTUS

'Tis good. Go to the gate; somebody knocks.

That’s good. Go to the gate; somebody’s knocking.

[Exit LUCIUS]

Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar,

Since Cassius sparked my worry about Caesar,

I have not slept.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing

Between the time of doing something awful

And the first motion, all the interim is

And getting started, all that time appears

Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream:

Like an hallucination or a nightmare.

The Genius and the mortal instruments

One’s personal intentions and fierce weapons

Are then in council; and the state of man,

Become aligned, and then the thoughts of man,

Like to a little kingdom, suffers then

Much like a civil war, get overwhelmed,

The nature of an insurrection.

Caused by an overactive mind.

[Re-enter LUCIUS]

LUCIUS

Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door,

Sir, it’s your brother Cassius at the door:

Who doth desire to see you.

He wants to see you.

BRUTUS

Is he alone?

Has he come alone?

LUCIUS

No, sir, there are moe with him.

No, sir. There are more with him.

BRUTUS

Do you know them?

LUCIUS

No, sir; their hats are plucked about their ears,

No, sir. Their hats are pulled around their ears;

And half their faces buried in their cloaks,

They’ve hidden half their faces in their cloaks

That by no means I may discover them

So there was no way to identify them

By any mark of favour.

By any of their features.

BRUTUS

Let 'em enter.

Let them enter.

[Exit LUCIUS]

They are the faction. O conspiracy,

They are the faction. Oh, conspiracy,

Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,

Are you ashamed to come in dangerous night

When evils are most free? O, then by day

When evil’s most about? And then, by day,

Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough

Where will you find a cave that’s dark enough

To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;

To hide your monstrous face? Don’t look for one.

Hide it in smiles and affability:

Go hide yourself in smiles and friendliness;

For if thou path, thy native semblance on,

For if you walk with your natural appearance,

Not Erebus itself were dim enough

The darkened underworld is dark enough

To hide thee from prevention.

To hide you well enough so you’re not spotted.

[Enter the conspirators, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, CINNA, METELLUS CIMBER, and TREBONIUS]

CASSIUS

I think we are too bold upon your rest:

I think we’re rude for coming whilst you’re sleeping.

Good morrow, Brutus; do we trouble you?

Good morning, Brutus. Are we troubling you?

BRUTUS

I have been up this hour, awake all night.

No, I was up. I’ve been awake all night.

Know I these men that come along with you?

Do I know all these men who’ve come with you?

CASSIUS

Yes, every man of them, and no man here

Yes, every one of them; and every one

But honours you; and every one doth wish

Admires you, and every one desires

You had but that opinion of yourself

That you think just as highly of yourself

Which every noble Roman bears of you.

As every noble Roman thinks of you.

This is Trebonius.

BRUTUS

He is welcome hither.

He’s welcome here.

CASSIUS

This, Decius Brutus.

This is Decius Brutus.

BRUTUS

He is welcome too.

Welcome, too.

CASSIUS

This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber.

Here’s Casca; Cinna; and Metellus Cimber.

BRUTUS

They are all welcome.

What watchful cares do interpose themselves

What worries do you have that keep you up

Betwixt your eyes and night?

At this late time of night?

CASSIUS

Shall I entreat a word?

Can I speak privately?

[BRUTUS and CASSIUS whisper]

DECIUS BRUTUS

Here lies the east: doth not the day break here?

This way is east. Is that the point of sunrise?

CASCA

No.

CINNA

O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon grey lines

I’m sorry, but it is. And those grey lines

That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

Across the clouds denote it’s nearly day.

CASCA

You shall confess that you are both deceived.

You’ll both admit that you have got it wrong.

Here, as I point my sword, the sun arises,

The sun comes up here, where I point my sword,

Which is a great way growing on the south,

Which is a lot more south from where you pointed,

Weighing the youthful season of the year.

Because we’re in the springtime of the year.

Some two months hence up higher toward the north

Two months from now, much further to the north

He first presents his fire; and the high east

The fiery sun will rise, and at due east

Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

Will stand, just by the Capitol right there.

BRUTUS

Give me your hands all over, one by one.

Shake hands with me again, one at a time.

CASSIUS

And let us swear our resolution.

And swear allegiance to our resolution.

BRUTUS

No, not an oath: if not the face of men,

No, not an oath. If not for fearful faces,

The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,--

The suffering of our souls, all this corruption—

If these be motives weak, break off betimes,

If these reasons are weak to you, stop now,

And every man hence to his idle bed;

And all go back to your own lazy beds.

So let high-sighted tyranny range on,

Let this pompous dictatorship continue

Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,

Till every man is slain at whim. But if

As I am sure they do, bear fire enough

These reasons—I am sure—are bad enough

To kindle cowards and to steel with valour

To fire cowards to action, sowing bravery

The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen,

In cautious women’s minds, then countrymen,

What need we any spur but our own cause,

What else do we require but our own motives

To prick us to redress? What other bond

To spur us to resolve this? What more pledge

Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word,

Is needed than of Romans’ secret oaths

And will not palter? And what other oath

That they will never break? What more commitment

Than honesty to honesty engaged,

Than honour amongst men engaged in this

That this shall be, or we will fall for it?

That we will make it happen or we’ll die?

Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,

Let others swear: the priests, cowards, the cautious,

Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls

The lifeless, and all those long-suffering souls

That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear

That do what they are told. These people swear

Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain

At bad things, do not doubt it! But they don’t swear

The even virtue of our enterprise,

At all about the virtue of our exploits,

Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits,

Nor our indomitable strength of spirit,

To think that or our cause or our performance

And do not think that our cause or our strength

Did need an oath; when every drop of blood

Requires an oath, when every drop of blood

That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,

That courses throughout every noble Roman

Is guilty of a several bastardy,

Would not be Roman blood at all if it

If he do break the smallest particle

Would, even with the tiniest infraction,

Of any promise that hath passed from him.

Break any promise that he had declared.

CASSIUS

But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?

And Cicero, as well? Shall we go ask him?

I think he will stand very strong with us.

I think he will be very much onside.

CASCA

Let us not leave him out.

Let’s not leave him out.

CINNA

No, by no means.

Not by any means.

METELLUS CIMBER

O, let us have him, for his silver hairs

Yes, let’s have him with us, for his grey hair

Will purchase us a good opinion

Will bring us welcome authenticity

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:

And muster further backing for our actions.

It shall be said, his judgment ruled our hands;

They’ll say we follow his experience.

Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear,

Exuberance of youth will be disguised

But all be buried in his gravity.

Behind the gravitas of his old age.

BRUTUS

O, name him not: let us not break with him;

Don’t mention him! We can’t tell him our secret,

For he will never follow any thing

For he will never follow anything

That other men begin.

That other men have started.

CASSIUS

Then leave him out.

Leave him out then.

CASCA

Indeed he is not fit.

Agree; he isn’t fit.

DECIUS BRUTUS

Shall no man else be touched but only Caesar?

Will we attack no one apart from Caesar?

CASSIUS

Decius, well urged: I think it is not meet,

Good point, Decius. I don’t think it’s right

Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,

Mark Antony, who Caesar dearly loves,

Should outlive Caesar: we shall find of him

Should outlive Caesar. We’ll find him to be a

A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means,

Manipulative schemer; and his skills,

If he improve them, may well stretch so far

If he improves them, could well then become

As to annoy us all: which to prevent,

An irritant to us; and so, to stop this,

Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

Let’s slaughter Antony and Caesar both.

BRUTUS

Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

This will seem over-brutal, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,

Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;

Like envious anger rising after death,

For Antony is but a limb of Caesar:

For Antony is just a limb of Caesar.

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.

Let’s make a sacrifice, but not a murder.

We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar;

Let’s make a stand against what Caesar stands for,

And in the spirit of men there is no blood:

And in that stand, we won’t spill others blood.

O, that we then could come by Caesar's spirit,

If only we could stop what Caesar’s planning

And not dismember Caesar! But, alas,

Without having to kill him! But, alas,

Caesar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,

Caesar must die for this. And, gentle friends,

Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

Let’s kill him boldly, not in fits of anger.

Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,

Let’s carve him like a dish fit for the gods,

Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:

Not chop him into pieces for the hounds.

And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,

And let our hearts, like masters do with servants,

Stir up their servants to an act of rage,

Incite our hands to action out of anger

And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make

And afterwards, blame them. For this will paint

Our purpose necessary and not envious:

Our purpose as necessity, not envy;

Which so appearing to the common eyes,

And so, when all the common people see this,

We shall be called purgers, not murderers.

They say we purged a problem; we’re not murderers.

And for Mark Antony, think not of him;

And do not think about Mark Antony:

For he can do no more than Caesar's arm

He will be as much use as Caesar’s arm

When Caesar's head is off.

When Caesar’s lying dead.

CASSIUS

Yet I fear him;

But I still fear him,

For in the ingrafted love he bears to Caesar--

Because of his deep love he has for Caesar…

BRUTUS

Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him:

Oh dear, good Cassius, do not think of him.

If he love Caesar, all that he can do

If he loves Caesar, then all he can do is

Is to himself, take thought and die for Caesar:

Be sad and self-consumed and die for Caesar.

And that were much he should; for he is given

But that would be too much for him to do,

To sports, to wildness and much company.

For he likes sports, and parties with his friends.

TREBONIUS

There is no fear in him; let him not die;

We shouldn’t fear of him. Don’t let him die,

For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

For he will laugh when all of this is over.

[Clock strikes]

BRUTUS

Peace! Count the clock.

Be quiet, count the clock chimes.

CASSIUS

The clock hath stricken three.

It struck three.

TREBONIUS

'Tis time to part.

It’s time to leave.

CASSIUS

But it is doubtful yet,

But we cannot be sure

Whether Caesar will come forth to-day, or no;

If Caesar will come here today or not,

For he is superstitious grown of late,

For he’s become quite superstitious lately,

Quite from the main opinion he held once

A large departure from his previous views

Of fantasy, of dreams and ceremonies:

Of fantasy, of dreams and mysticism.

It may be, these apparent prodigies,

It might be that these omnipresent omens,

The unaccustomed terror of this night,

Tonight’s unusually ferocious storm,

And the persuasion of his augurers,

Or through advice from spiritual leaders,

May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

He won’t come to the Capitol today.

DECIUS BRUTUS

Never fear that: if he be so resolved,

Don’t worry, for if he is so inclined,

I can o'ersway him; for he loves to hear

I can persuade him, for he loves to hear

That unicorns may be betrayed with trees,

That one can hide from unicorns in trees,

And bears with glasses, elephants with holes,

From bears with mirrors, elephants with holes,

Lions with toils and men with flatterers;

Lions with nets, and men with flattery.

But when I tell him he hates flatterers,

But when I tell him he hates flattery,

He says he does, being then most flattered.

He says he does, yet he is always flattered.

Let me work;

Leave this to me.

For I can give his humour the true bent,

For I can tell him what he wants to hear,

And I will bring him to the Capitol.

CASSIUS

Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.

No, all of us will go to bring him here.

BRUTUS

By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost?

By eight o’clock, is that the very latest?

CINNA

Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.

That is the latest; make sure you’re not late.

METELLUS CIMBER

Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard,

Caius Ligarius hates Caesar intensely,

Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey:

Because he scolded him for praising Pompey.

I wonder none of you have thought of him.

I am surprised no one has thought of him.

BRUTUS

Now, good Metellus, go along by him:

Now, good Metellus, go and speak to him.

He loves me well, and I have given him reasons;

I’ve done a lot for him; he really loves me.

Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him.

Send him to me and I will win him over.

CASSIUS

The morning comes upon 's: we'll leave you, Brutus.

The morning’s nearly here. We’ll leave you, Brutus.

And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember

And, friends, split up, but you must all remember

What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.

What you have said, and prove that you are Romans.

BRUTUS

Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;

Good gentlemen, adopt a happy pose.

Let not our looks put on our purposes,

Don’t let the way we look reveal our purpose,

But bear it as our Roman actors do,

But hide it, like our Roman actors do,

With untired spirits and formal constancy:

By looking spritely, keeping your demeanour.

And so good morrow to you every one.

And so, good day to every one of you.

[Exeunt all but BRUTUS]

Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep? It is no matter;

Boy! Lucius! Fast asleep? It doesn’t matter.

Enjoy the honey-heavy dew of slumber:

Enjoy the sweet perfection of a snooze.

Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,

You don’t have plans nor ideas to ponder

Which busy care draws in the brains of men;

Which so preoccupies the minds of men.

Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

That’s why you sleep so well.

[Enter PORTIA]

PORTIA

Brutus, my lord!

Brutus, my lord.

BRUTUS

Portia, what mean you? Wherefore rise you now?

Portia? What are you doing up so early?

It is not for your health thus to commit

It’s not good for your health if you expose

Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.

Your weak condition to this morning’s cold.

PORTIA

Nor for yours neither. You've ungently, Brutus,

Nor for you, neither. Brutus, you were clumsy

Stole from my bed: and yesternight, at supper,

When leaving me in bed. Last night at supper

You suddenly arose, and walked about,

You suddenly arose and walked about,

Musing and sighing, with your arms across,

In contemplation, sighing with your arms crossed,

And when I asked you what the matter was,

You stared upon me with ungentle looks;

You stared at me with harsh aggressiveness.

I urged you further; then you scratched your head,

I asked you once again; you scratched your head

And too impatiently stamped with your foot;

And then, impatiently, you stamped your feet.

Yet I insisted, yet you answered not,

I was insistent, but you didn’t answer,

But, with an angry wafture of your hand,

But with an angry waving of your hand,

Gave sign for me to leave you: so I did;

You signalled me to leave. And so I did,

Fearing to strengthen that impatience

In fear of making your impatience worse

Which seemed too much enkindled, and withal

Which was already overtaking you;

Hoping it was but an effect of humour,

I hoped this was caused by your moodiness,

Which sometime hath his hour with every man.

Which every man succumbs to now and then.

It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,

Your mood prevented eating, talking, sleeping,

And could it work so much upon your shape

And if it could inflict change on your body

As it hath much prevailed on your condition,

As much as it had altered your behaviour,

I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,

I wouldn’t recognise you, Brutus. Oh, lord,

Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

Tell me about what’s making you upset.

BRUTUS

I am not well in health, and that is all.

I’m feeling rather sick; that’s all it is.

PORTIA

Brutus is wise, and, were he not in health,

You are intelligent; when you’re not healthy,

He would embrace the means to come by it.

You always find a way to cure yourself.

BRUTUS

Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed.

Yes, I do that. Good Portia, go to bed.

PORTIA

Is Brutus sick? And is it physical

Are you sick, Brutus? Is it really healthy

To walk unbraced and suck up the humours

To walk, with jacket open, breathing mist

Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick,

Of this dank morning? Are you so sick, Brutus,

And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,

That you will creep out from your comfy bed

To dare the vile contagion of the night

To risk catching infections from the night

And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air

By tempting unclean, moisture-laden air

To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;

To make your sickness worse? That’s not my Brutus;

You have some sick offence within your mind,

There’s something plaguing you within your mind,

Which, by the right and virtue of my place,

Which I, by decency and by our marriage,

I ought to know of: and, upon my knees,

Should know of. And down on my bended knee

I charm you, by my once-commended beauty,

I ask you, with my beauty you once praised,

By all your vows of love and that great vow

Through all your love expressed, and marriage vows

Which did incorporate and make us one,

Which bound us both together into one,

That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,

That you, my other half, reveal to me

Why you are heavy, and what men to-night

Why you are sad, and what those men tonight

Have had to resort to you: for here have been

Came here to see you for; for there have been

Some six or seven, who did hide their faces

Some six or seven men who hid their faces

Even from darkness.

Even from this dark night.

BRUTUS

Kneel not, gentle Portia.

Don’t kneel, my Portia.

PORTIA

I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.

I wouldn’t need to if you were forthcoming.

Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,

Within our bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus,

Is it excepted I should know no secrets

Does it say that I shouldn’t know the secrets

That appertain to you? Am I yourself

That you are keeping? Am I only here,

But, as it were, in sort or limitation,

In part a limited contributor

To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,

That cooks your meals, to cuddle with at night,

And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs

And talks sometimes? Am I peripheral

Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

To your good life? For, if that is the case,

Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

I’m just your prostitute, and not your wife.

BRUTUS

You are my true and honourable wife,

You are my real and honourable wife,

As dear to me as are the ruddy drops

As dear to me as all the blood that flows

That visit my sad heart

Within my saddened heart.

PORTIA

If this were true, then should I know this secret.

If that were true, then I would know your secrets.

I grant I am a woman; but withal

I know I’m just a woman, nonetheless

A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife:

I am the woman that you chose to marry.

I grant I am a woman; but withal

I know I’m just a woman, nonetheless

A woman well-reputed, Cato's daughter.

I come from noble blood: I’m Cato’s daughter.

Think you I am no stronger than my sex,

Do you think I’m no stronger than all women

Being so fathered and so husbanded?

With Cato for a father, you my husband?

Tell me your counsels, I will not disclose 'em:

Tell me your secrets; I will not reveal them.

I have made strong proof of my constancy,

I’ve given you strong proof of that before

Giving myself a voluntary wound

When voluntarily I made a cut

Here, in the thigh: can I bear that with patience.

Here in my thigh. Can I do that, unflinching,

And not my husband's secrets?

But not hear of my husband’s secrets?

BRUTUS

O ye gods,

Oh gods,

Render me worthy of this noble wife!

Make me deserving of this noble wife!

[Knocking within]

Hark, hark! One knocks: Portia, go in awhile;

Shush, listen! Someone’s knocking. Go inside

And by and by thy bosom shall partake

And soon, it won’t be long before you know

The secrets of my heart.

All my engagements I will construe to thee,

All that I’m doing, I will share with you,

All the charactery of my sad brows:

Explaining what is making me look sad.

Leave me with haste.

Leave quickly now.

[Exit PORTIA]

Lucius, who's that knocks?

Lucius, who’s at the door?

[Re-enter LUCIUS with LIGARIUS]

LUCIUS

He is a sick man that would speak with you.

It is a sick man, keen to talk to you.

BRUTUS

Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of.

Caius Ligarius, who Metellus spoke of.

Boy, stand aside. Caius Ligarius! How?

Move over, boy. How are you Caius Ligarius?

LIGARIUS

Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue.

Accept ‘good morning’ from a weakened man.

BRUTUS

O, what a time have you chose out, brave Caius,

Bad timing that you’re sick, Caius, and wearing

To wear a kerchief! Would you were not sick!

That hanky on your head! I wish you weren’t sick!

LIGARIUS

I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand

I won’t be sick if Brutus has in mind

Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

A plan and project that is honourable.

BRUTUS

Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius,

I have a plan right now like that, Ligarius,

Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

If you were well enough to hear of it.

LIGARIUS

By all the gods that Romans bow before,

I here discard my sickness! Soul of Rome!

I hereby throw away my sickness! Roman,

Brave son, derived from honourable loins!

Brave man, descended from a noble bloodline,

Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up

Like a magician, you have resurrected

My mortified spirit. Now bid me run,

My dying spirit. Now give me instructions,

And I will strive with things impossible;

And I will quite miraculously try

Yea, get the better of them. What's to do?

To do them all. What is your role for me?

BRUTUS

A piece of work that will make sick men whole.

A piece of work that will make sick men well.

LIGARIUS

But are not some whole that we must make sick?

But aren’t there well men who we should make sick?

BRUTUS

That must we also. What it is, my Caius,

There’s that as well. Caius, the plan I have

I shall unfold to thee, as we are going

I will reveal to you as we are going

To whom it must be done.

To whom we’ll do it to.

LIGARIUS

Set on your foot,

Well, let’s be off,

And with a heart new-fired I follow you,

And with a new-found passion, I will follow

To do I know not what: but it sufficeth

And do what I don’t know; but it’s enough

That Brutus leads me on.

BRUTUS

Follow me, then.

Follow me then.

[Exeunt]