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Act 5, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE I Setting: The plains of Philippi.

Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army.

OCTAVIUS Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
You said the enemy would not come down,
But keep the hills and upper regions;
It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
They mean to warn us at Philippi here, 5
Answering before we do demand of them.
ANTONY Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
Wherefore they do it: they could be content
To visit other places; and come down
With fearful bravery, thinking by this face 10
To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
But 'tis not so.
Enter a Messenger.
Messenger Prepare you, generals:
The enemy comes on in gallant show;
Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
And something to be done immediately. 15
ANTONY Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
Upon the left hand of the even field.
OCTAVIUS Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.
ANTONY Why do you cross me in this exigent? 19
OCTAVIUS I do not cross you; but I will do so.
March

Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and their Army; LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, MESSALA, and others.

BRUTUS They stand, and would have parley.
CASSIUS Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
OCTAVIUS Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
ANTONY No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
Make forth; the generals would have some words. 25
OCTAVIUS Stir not until the signal.
BRUTUS Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
OCTAVIUS Not that we love words better, as you do.
BRUTUS Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
ANTONY In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
Crying 'Long live! hail, Caesar!'
CASSIUS Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.
ANTONY Not stingless too. 35
BRUTUS O, yes, and soundless too;
For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
And very wisely threat before you sting.
ANTONY Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers
Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar: 40
You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;
Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!
CASSIUS Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself: 45
This tongue had not offended so to–day,
If Cassius might have ruled.
OCTAVIUS Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,
The proof of it will turn to redder drops. Look;
I draw a sword against conspirators;
When think you that the sword goes up again?
Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
Be well avenged; or till another Caesar
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors. 55
BRUTUS Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
OCTAVIUS So I hope;
I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.
BRUTUS O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable. 60
CASSIUS A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
Join'd with a masker and a reveller!
ANTONY Old Cassius still!
OCTAVIUS Come, Antony, away!
Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:
If you dare fight to–day, come to the field; 65
If not, when you have stomachs.
Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army.
CASSIUS Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
BRUTUS Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you.
LUCILIUS Standing forth.My lord? 70
BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.
CASSIUS Messala!
MESSALA
CASSIUS Messala,
This is my birth–day; as this very day
Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
Be thou my witness that against my will,
As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set 75
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign 80
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
This morning are they fled away and gone;
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites, 85
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
MESSALA Believe not so.
CASSIUS I but believe it partly; 90
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.
BRUTUS Even so, Lucilius.
CASSIUS Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to–day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do? 100
BRUTUS Even by the rule of that philosophy
By which I did blame Cato for the death
Which he did give himself, I know not how,
But I do find it cowardly and vile,
For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
The time of life: arming myself with patience
To stay the providence of some high powers
That govern us below.
CASSIUS Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome? 110
BRUTUS No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
He bears too great a mind. But this same day
Must end that work the ides of March begun;
And whether we shall meet again I know not.
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!
If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
If not, why then, this parting was well made.
CASSIUS For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus! 120
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.
BRUTUS Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end, 125
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!
Exeunt

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Question #9

What does Cassius believe is the advantage of standing his ground rather than pursuing the Triumvirate's army?





Please enter the first three words of a sentence that shows your answers is correct.

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Act 5, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE II Setting: The same. The field of battle.

Alarum. Enter BRUTUS and MESSALA.

BRUTUS Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills
Unto the legions on the other side.
Loud alarum.
Let them set on at once; for I perceive
But cold demeanor in Octavius' wing,
And sudden push gives them the overthrow. 5
Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down.
Exeunt

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Question #14

What does Brutus mean in this quote?

"O, that a man might know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known."Act 5, Scene 1, Lines 123-162





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Act 5, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT V SCENE III Setting: Another part of the field.

Alarums. Enter CASSIUS and TITINIUS.

CASSIUS O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy:
This ensign here of mine was turning back;
I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
TITINIUS O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early; 5
Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil,
Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Enter PINDARUS.
PINDARUS Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord 10
Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
CASSIUS This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius;
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
TITINIUS They are, my lord.
CASSIUS Titinius, if thou lovest me, 15
Mount thou my horse, and hide thy spurs in him,
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops,
And here again; that I may rest assured
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS I will be here again, even with a thought.
Exit
CASSIUS Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill; 20
My sight was ever thick; regard Titinius,
And tell me what thou notest about the field.
PINDARUS ascends the hill.
This day I breathed first: time is come round,
And where I did begin, there shall I end;
My life is run his compass. Sirrah, what news? 25
PINDARUS Above
CASSIUS What news?
PINDARUS Above
With horsemen, that make to him on the spur;
Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him. 30
Now, Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too.
He's ta'en.
Shout
And, hark! they shout for joy.
CASSIUS Come down, behold no more.
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face! 35
PINDARUS descends.
Come hither, sirrah:
In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do,
Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath; 40
Now be a freeman: and with this good sword,
That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts;
And, when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the sword.
PINDARUS stabs him.
Caesar, thou art revenged, 45
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.
Dies
PINDARUS So, I am free; yet would not so have been,
Durst I have done my will. O Cassius,
Far from this country Pindarus shall run, 49
Where never Roman shall take note of him.
Exit
Re–enter TITINIUS with MESSALA.
MESSALA It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,
As Cassius' legions are by Antony.
TITINIUS These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS All disconsolate, 55
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
TITINIUS He lies not like the living. O my heart!
MESSALA Is not that he?
TITINIUS No, this was he, Messala,
But Cassius is no more. O setting sun, 60
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to–night,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set;
The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!
Mistrust of my success hath done this deed. 65
MESSALA Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
O hateful error, melancholy's child,
Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O error, soon conceived,
Thou never comest unto a happy birth, 70
But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!
TITINIUS What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?
MESSALA Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears; I may say, thrusting it; 75
For piercing steel and darts envenomed
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
As tidings of this sight.
TITINIUS Hie you, Messala,
And I will seek for Pindarus the while.
Exit MESSALA.
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius? 80
Did I not meet thy friends? and did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,
And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?
Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing!
But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow; 85
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
Will do his bidding. Brutus, come apace,
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.
By your leave, gods:––this is a Roman's part
Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.
Kills himself.

Alarum. Re–enter MESSALA, with BRUTUS, CATO, STRATO, VOLUMNIUS, and LUCILIUS.

BRUTUS Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS Titinius' face is upward.
CATO He is slain.
BRUTUS O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords 95
In our own proper entrails.
Low alarums.
CATO Brave Titinius!
Look, whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!
BRUTUS Are yet two Romans living such as these?
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!
It is impossible that ever Rome 100
Should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man than you shall see me pay.
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.
Come, therefore, and to Thasos send his body:
His funerals shall not be in our camp, 105
Lest it discomfort us. Lucilius, come;
And come, young Cato; let us to the field.
Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on:
Tis three o'clock; and, Romans, yet ere night 109
We shall try fortune in a second fight.
Exeunt