ACT 5
[Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army]
OCTAVIUS
Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
Now, Antony, our wishes have been granted.
You said the enemy would not come down,
You said the enemy would not come to us,
But keep the hills and upper regions;
But stay within the upper hilly regions.
It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
That’s not the case; their soldiers are nearby.
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
They plan to challenge us at Philippi,
Answering before we do demand of them.
Attacking us before we go for them.
ANTONY
Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
I understand their motives and I know
Wherefore they do it: they could be content
Why they do what they do. For they would rather
To visit other places; and come down
Be anywhere but here, and then they come here
With fearful bravery, thinking by this face
All mortified, but pulling fake brave faces
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
To make us think that they’re as hard as nails.
But 'tis not so.
But that’s not true.
[Enter a Messenger]
MESSENGER
Prepare you, generals:
Get ready, generals.
The enemy comes on in gallant show;
The enemy is gallantly approaching.
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
They fly the flag that says they want to fight,
And something to be done immediately.
And something must be done immediately.
ANTONY
Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
Octavius, lead your troops up stealthily
Upon the left hand of the even field.
Along the left-hand flank of that flat field.
OCTAVIUS
Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.
I’ll take the right, and you can have the left.
ANTONY
Why do you cross me in this exigent?
Why contradict me at this crucial moment?
OCTAVIUS
I do not cross you; but I will do so.
I do not contradict you; I’ll obey you.
[March]
[Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others]
BRUTUS
They stand, and would have parley.
They’re standing still; I think they want to talk.
CASSIUS
Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
Don’t move, Titinius. We’ll go talk with them.
OCTAVIUS
Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
Mark Antony, shall we order attack?
ANTONY
No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
No, Caesar, we’ll respond when they attack us.
Make forth; the generals would have some words.
Go forward, for their generals want to speak.
OCTAVIUS
Stir not until the signal.
Don’t move until instructed.
BRUTUS
Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
Let’s talk before we fight. Right, countrymen?
OCTAVIUS
Not that we love words better, as you do.
We don’t prefer to use words, like you do.
BRUTUS
Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
Good words are better than bad stabs, Octavius.
ANTONY
In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
You perfume your bad actions with sweet words.
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Witness the hole you made in Caesar’s heart,
Crying 'Long live! hail, Caesar!'
Declaring, “Long live Caesar!”
CASSIUS
Antony,
Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
We don’t yet know how you plan to attack,
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
But all your honeyed words have robbed the bees
And leave them honeyless.
Of Hybla town their honey.
ANTONY
Not stingless too.
And their sting?
BRUTUS
O, yes, and soundless too;
Oh yes, their sound as well,
For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
And you talk like their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.
And wisely warn us prior to attack.
ANTONY
Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers
Villains, you didn’t do that when your daggers
Hacked one another in the sides of Caesar:
All hacked together into Caesar’s body.
You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds,
You grinned like apes and fawned like dogs and hounds,
And bowed like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;
Bowing like servants, kissing Caesar’s feet,
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Whilst that damn Casca, like a mutt, behind
Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!
Stabbed Caesar through the neck. You flatterers!
CASSIUS
Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
Flatterers? This is your fault now, Brutus!
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
This man could not offend us here today
If Cassius might have ruled.
If I had got my way.
OCTAVIUS
Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,
Let’s talk about our issues: if we sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look;
Then battle will convert our sweat to blood.
I draw a sword against conspirators;
I’ll draw my sword to fight these terrorists;
When think you that the sword goes up again?
When do you think I’ll put my sword away?
Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
Not till all thirty-three of Caesar’s wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Caesar
Have been avenged, or I, Caesar Octavius,
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
Have slaughtered all the traitors with my sword.
BRUTUS
Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
Caesar, we are not traitors. To be killed
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
By traitors, you must kill yourself.
OCTAVIUS
So I hope;
I want that.
I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.
I wasn’t born to die by Brutus’ sword.
BRUTUS
O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Oh, if you were the noblest in your family,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.
You couldn’t die a more honourable death.
CASSIUS
A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
He’s just a whiny kid, not worth our time,
Joined with a masker and a reveller!
Out with a drunken party-animal!
ANTONY
Old Cassius still!
The same old Cassius.
OCTAVIUS
Come, Antony, away!
Let’s leave them, Antony!
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:
Let’s ram their words right down these traitors’ throats.
If you dare fight to-day, come to the field;
If you dare fight today, come to the field;
If not, when you have stomachs.
But if you don’t, come when you’ve got the guts.
[Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army]
CASSIUS
Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
The wind can blow, waves crash, and boats can float!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
The storm has come and everything’s at stake.
BRUTUS
Ho, Lucilius! Hark, a word with you.
Lucilius, hear what I have got to say.
LUCILIUS
[Standing forth]
My lord?
My lord?
[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart]
CASSIUS
Messala!
Messala.
MESSALA
[Standing forth]
What says my general?
What can I do for you, sir?
CASSIUS
Messala,
Messala,
This is my birth-day; as this very day
Today’s my birthday. On this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Was Cassius born. Give me your hand, Messala.
Be thou my witness that against my will,
I want you to observe, against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compelled to set
As Pompey was, that I am forced to wager
Upon one battle all our liberties.
All of our freedoms on this single battle.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
You know I like the teachings of Epicurus
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And his opinions. Now I’ve changed my mind
And partly credit things that do presage.
And pay attention more to warning signs.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
As we came here from Sardis, on our flagpole
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perched,
Two mighty eagles landed, and they perched
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
And fed themselves out of our soldiers’ hands,
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
And they escorted us to Philippi.
This morning are they fled away and gone;
This morning they’d all flown away and left us,
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,
And in their place were ravens, crows and kites,
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
All flying overhead, observing us,
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
Like we were wounded prey. Their shadows cast
A canopy most fatal, under which
A dark, foreboding cover, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
Our army lies, like we’re about to die.
MESSALA
Believe not so.
Do not believe it.
CASSIUS
I but believe it partly;
I believe it partly,
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
For I am full of confidence and ready
To meet all perils very constantly.
To face the dangers without hesitation.
BRUTUS
Even so, Lucilius.
That’s good, Lucilius.
CASSIUS
Now, most noble Brutus,
Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
I hope the gods stay friendly, and we can,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
As friends in peace, go on from here to old age!
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
But since these things we plan remain uncertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
Let’s plan for what may happen at the worst.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
If we do lose this battle, then this is
The very last time we shall speak together:
The very last time we shall speak together.
What are you then determined to do?
If that occurs, what do you plan to do?
BRUTUS
Even by the rule of that philosophy
I plan to follow that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Whereby I chastened Cato for his death
Which he did give himself, I know not how,
By suicide—although I don’t know how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
But I believe it’s cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
For fear of what might come in life, preventing
The time of life: arming myself with patience
That from happening—just being patient
To stay the providence of some high powers
Awaiting what the gods above decide
That govern us below.
As they rule over us.
CASSIUS
Then, if we lose this battle,
Then, if we lose,
You are contented to be led in triumph
You’re happy to be dragged along, defeated
Thorough the streets of Rome?
Through the streets of Rome?
BRUTUS
No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
No, Cassius, no. Don’t think, you noble Roman,
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
That Brutus ever would be chained in Rome.
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
I am too smart for that. But on this day,
Must end that work the ides of March begun;
The work will end which started March 15th.
And whether we shall meet again I know not.
And whether we will meet again, I don’t know.
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
And so, let’s say goodbye a final time.
For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!
Forever and forever goodbye, Cassius.
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If we do meet again, then we will smile;
If not, why then, this parting was well made.
If not, well then we’ve said a fond farewell.
CASSIUS
For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus!
Forever and forever goodbye, Brutus.
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If we do meet again, we’ll smile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.
If not, it’s true: this was a fond farewell.
BRUTUS
Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
Come on, let’s go. If only one could know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
How this day’s going to end before it’s happened!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
But it’s enough to know this day will end,
And then the end is known. Come, ho! Away!
And then the end is known. Come on, let’s go!
[Exeunt]
