SCENE 3: BRUTUS'S TENT. — Shakespeare Retold

[Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS]

CASSIUS

That you have wronged me doth appear in this:

The proof that you have done me wrong is this:

You have condemned and noted Lucius Pella

You have condemned and slated Lucius Pella

For taking bribes here of the Sardians;

For taking bribes here from the Sardians,

Wherein my letters, praying on his side,

Despite my letters – arguing his point,

Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

Because I know the man – you just rejected.

BRUTUS

You wronged yourself to write in such a case.

But you were wrong to write in his defence.

CASSIUS

In such a time as this it is not meet

In times like this, is it appropriate

That every nice offence should bear his comment.

That trivial offences all be punished?

BRUTUS

Let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

Now let me tell you, Cassius, you yourself

Are much condemned to have an itching palm;

Are often criticised for taking kickbacks,

To sell and mart your offices for gold

For selling access to your seat of power

To undeservers.

To those who don’t deserve it.

CASSIUS

I an itching palm!

Me? Take bribes?

You know that you are Brutus that speak this,

You know your reputation will protect you,

Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

Or else—good God!—this speech would be your last.

BRUTUS

The name of Cassius honours this corruption,

You know your reputation gives its blessing

And chastisement doth therefore hide his head.

So this corrupt behaviour goes unpunished.

CASSIUS

Chastisement!

Unpunished?

BRUTUS

Remember March, the ides of March remember:

Remember March 15th? Do you remember?

Did not great Julius bleed for justice' sake?

We slaughtered Caesar out of justice, right?

What villain touched his body, that did stab,

Which villain stabbed him then if it was not

And not for justice? What, shall one of us

For justice? What, was there one in our group

That struck the foremost man of all this world

That stabbed the world’s most all-important man

But for supporting robbers, shall we now

As though we were just robbers, shall we now

Contaminate our fingers with base bribes,

Contaminate integrity through bribes

And sell the mighty space of our large honours

And sell off all the powers bestowed to us

For so much trash as may be grasped thus?

For dirty money, like you just have done?

I had rather be a dog, and bay the moon,

I would prefer to be a howling dog

Than such a Roman.

Than be a Roman like that.

CASSIUS

Brutus, bay not me;

Don’t provoke me;

I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,

I will not take it. You forget who I am

To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,

By cornering me. I’m a soldier and

Older in practise, abler than yourself

I’m older than you, and I’ve more experience

To make conditions.

At giving orders.

BRUTUS

Go to; you are not, Cassius.

Sod off! No, you’re not!

CASSIUS

I am.

BRUTUS

I say you are not.

I think you’re not.

CASSIUS

Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;

Don’t wind me up, else I’ll forget myself!

Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

Think of your health and do not tempt me further.

BRUTUS

Away, slight man!

Clear off, you wimp!

CASSIUS

Is't possible?

What? Really?

BRUTUS

Hear me, for I will speak.

Listen up, and I will tell you.

Must I give way and room to your rash choler?

Shall I accept your irritable temper?

Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?

Should I be frightened when a madman stares?

CASSIUS

O ye gods, ye gods! Must I endure all this?

Oh you gods, you gods, must I endure all this?

BRUTUS

All this! ay, more: fret till your proud heart break;

All this? Oh yes, and then some. Till your heart breaks.

Go show your slaves how choleric you are,

Go show your slaves how angry you’ve become

And make your bondmen tremble. Must I budge?

And make them shake with fear. D’you think I’ll flinch?

Must I observe you? Must I stand and crouch

Do I have to respect you? Must I cower

Under your testy humour? By the gods

In fear from your bad temper? By the gods,

You shall digest the venom of your spleen,

You’ll drink your body’s poison, though it hurts you,

Though it do split you; for, from this day forth,

Before that happens. Because, from this day forth,

I'll use you for my mirth, yea, for my laughter,

I’ll think of you each time I want to laugh

When you are waspish.

When you are snappy.

CASSIUS

Is it come to this?

Has it come to this?

BRUTUS

You say you are a better soldier:

You say you are a better soldier than me.

Let it appear so; make your vaunting true,

Go on then, show me, demonstrate your prowess

And it shall please me well: for mine own part,

And I’ll be happy, for it’s good for me

I shall be glad to learn of noble men.

To learn who all the noble men around are.

CASSIUS

You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;

You do me wrong in every single way.

I said, an elder soldier, not a better:

I said an older soldier, not a better.

Did I say 'better'?

Did I say ‘better’?

BRUTUS

If you did, I care not.

If you did, I don’t care.

CASSIUS

When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.

When Caesar lived, he wouldn’t dare to tempt me.

BRUTUS

Peace, peace! You durst not so have tempted him.

Shut up! More like you never dared to tempt him.

CASSIUS

I durst not!

I never dared?

BRUTUS

No.

CASSIUS

What, durst not tempt him!

What? I never dared to tempt him?

BRUTUS

For your life you durst not!

On your life, you never dared.

CASSIUS

Do not presume too much upon my love;

Don’t be over-reliant on my love;

I may do that I shall be sorry for.

I might do something I’ll come to regret.

BRUTUS

You have done that you should be sorry for.

You have done something you should now regret.

There is no terror, Cassius, in your threats,

There’s nothing scary in your threats, Cassius,

For I am armed so strong in honesty

For I’m so sure of my integrity,

That they pass by me as the idle wind,

That threats you make just blow past on the wind

Which I respect not. I did send to you

And I ignore them. I did ask of you

For certain sums of gold, which you denied me:

For gold and money, but your actions stopped me,

For I can raise no money by vile means:

For I can’t raise funds from immoral sources.

By heaven, I had rather coin my heart,

Good gracious, I would rather sell my heart

And drop my blood for drachmas, than to wring

And spill my blood for coins instead of stealing

From the hard hands of peasants their vile trash

The little those hard-working peasants have

By any indirection: I did send

By those deceptive means. I asked for you

To you for gold to pay my legions,

To send me gold so I could pay my soldiers,

Which you denied me: was that done like Cassius?

But you said no. Is that the Cassius I know?

Should I have answered Caius Cassius so?

Would I have answered Caius Cassius like that?

When Marcus Brutus grows so covetous,

And when I, Marcus Brutus, get so greedy

To lock such rascal counters from his friends,

To not share small amounts of cash with friends,

Be ready, gods, with all your thunderbolts;

Then may the gods decide to strike me down

Dash him to pieces!

And chop me into bits!

CASSIUS

I denied you not.

I didn’t say no.

BRUTUS

You did.

CASSIUS

I did not: he was but a fool that brought

I did not, for the envoy was a fool

My answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:

Who brought the note. You have broken my heart.

A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,

A friend should tolerate a friend’s weakness,

But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

But, Brutus, you’ve accentuated mine.

BRUTUS

I do not, till you practise them on me.

I didn’t, till you practiced them on me.

CASSIUS

You love me not.

You do not love me.

BRUTUS

I do not like your faults.

I don’t like your faults.

CASSIUS

A friendly eye could never see such faults.

A friend would turn a blind-eye to those faults.

BRUTUS

A flatterer's would not, though they do appear

A flatterer wouldn’t; they’d ignore a fault

As huge as high Olympus.

As big as Mount Olympus.

CASSIUS

Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,

Come Antony and Octavius! Come and kill me!

Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,

Come take revenge on Cassius now alone,

For Cassius is aweary of the world;

For Cassius now is weary of this life!

Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;

I’m hated and defied by my own brother,

Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,

Rebuked as though a slave, my faults all listed,

Set in a note-book, learned, and conned by rote,

And written in a notebook, learnt by heart

To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep

To throw back in my face. Oh, I could cry

My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,

My soul out of my eyes! This is my dagger,

And here my naked breast; within, a heart

And this, my chest; behind it lies my heart,

Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:

And in it lies more gold than Pluto’s mine.

If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;

And if you are a Roman, take it all

I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:

As I denied you gold, you have my heart.

Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,

Stab me just like at Caesar, for I know

When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better

When you despised him most, you loved him more

Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

Than ever you loved me.

BRUTUS

Sheathe your dagger:

Put down your dagger.

Be angry when you will, it shall have scope;

Be angry when you need to; there’ll be time.

Do what you will, dishonour shall be humour.

Be as you choose; I’ll put it down to temper.

O Cassius, you are yoked with a lamb

Oh Cassius, you’re encumbered to a lamb

That carries anger as the flint bears fire;

That’s full of anger, as a flint sparks fire,

Who, much enforced, shows a hasty spark,

Which, when it’s struck, kicks off a rapid spark

And straight is cold again.

But then goes cold again.

CASSIUS

Hath Cassius lived

Is it my life

To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,

To be the butt of all of Brutus’ jokes

When grief, and blood ill-tempered, vexeth him?

Whenever he’s in need of cheering up?

BRUTUS

When I spoke that, I was ill-tempered too.

When I said that, I was ill-tempered too.

CASSIUS

Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

Do you admit that now? Give me your hand.

BRUTUS

And my heart too.

CASSIUS

O Brutus!

Oh, Brutus!

BRUTUS

What's the matter?

What’s the matter?

CASSIUS

Have not you love enough to bear with me,

Do you have love enough to tolerate me

When that rash humour which my mother gave me

When that hot-headedness my mother gave me

Makes me forgetful?

Takes me out of myself?

BRUTUS

Yes, Cassius; and, from henceforth,

Yes, Cassius; from now

When you are over-earnest with your Brutus,

Whenever you get over-angry with me,

He'll think your mother chides, and leave you so.

I say your mother’s speaking, and ignore you.

POET

[Within]

Let me go in to see the generals;

Let me go in to see the Generals.

There is some grudge between 'em, 'tis not meet

There is a grudge between them; it’s not right

They be alone.

They’re left alone.

LUCILIUS

[Within]

You shall not come to them.

You cannot go to them.

POET

[Within]

Nothing but death shall stay me.

You’ll have to kill me if you want to stop me.

[Enter Poet, followed by LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, and LUCIUS]

CASSIUS

How now! What's the matter?

What’s going on? What is the matter here?

POET

For shame, you generals! What do you mean?

Shame on you, generals, what do you mean?

Love, and be friends, as two such men should be;

Two men like you should always be good friends;

For I have seen more years, I'm sure, than ye.

I’m older, and this old man comprehends.

CASSIUS

Ha, ha! How vilely doth this cynic rhyme!

Ha, ha! This gauche man has pathetic rhyme!

BRUTUS

Get you hence, sirrah; saucy fellow, hence!

Get out of here, you twerp! Go on, clear off!

CASSIUS

Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

Leave him alone; it’s just the way he is.

BRUTUS

I'll know his humour, when he knows his time:

I’ll hear his jokes when he learns when to say them.

What should the wars do with these jigging fools?

What use in war are all these rhyming fools?

Companion, hence!

My friend, get out!

CASSIUS

Away, away, be gone.

Go on, clear off, get out!

[Exit Poet]

BRUTUS

Lucilius and Titinius, bid the commanders

Lucilius and Titinius, have the officers

Prepare to lodge their companies to-night.

Prepare to camp their armies here tonight.

CASSIUS

And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you

And come back here, and bring Messala with you

Immediately to us.

[Exeunt LUCILIUS and TITINIUS]

BRUTUS

Lucius, a bowl of wine!

Lucius, a glass of wine.

[Exit LUCIUS]

CASSIUS

I did not think you could have been so angry.

BRUTUS

O Cassius, I am sick of many griefs.

Oh Cassius, I am overwhelmed with grief.

CASSIUS

Of your philosophy you make no use,

You do not practice your stoic beliefs

If you give place to accidental evils.

If you let nasty mishaps wind you up.

BRUTUS

No man bears sorrow better. Portia is dead.

CASSIUS

Ha! Portia!

What? Portia?

BRUTUS

She is dead.

CASSIUS

How 'scaped I killing when I crossed you so?

How come you didn’t kill me when I crossed you?

O insupportable and touching loss!

Oh, what a tragic, broken-hearted loss!

Upon what sickness?

How did she die?

BRUTUS

Impatient of my absence,

She couldn’t stand my absence,

And grief that young Octavius with Mark Antony

Nor grief that young Octavius and Mark Antony

Have made themselves so strong:--for with her death

Have garnered so much power; that news came

That tidings came;--with this she fell distract,

With news that she had died. She lost her mind,

And, her attendants absent, swallowed fire.

And, when alone, she choked on burning embers.

CASSIUS

And died so?

And died like that?

BRUTUS

Even so.

Like that.

CASSIUS

O ye immortal gods!

Oh no, good God!

[Re-enter LUCIUS, with wine and taper]

BRUTUS

Speak no more of her. Give me a bowl of wine.

Let’s speak no more of her. Give me my wine.

In this I bury all unkindness, Cassius.

With this, let’s put our arguments behind us.

CASSIUS

My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.

I cannot think a better thing to do.

Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;

Lucius, fill up my glass right to the brim;

I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

I cannot toast to Brutus’ love too much.

BRUTUS

Come in, Titinius!

[Exit LUCIUS]

[Re-enter TITINIUS, with MESSALA]

Welcome, good Messala.

Now sit we close about this taper here,

Let’s take a seat and gather round this candle

And call in question our necessities.

And talk through all the things we need to do.

CASSIUS

Portia, art thou gone?

Portia, are you dead?

BRUTUS

No more, I pray you.

No more, I said!

Messala, I have here received letters,

Messala, I received these letters saying

That young Octavius and Mark Antony

Come down upon us with a mighty power,

Are homing in on us with massive fire power,

Bending their expedition toward Philippi.

Routing their army on to Philippi.

MESSALA

Myself have letters of the selfsame tenor.

I’ve also letters with a similar message.

BRUTUS

With what addition?

With any other details?

MESSALA

That by proscription and bills of outlawry,

That through official orders put in law,

Octavius, Antony, and Lepidus,

Octavius, Antony and Lepidus

Have put to death an hundred senators.

Have put a hundred senators to death.

BRUTUS

Therein our letters do not well agree;

Our letters aren’t the same on that one point.

Mine speak of seventy senators that died

Mine say that seventy senators have died

By their proscriptions, Cicero being one.

Through their decree, and Cicero is one.

CASSIUS

Cicero one!

Cicero is one?

MESSALA

Cicero is dead,

Yes, he is dead,

And by that order of proscription.

Killed by the orders that they put in law.

Had you your letters from your wife, my lord?

Did you get letters from your wife, my lord?

BRUTUS

No, Messala.

MESSALA

Nor nothing in your letters writ of her?

And nothing in those other letters from her?

BRUTUS

Nothing, Messala.

MESSALA

That, methinks, is strange.

I think that’s strange.

BRUTUS

Why ask you? Hear you aught of her in yours?

Why do you ask? D’you hear from her in yours?

MESSALA

No, my lord.

BRUTUS

Now, as you are a Roman, tell me true.

Now, as you are a Roman, speak the truth.

MESSALA

Then like a Roman bear the truth I tell:

And as a Roman, hear the truth I’m saying,

For certain she is dead, and by strange manner.

For she is dead for sure, and died bizarrely.

BRUTUS

Why, farewell, Portia. We must die, Messala:

Well, goodbye Portia. All of us will die.

With meditating that she must die once,

Because I pondered that one day she’d die,

I have the patience to endure it now.

I have the fortitude to bear it now.

MESSALA

Even so great men great losses should endure.

That’s how great men continue through their pain.

CASSIUS

I have as much of this in art as you,

In theory, I’m as tough as you are Brutus,

But yet my nature could not bear it so.

But I am sure I couldn’t bear it like you.

BRUTUS

Well, to our work alive. What do you think

Let’s get to work whilst living. What d’you think

Of marching to Philippi presently?

Of marching on to Philippi right now?

CASSIUS

I do not think it good.

I do not think that’s good.

BRUTUS

Your reason?

Why not?

CASSIUS

This it is:

Here’s why:

'Tis better that the enemy seek us:

It’s better if our enemy seeks us out;

So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,

They’ll use up their supplies, wear out their soldiers,

Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,

Hurting themselves whilst we, all resting here,

Are full of rest, defence, and nimbleness.

Are fully fit, alert, and set to fight.

BRUTUS

Good reasons must, of force, give place to better.

They are good reasons, but I have one better.

The people 'twixt Philippi and this ground

The folk who live from here to Philippi

Do stand but in a forced affection;

Are only on our side because we forced them,

For they have grudged us contribution:

And they resent the money they have paid us.

The enemy, marching along by them,

So if the enemy walks past their houses,

By them shall make a fuller number up,

They’ll follow them and swell their army’s ranks

Come on refreshed, new-added, and encouraged;

With fresh, enthusiastic, new recruits,

From which advantage shall we cut him off,

But we will circumvent this risk to us

If at Philippi we do face him there,

If we confront their force at Philippi

These people at our back.

With all our troops behind us.

CASSIUS

Hear me, good brother.

Hear me, Brutus…

BRUTUS

Under your pardon. You must note beside,

I’m sorry, hear me out. You must accept

That we have tried the utmost of our friends,

That we’ve got all we can out of our friends,

Our legions are brim-full, our cause is ripe:

And now our army’s full and set to fight.

The enemy increaseth every day;

Our enemy grows stronger by the day;

We, at the height, are ready to decline.

We’re at our strongest; it’s downhill from here.

There is a tide in the affairs of men,

The strength of men can ebb and flow, like tides do,

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

And they succeed if, at high tide, they act;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

But, if they don’t, they’ll journey through their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

Stuck in the mud of low tide, in despair.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we now find ourselves floating at high tide

And we must take the current when it serves,

And so we have to act when timing’s right

Or lose our ventures.

Or lose the fight.

CASSIUS

Then, with your will, go on;

Then, as you wish, lead on;

We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.

We all will go to fight at Philippi.

BRUTUS

The deep of night is crept upon our talk,

Since we’ve been talking, it’s turned into night,

And nature must obey necessity;

And we must bide necessity of nature

Which we will niggard with a little rest.

We have to honour with a little rest.

There is no more to say?

There’s nothing else to say.

CASSIUS

No more. Good night:

Nothing. Goodnight.

Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.

We’ll get up early and get on our way.

BRUTUS

Lucius!

Lucius.

[Enter LUCIUS]

My gown.

[Exit LUCIUS]

Farewell, good Messala:

Goodbye, good Messala.

Good night, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,

Goodnight, Titinius. Noble, noble Cassius,

Good night, and good repose.

Goodnight and sleep well.

CASSIUS

O my dear brother!

Oh, my dear brother,

This was an ill beginning of the night:

We started out so badly here tonight.

Never come such division 'tween our souls!

Let such divisions never come between us!

Let it not, Brutus.

We cannot let that happen, Brutus.

BRUTUS

Every thing is well.

We’re good.

CASSIUS

Good night, my lord.

Goodnight, my lord.

BRUTUS

Good night, good brother.

Goodnight, good brother.

TITINIUS MESSALA

Good night, Lord Brutus.

Goodnight, Lord Brutus.

BRUTUS

Farewell, every one.

Goodbye, everyone.

[Exeunt all but BRUTUS]

[Re-enter LUCIUS, with the gown]

Give me the gown. Where is thy instrument?

Give me the gown. Where is your instrument?

LUCIUS

Here in the tent.

BRUTUS

What, thou speak'st drowsily?

Why do you sound so tired?

Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er-watched.

Poor boy; it’s not your fault. You’re overworked.

Call Claudius and some other of my men:

Call Claudius and some other men of mine;

I'll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

I’ll have them sleep on cushions in my tent.

LUCIUS

Varro and Claudius!

[Enter VARRO and CLAUDIUS]

VARRO

Calls my lord?

You called, my lord?

BRUTUS

I pray you, sirs, lie in my tent and sleep;

I ask you, men, lie in my tent and sleep.

It may be I shall raise you by and by

I might awaken you within the night

On business to my brother Cassius.

To take a message to my brother Cassius.

VARRO

So please you, we will stand and watch your pleasure.

At your command, we’ll stand here at your service.

BRUTUS

I will not have it so: lie down, good sirs;

I do not want that. Lie down here, good sirs.

It may be I shall otherwise bethink me.

It’s possible that I will change my mind.

Look, Lucius, here's the book I sought for so;

Look, Lucius, here’s the book I tried to find.

I put it in the pocket of my gown.

[VARRO and CLAUDIUS lie down]

LUCIUS

I was sure your lordship did not give it me.

I was sure your lordship didn’t give it to me.

BRUTUS

Bear with me, good boy, I am much forgetful.

Bear with me, boy, for I am quite forgetful.

Canst thou hold up thy heavy eyes awhile,

Do you think you can keep yourself awake

And touch thy instrument a strain or two?

And play your instrument a tune or two?

LUCIUS

Ay, my lord, an't please you.

Yes, my lord, if it pleases you.

BRUTUS

It does, my boy:

It does, boy.

I trouble thee too much, but thou art willing.

I trouble you too much, but you seem willing.

LUCIUS

It is my duty, sir.

BRUTUS

I should not urge thy duty past thy might;

I should not push your duty when you’re tired.

I know young bloods look for a time of rest.

I know young people like to have a rest.

LUCIUS

I have slept, my lord, already.

I have already slept today, my lord.

BRUTUS

It was well done; and thou shalt sleep again;

You planned that well, and you will sleep again.

I will not hold thee long: if I do live,

I will not keep you long. If I survive,

I will be good to thee.

I will be good to you.

[Music, and a song]

This is a sleepy tune. O murderous slumber,

This is a sleepy time. Oh, deathly sleep,

Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy,

Have you knocked-out this boy of mine with slumber

That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night;

When he sings songs for you? Dear boy, good night.

I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee:

I will not cause you trouble waking you.

If thou dost nod, thou break'st thy instrument;

If you nod off, you’ll break your instrument.

I'll take it from thee; and, good boy, good night.

I’ll take it from you and, good boy, good night.

Let me see, let me see; is not the leaf turned down

Now, let me see: did I not turn the page down

Where I left reading? Here it is, I think.

Where I last read from? Here it is, I think.

[Enter the Ghost of CAESAR]

How ill this taper burns! Ha! Who comes here?

This candle burns so poorly. Wait, who’s coming?

I think it is the weakness of mine eyes

I think my eyes are failing me right now

That shapes this monstrous apparition.

By showing me this monstrous apparition.

It comes upon me. Art thou any thing?

It’s coming up to me. Are you for real?

Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,

Are you some god, some angel or some devil

That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare?

That makes my blood go cold, hair stand on end?

Speak to me what thou art.

Speak up and tell me what you are!

GHOST

Thy evil spirit, Brutus.

Your evil spirit, Brutus.

BRUTUS

Why comest thou?

Why are you here?

GHOST

To tell thee thou shalt see me at Philippi.

To tell you that you’ll see me at Philippi.

BRUTUS

Well; then I shall see thee again?

What? So I’ll see you again?

GHOST

Ay, at Philippi.

Yes, at Philippi.

BRUTUS

Why, I will see thee at Philippi, then.

Well, I’ll see you at Philippi again, then.

[Exit Ghost]

Now I have taken heart thou vanishest:

You vanish when I’ve found the strength to talk.

Ill spirit, I would hold more talk with thee.

You evil spirit, I would like to talk more!

Boy, Lucius! Varro! Claudius! Sirs, awake! Claudius!

Boy, Lucius! Varro, Claudius, wake up! Claudius!

LUCIUS

The strings, my lord, are false.

The strings are out of tune.

BRUTUS

He thinks he still is at his instrument.

He thinks that he’s still plucking at the strings.

Lucius, awake!

Lucius, wake up!

LUCIUS

My lord?

BRUTUS

Didst thou dream, Lucius, that thou so criedst out?

Were you just dreaming? Did that make you cry out?

LUCIUS

My lord, I do not know that I did cry.

My lord, I do not think that I just shouted.

BRUTUS

Yes, that thou didst: didst thou see any thing?

Oh, yes you did! Did you see anything?

LUCIUS

Nothing, my lord.

BRUTUS

Sleep again, Lucius. Sirrah Claudius!

Go back to sleep, Lucius. Oi, Claudius!

[To VARRO]

Fellow thou, awake!

You there, wake up!

VARRO

My lord?

CLAUDIUS

My lord?

BRUTUS

Why did you so cry out, sirs, in your sleep?

Why did you both cry out whilst you were sleeping?

VARRO & CLAUDIUS

Did we, my lord?

BRUTUS

Ay: saw you any thing?

Yes. Did you see something?

VARRO

No, my lord, I saw nothing.

CLAUDIUS

Nor I, my lord.

BRUTUS

Go and commend me to my brother Cassius;

Go to my brother Cassius for me.

Bid him set on his powers betimes before,

Tell him to take his army out before me,

And we will follow.

VARRO & CLAUDIUS

It shall be done, my lord.

[Exeunt]