Hatchet – Page 2 – edMe Learning

Posted on September 4, 2017 by admin

Act 2, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE I Setting: Rome. BRUTUS's orchard.

Enter BRUTUS.

BRUTUS What, Lucius, ho!

I cannot, by the progress of the stars,

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

I would it were my fault to sleep so soundly.

When, Lucius, when? awake, I say! what, Lucius! 5

Enter LUCIUS.

LUCIUS Call'd you, my lord?

BRUTUS Get me a taper in my study, Lucius:

When it is lighted, come and call me here.

LUCIUS I will, my lord.

Exit

BRUTUS It must be by his death: and for my part, 10

I know no personal cause to spurn at him,

But for the general. He would be crown'd:

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

It is the bright day that brings forth the adder;

And that craves wary walking. Crown him?––that;–– 15

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

That at his will he may do danger with.

The abuse of greatness is, when it disjoins

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

I have not known when his affections sway'd 20

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

That lowliness is young ambition's ladder,

Whereto the climber–upward turns his face;

But when he once attains the upmost round.

He then unto the ladder turns his back, 25

Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees

By which he did ascend. So Caesar may.

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

Will bear no colour for the thing he is,

Fashion it thus; that what he is, augmented, 30

Would run to these and these extremities:

And therefore think him as a serpent's egg

Which, hatch'd, would, as his kind, grow mischievous,

And kill him in the shell.

Re–enter LUCIUS.

LUCIUS The taper burneth in your closet, sir. 35

Searching the window for a flint, I found

This paper, thus seal'd up; and, I am sure,

It did not lie there when I went to bed.

Gives him the letter.

BRUTUS Get you to bed again; it is not day.

Is not to–morrow, boy, the ides of March? 40

LUCIUS I know not, sir.

BRUTUS Look in the calendar, and bring me word.

LUCIUS I will, sir.

Exit

BRUTUS The exhalations whizzing in the air

Give so much light that I may read by them. 45

Opens the letter and reads

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

Shall Rome, &c. Speak, strike, redress!

Brutus, thou sleep'st: awake!'

Such instigations have been often dropp'd

Where I have took them up. 50

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

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

My ancestors did from the streets of Rome

The Tarquin drive, when he was call'd a king.

Speak, strike, redress!' Am I entreated 55

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

If the redress will follow, thou receivest

Thy full petition at the hand of Brutus!

Re–enter LUCIUS.

LUCIUS Sir, March is wasted fourteen days.

Knocking within

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

Exit LUCIUS.

Since Cassius first did whet me against Caesar, 61

I have not slept.

Between the acting of a dreadful thing

And the first motion, all the interim is

Like a phantasma, or a hideous dream: 65

The Genius and the mortal instruments

Are then in council; and the state of man,

Like to a little kingdom, suffers then

The nature of an insurrection.

Re–enter LUCIUS.

LUCIUS Sir, 'tis your brother Cassius at the door, 70

Who doth desire to see you.

BRUTUS Is he alone?

LUCIUS No, sir, there are moe with him.

BRUTUS Do you know them?

LUCIUS No, sir; their hats are pluck'd about their ears,

And half their faces buried in their cloaks,

That by no means I may discover them 75

By any mark of favour.

BRUTUS Let 'em enter.

Exit LUCIUS.

They are the faction. O conspiracy,

Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night,

When evils are most free? O, then by day

Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough 80

To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;

Hide it in smiles and affability:

For if thou path, thy native semblance on,

Not Erebus itself were dim enough

To hide thee from prevention. 85

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

CASSIUS I think we are too bold upon your rest:

Good morrow, Brutus; do we trouble you?

BRUTUS I have been up this hour, awake all night.

Know I these men that come along with you?

CASSIUS Yes, every man of them, and no man here 90

But honours you; and every one doth wish

You had but that opinion of yourself

Which every noble Roman bears of you.

This is Trebonius.

BRUTUS He is welcome hither.

CASSIUS This, Decius Brutus.

BRUTUS He is welcome too.

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

BRUTUS They are all welcome.

What watchful cares do interpose themselves

Betwixt your eyes and night? 99

CASSIUS Shall I entreat a word?

BRUTUS and CASSIUS whisper.

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

CASCA No.

CINNA O, pardon, sir, it doth; and yon gray lines

That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

CASCA You shall confess that you are both deceived. 105

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

Which is a great way growing on the south,

Weighing the youthful season of the year.

Some two months hence up higher toward the north

He first presents his fire; and the high east 110

Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

BRUTUS Give me your hands all over, one by one.

CASSIUS And let us swear our resolution.

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

The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse,–– 115

If these be motives weak, break off betimes,

And every man hence to his idle bed;

So let high–sighted tyranny range on,

Till each man drop by lottery. But if these,

As I am sure they do, bear fire enough 120

To kindle cowards and to steel with valour

The melting spirits of women, then, countrymen,

What need we any spur but our own cause,

To prick us to redress? what other bond

Than secret Romans, that have spoke the word, 125

And will not palter? and what other oath

Than honesty to honesty engaged,

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

Swear priests and cowards and men cautelous,

Old feeble carrions and such suffering souls 130

That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear

Such creatures as men doubt; but do not stain

The even virtue of our enterprise,

Nor the insuppressive mettle of our spirits,

To think that or our cause or our performance 135

Did need an oath; when every drop of blood

That every Roman bears, and nobly bears,

Is guilty of a several bastardy,

If he do break the smallest particle

Of any promise that hath pass'd from him. 140

CASSIUS But what of Cicero? shall we sound him?

I think he will stand very strong with us.

CASCA Let us not leave him out.

CINNA No, by no means.

METELLUS CIMBER O, let us have him, for his silver hairs

Will purchase us a good opinion 145

And buy men's voices to commend our deeds:

It shall be said, his judgment ruled our hands;

Our youths and wildness shall no whit appear,

But all be buried in his gravity.

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

For he will never follow any thing 151

That other men begin.

CASSIUS Then leave him out.

CASCA Indeed he is not fit.

DECIUS BRUTUS Shall no man else be touch'd but only Caesar?

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

Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,

Should outlive Caesar: we shall find of him

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

If he improve them, may well stretch so far

As to annoy us all: which to prevent, 160

Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

BRUTUS Our course will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,

To cut the head off and then hack the limbs,

Like wrath in death and envy afterwards;

For Antony is but a limb of Caesar:

Let us be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.

We all stand up against the spirit of Caesar;

And in the spirit of men there is no blood:

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

And not dismember Caesar! But, alas, 170

Caesar must bleed for it! And, gentle friends,

Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;

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

Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds:

And let our hearts, as subtle masters do, 175

Stir up their servants to an act of rage,

And after seem to chide 'em. This shall make

Our purpose necessary and not envious:

Which so appearing to the common eyes,

We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers. 180

And for Mark Antony, think not of him;

For he can do no more than Caesar's arm

When Caesar's head is off.

CASSIUS Yet I fear him;

For in the ingrafted love he bears to Caesar––

BRUTUS Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him: 185

If he love Caesar, all that he can do

Is to himself, take thought and die for Caesar:

And that were much he should; for he is given

To sports, to wildness and much company.

TREBONIUS There is no fear in him; let him not die; 190

For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

Clock strikes.

BRUTUS Peace! count the clock.

CASSIUS The clock hath stricken three.

TREBONIUS Tis time to part.

CASSIUS But it is doubtful yet,

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

For he is superstitious grown of late, 195

Quite from the main opinion he held once

Of fantasy, of dreams and ceremonies:

It may be, these apparent prodigies,

The unaccustom'd terror of this night,

And the persuasion of his augurers, 200

May hold him from the Capitol to–day.

DECIUS BRUTUS Never fear that: if he be so resolved,

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

That unicorns may be betray'd with trees,

And bears with glasses, elephants with holes, 205

Lions with toils and men with flatterers;

But when I tell him he hates flatterers,

He says he does, being then most flattered.

Let me work;

For I can give his humour the true bent, 210

And I will bring him to the Capitol.

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

BRUTUS By the eighth hour: is that the uttermost?

CINNA Be that the uttermost, and fail not then.

METELLUS CIMBER Caius Ligarius doth bear Caesar hard, 215

Who rated him for speaking well of Pompey:

I wonder none of you have thought of him.

BRUTUS Now, good Metellus, go along by him:

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

Send him but hither, and I'll fashion him. 220

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

And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember

What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.

BRUTUS Good gentlemen, look fresh and merrily;

Let not our looks put on our purposes, 225

But bear it as our Roman actors do,

With untired spirits and formal constancy:

And so good morrow to you every one.

Exeunt all but BRUTUS.

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

Enjoy the honey–heavy dew of slumber: 230

Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies,

Which busy care draws in the brains of men;

Therefore thou sleep'st so sound.

Enter PORTIA.

PORTIA Brutus, my lord!

BRUTUS Portia, what mean you? wherefore rise you now?

It is not for your health thus to commit 235

Your weak condition to the raw cold morning.

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

Stole from my bed: and yesternight, at supper,

You suddenly arose, and walk'd about,

Musing and sighing, with your arms across, 240

And when I ask'd you what the matter was,

You stared upon me with ungentle looks;

I urged you further; then you scratch'd your head,

And too impatiently stamp'd with your foot;

Yet I insisted, yet you answer'd not, 245

But, with an angry wafture of your hand,

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

Fearing to strengthen that impatience

Which seem'd too much enkindled, and withal

Hoping it was but an effect of humour, 250

Which sometime hath his hour with every man.

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

And could it work so much upon your shape

As it hath much prevail'd on your condition,

I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord, 255

Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.

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

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

He would embrace the means to come by it.

BRUTUS Why, so I do. Good Portia, go to bed. 260

PORTIA Is Brutus sick? and is it physical

To walk unbraced and suck up the humours

Of the dank morning? What, is Brutus sick,

And will he steal out of his wholesome bed,

To dare the vile contagion of the night 265

And tempt the rheumy and unpurged air

To add unto his sickness? No, my Brutus;

You have some sick offence within your mind,

Which, by the right and virtue of my place,

I ought to know of: and, upon my knees, 270

I charm you, by my once–commended beauty,

By all your vows of love and that great vow

Which did incorporate and make us one,

That you unfold to me, yourself, your half,

Why you are heavy, and what men to–night 275

Have had to resort to you: for here have been

Some six or seven, who did hide their faces

Even from darkness.

BRUTUS Kneel not, gentle Portia.

PORTIA I should not need, if you were gentle Brutus.

Within the bond of marriage, tell me, Brutus, 280

Is it excepted I should know no secrets

That appertain to you? Am I yourself

But, as it were, in sort or limitation,

To keep with you at meals, comfort your bed,

And talk to you sometimes? Dwell I but in the suburbs 285

Of your good pleasure? If it be no more,

Portia is Brutus' harlot, not his wife.

BRUTUS You are my true and honourable wife,

As dear to me as are the ruddy drops

That visit my sad heart 290

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

I grant I am a woman; but withal

A woman that Lord Brutus took to wife:

I grant I am a woman; but withal

A woman well–reputed, Cato's daughter. 295

Think you I am no stronger than my sex,

Being so father'd and so husbanded?

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

I have made strong proof of my constancy,

Giving myself a voluntary wound 300

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

And not my husband's secrets?

BRUTUS O ye gods,

Render me worthy of this noble wife!

Knocking within.

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

And by and by thy bosom shall partake 305

The secrets of my heart.

All my engagements I will construe to thee,

All the charactery of my sad brows:

Leave me with haste.

Exit PORTIA.

Lucius, who's that knocks? 309

Re–enter LUCIUS with LIGARIUS.

LUCIUS He is a sick man that would speak with you.

BRUTUS Caius Ligarius, that Metellus spake of.

Boy, stand aside. Caius Ligarius! how?

LIGARIUS Vouchsafe good morrow from a feeble tongue.

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

To wear a kerchief! Would you were not sick!

LIGARIUS I am not sick, if Brutus have in hand

Any exploit worthy the name of honour.

BRUTUS Such an exploit have I in hand, Ligarius,

Had you a healthful ear to hear of it.

LIGARIUS By all the gods that Romans bow before, 320

I here discard my sickness! Soul of Rome!

Brave son, derived from honourable loins!

Thou, like an exorcist, hast conjured up

My mortified spirit. Now bid me run,

And I will strive with things impossible;

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

BRUTUS A piece of work that will make sick men whole.

LIGARIUS But are not some whole that we must make sick?

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

I shall unfold to thee, as we are going 330

To whom it must be done.

LIGARIUS Set on your foot,

And with a heart new–fired I follow you,

To do I know not what: but it sufficeth

That Brutus leads me on. 335

BRUTUS Follow me, then.

Exeunt

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Act 2, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE II Setting: CAESAR's house.

Thunder and lightning. Enter CAESAR, in his night–gown.

CAESAR Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace to–night:

Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,

Help, ho! they murder Caesar!' Who's within?

Enter a Servant.

Servant My lord?

CAESAR Go bid the priests do present sacrifice
5

And bring me their opinions of success.

Servant I will, my lord.

Exit

Enter CALPURNIA.

CALPURNIA What mean you, Caesar? think you to walk forth?

You shall not stir out of your house to–day.
9

CAESAR Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten'd me

Ne'er look'd but on my back; when they shall see

The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

CALPURNIA Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,

Yet now they fright me. There is one within,

Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
15

Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.

A lioness hath whelped in the streets;

And graves have yawn'd, and yielded up their dead;

Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds,

In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
20

Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol;

The noise of battle hurtled in the air,

Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,

And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.

O Caesar! these things are beyond all use,
25

And I do fear them.

CAESAR What can be avoided

Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?

Yet Caesar shall go forth; for these predictions

Are to the world in general as to Caesar.

CALPURNIA When beggars die, there are no comets seen;
30

The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths;

The valiant never taste of death but once.

Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.

It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
35

Seeing that death, a necessary end,

Will come when it will come.

Re–enter Servant.

What say the augurers?

Servant They would not have you to stir forth to–day.

Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,

They could not find a heart within the beast.
40

CAESAR The gods do this in shame of cowardice:

Caesar should be a beast without a heart,

If he should stay at home to–day for fear.

No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well

That Caesar is more dangerous than he:
45

We are two lions litter'd in one day,

And I the elder and more terrible:

And Caesar shall go forth.

CALPURNIA Alas, my lord,

Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.

Do not go forth to–day: call it my fear
50

That keeps you in the house, and not your own.

We'll send Mark Antony to the senate–house:

And he shall say you are not well to–day:

Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.

CAESAR Mark Antony shall say I am not well,
55

And, for thy humour, I will stay at home.

Enter DECIUS BRUTUS.

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

DECIUS BRUTUS Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar:

I come to fetch you to the senate–house.

CAESAR And you are come in very happy time,
60

To bear my greeting to the senators

And tell them that I will not come to–day:

Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser:

I will not come to–day: tell them so, Decius.

CALPURNIA Say he is sick.

CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie?
65

Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far,

To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth?

Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS BRUTUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,

Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.
70

CAESAR The cause is in my will: I will not come;

That is enough to satisfy the senate.

But for your private satisfaction,

Because I love you, I will let you know:

Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home:
75

She dreamt to–night she saw my statua,

Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts,

Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans

Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it:

And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,

And evils imminent; and on her knee

Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to–day.

DECIUS BRUTUS This dream is all amiss interpreted;

It was a vision fair and fortunate:

Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,
85

In which so many smiling Romans bathed,

Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck

Reviving blood, and that great men shall press

For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance.

This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.
90

CAESAR And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS BRUTUS I have, when you have heard what I can say:

And know it now: the senate have concluded

To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.

If you shall send them word you will not come,
95

Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock

Apt to be render'd, for some one to say

Break up the senate till another time,

When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'

If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper
100

Lo, Caesar is afraid'?

Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love

To our proceeding bids me tell you this;

And reason to my love is liable.
104

CAESAR How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!

I am ashamed I did yield to them.

Give me my robe, for I will go.

Enter PUBLIUS, BRUTUS, LIGARIUS, METELLUS, CASCA, TREBONIUS, and CINNA.

And look where Publius is come to fetch me.

PUBLIUS Good morrow, Caesar.

CAESAR Welcome, Publius.

What, Brutus, are you stirr'd so early too?
110

Good morrow, Casca. Caius Ligarius,

Caesar was ne'er so much your enemy

As that same ague which hath made you lean.

What is 't o'clock?

BRUTUS Caesar, 'tis strucken eight.

CAESAR I thank you for your pains and courtesy.

Enter ANTONY.

See! Antony, that revels long o' nights,

Is notwithstanding up. Good morrow, Antony.

ANTONY So to most noble Caesar.

CAESAR Bid them prepare within:

I am to blame to be thus waited for.

Now, Cinna: now, Metellus: what, Trebonius!
120

I have an hour's talk in store for you;

Remember that you call on me to–day:

Be near me, that I may remember you.

TREBONIUS Caesar, I will:

Aside.

and so near will I be,

That your best friends shall wish I had been further.
125

CAESAR Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;

And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

BRUTUS Aside. That every like is not the same, O Caesar,

The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

Exeunt

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Act 2, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE III Setting: A street near the Capitol.

Enter ARTEMIDORUS, reading a paper.

ARTEMIDORUS Caesar, beware of Brutus; take heed of Cassius;

come not near Casca; have an eye to Cinna, trust not

Trebonius: mark well Metellus Cimber: Decius Brutus

loves thee not: thou hast wronged Caius Ligarius.
5

There is but one mind in all these men, and it is

bent against Caesar. If thou beest not immortal,

look about you: security gives way to conspiracy.

The mighty gods defend thee! Thy lover,

ARTEMIDORUS.'
10

Here will I stand till Caesar pass along,

And as a suitor will I give him this.

My heart laments that virtue cannot live

Out of the teeth of emulation.

If thou read this, O Caesar, thou mayst live;
15

If not, the Fates with traitors do contrive.

Exit

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Act 2, page 3

Table of Contents

ACT II SCENE IV Setting: Another part of the same street, before the house of BRUTUS.

Enter PORTIA and LUCIUS.

PORTIA I prithee, boy, run to the senate–house;

Stay not to answer me, but get thee gone:

Why dost thou stay?

LUCIUS To know my errand, madam.

PORTIA I would have had thee there, and here again,

Ere I can tell thee what thou shouldst do there.
5

O constancy, be strong upon my side,

Set a huge mountain 'tween my heart and tongue!

I have a man's mind, but a woman's might.

How hard it is for women to keep counsel!

Art thou here yet?

LUCIUS Madam, what should I do?
10

Run to the Capitol, and nothing else?

And so return to you, and nothing else?

PORTIA Yes, bring me word, boy, if thy lord look well,

For he went sickly forth: and take good note

What Caesar doth, what suitors press to him.
15

Hark, boy! what noise is that?

LUCIUS I hear none, madam.

PORTIA Prithee, listen well;

I heard a bustling rumour, like a fray,

And the wind brings it from the Capitol.

LUCIUS Sooth, madam, I hear nothing.

Enter the Soothsayer.

PORTIA Come hither, fellow: which way hast thou been?
20

Soothsayer At mine own house, good lady.

PORTIA What is't o'clock?

Soothsayer About the ninth hour, lady.

PORTIA Is Caesar yet gone to the Capitol?

Soothsayer Madam, not yet: I go to take my stand,

To see him pass on to the Capitol.
25

PORTIA Thou hast some suit to Caesar, hast thou not?

Soothsayer That I have, lady: if it will please Caesar

To be so good to Caesar as to hear me,

I shall beseech him to befriend himself.

PORTIA Why, know'st thou any harm's intended towards him?
30

Soothsayer None that I know will be, much that I fear may chance.

Good morrow to you. Here the street is narrow:

The throng that follows Caesar at the heels,

Of senators, of praetors, common suitors,

Will crowd a feeble man almost to death:
35

I'll get me to a place more void, and there

Speak to great Caesar as he comes along.

Exit

PORTIA I must go in. Ay me, how weak a thing

The heart of woman is! O Brutus,

The heavens speed thee in thine enterprise!

Sure, the boy heard me: Brutus hath a suit

That Caesar will not grant. O, I grow faint.

Run, Lucius, and commend me to my lord;

Say I am merry: come to me again,

And bring me word what he doth say to thee.
45

Exeunt severally.

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Act 3, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT III SCENE I Setting: Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.

A crowd of people; among them ARTEMIDORUS and the Soothsayer. Flourish.Enter CAESAR, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, CASCA, DECIUS BRUTUS, METELLUS CIMBER, TREBONIUS, CINNA, ANTONY, LEPIDUS, POPILIUS, PUBLIUS, and others.

[CASCA first, then the other Conspirators and BRUTUS stab CAESAR]

CAESAR (To the Soothsayer)The ides of March are come

Soothsayer Ay, Caesar; but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS Hail, Caesar! read this schedule.

DECIUS BRUTUS Trebonius doth desire you to o'erread,

At your best leisure, this his humble suit. 5

ARTEMIDORUS O Caesar, read mine first; for mine's a suit

That touches Caesar nearer: read it, great Caesar.

CAESAR What touches us ourself shall be last served.

ARTEMIDORUS Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.

CAESAR What, is the fellow mad?

PUBLIUS Sirrah, give place. 10

CASSIUS What, urge you your petitions in the street?

Come to the Capitol.

CAESAR goes up to the Senate–House, the rest following

POPILIUS I wish your enterprise to–day may thrive.

CASSIUS What enterprise, Popilius?

POPILIUS Fare you well.

[Advances to CAESAR.]

BRUTUS What said Popilius Lena? 15

CASSIUS He wish'd to–day our enterprise might thrive.

I fear our purpose is discovered.

BRUTUS Look, how he makes to Caesar; mark him.

CASSIUS Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.

Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known, 20

Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,

For I will slay myself.

BRUTUS Cassius, be constant:

Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes;

For, look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

CASSIUS Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus. 25

He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

[Exeunt ANTONY and TREBONIUS.]

DECIUS BRUTUS Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go,

And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

BRUTUS He is address'd: press near and second him.

CINNA Casca, you are the first that rears your hand. 30

CAESAR Are we all ready? What is now amiss

That Caesar and his senate must redress?

METELLUS CIMBER Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,

Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat

An humble heart,––

[Kneeling]

CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber. 35

These couchings and these lowly courtesies

Might fire the blood of ordinary men,

And turn pre–ordinance and first decree

Into the law of children. Be not fond,

To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood 40

That will be thaw'd from the true quality

With that which melteth fools; I mean, sweet words,

Low–crooked court'sies and base spaniel–fawning.

Thy brother by decree is banished:

If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, 45

I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.

Know, Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause

Will he be satisfied.

METELLUS CIMBER Is there no voice more worthy than my own

To sound more sweetly in great Caesar's ear 50

For the repealing of my banish'd brother?

BRUTUS I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar;

Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may

Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

CAESAR What, Brutus!

CASSIUS Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:

As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall, 56

To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

CASSIUS I could be well moved, if I were as you:

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:

But I am constant as the northern star,

Of whose true–fix'd and resting quality

There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,

They are all fire and every one doth shine,

But there's but one in all doth hold his place: 65

So in the world; 'tis furnish'd well with men,

And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;

Yet in the number I do know but one

That unassailable holds on his rank,

Unshaked of motion: and that I am he, 70

Let me a little show it, even in this;

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,

And constant do remain to keep him so.

CINNA O Caesar,––

CAESAR Hence! wilt thou lift up Olympus?

DECIUS BRUTUS Great Caesar,––

CAESAR Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

CASCA Speak, hands for me!

CAESAR Et tu, Brute! Then fall, Caesar!

[Dies]

CINNA Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!

Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

CASSIUS Some to the common pulpits, and cry out 80

Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'

BRUTUS People and senators, be not affrighted;

Fly not; stand stiff: ambition's debt is paid.

CASCA Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

DECIUS BRUTUS And Cassius too. 85

BRUTUS Where's Publius?

CINNA Here, quite confounded with this mutiny.

METELLUS CIMBER Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar's

Should chance––

BRUTUS Talk not of standing. Publius, good cheer; 90

There is no harm intended to your person,

Nor to no Roman else: so tell them, Publius.

CASSIUS And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,

Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

BRUTUS Do so: and let no man abide this deed, 95

But we the doers.

Re–enter TREBONIUS.

CASSIUS Where is Antony?

TREBONIUS Fled to his house amazed:

Men, wives and children stare, cry out and run

As it were doomsday.

BRUTUS Fates, we will know your pleasures:

That we shall die, we know; 'tis but the time 100

And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

CASSIUS Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life

Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

BRUTUS Grant that, and then is death a benefit:

So are we Caesar's friends, that have abridged 105

His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,

And let us bathe our hands in Caesar's blood

Up to the elbows, and besmear our swords:

Then walk we forth, even to the market–place,

And, waving our red weapons o'er our heads, 110

Let's all cry 'Peace, freedom and liberty!'

CASSIUS Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence

Shall this our lofty scene be acted over

In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

BRUTUS How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport, 115

That now on Pompey's basis lies along

No worthier than the dust!

CASSIUS So oft as that shall be,

So often shall the knot of us be call'd

The men that gave their country liberty.

DECIUS BRUTUS What, shall we forth?

CASSIUS Ay, every man away: 120

Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels

With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Enter a Servant.

BRUTUS Soft! who comes here? A friend of Antony's.

Servant Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel:

Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down; 125

And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say:

Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;

Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving:

Say I love Brutus, and I honour him;

Say I fear'd Caesar, honour'd him and loved him. 130

If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony

May safely come to him, and be resolved

How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death,

Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead

So well as Brutus living; but will follow 135

The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus

Thorough the hazards of this untrod state

With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

BRUTUS Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman;

I never thought him worse. 140

Tell him, so please him come unto this place,

He shall be satisfied; and, by my honour,

Depart untouch'd.

Servant I'll fetch him presently.

Exit

BRUTUS I know that we shall have him well to friend.

CASSIUS I wish we may: but yet have I a mind 145

That fears him much; and my misgiving still

Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

BRUTUS But here comes Antony.

Re–enter ANTONY.

Welcome, Mark Antony.

ANTONY O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low?

Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils, 150

Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.

I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,

Who else must be let blood, who else is rank:

If I myself, there is no hour so fit

As Caesar's death hour, nor no instrument 155

Of half that worth as those your swords, made rich

With the most noble blood of all this world.

I do beseech ye, if you bear me hard,

Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,

Fulfil your pleasure. Live a thousand years, 160

I shall not find myself so apt to die:

No place will please me so, no mean of death,

As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,

The choice and master spirits of this age.

BRUTUS O Antony, beg not your death of us. 165

Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,

As, by our hands and this our present act,

You see we do, yet see you but our hands

And this the bleeding business they have done:

Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; 170

And pity to the general wrong of Rome––

As fire drives out fire, so pity pity––

Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,

To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony:

Our arms, in strength of malice, and our hearts 175

Of brothers' temper, do receive you in

With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

CASSIUS Your voice shall be as strong as any man's

In the disposing of new dignities.

BRUTUS Only be patient till we have appeased 180

The multitude, beside themselves with fear,

And then we will deliver you the cause,

Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,

Have thus proceeded.

ANTONY I doubt not of your wisdom.

Let each man render me his bloody hand: 185

First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you;

Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand;

Now, Decius Brutus, yours: now yours, Metellus;

Yours, Cinna; and, my valiant Casca, yours;

Though last, not last in love, yours, good Trebonius. 190

Gentlemen all,––alas, what shall I say?

My credit now stands on such slippery ground,

That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,

Either a coward or a flatterer.

That I did love thee, Caesar, O, 'tis true: 195

If then thy spirit look upon us now,

Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death,

To see thy thy Anthony making his peace,

Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes,

Most noble! in the presence of thy corse? 200

Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,

Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood,

It would become me better than to close

In terms of friendship with thine enemies.

Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay'd, brave hart; 205

Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand,

Sign'd in thy spoil, and crimson'd in thy lethe.

O world, thou wast the forest to this hart;

And this, indeed, O world, the heart of thee.

How like a deer, strucken by many princes, 210

Dost thou here lie!

CASSIUS Mark Antony,––

ANTONY Pardon me, Caius Cassius:

The enemies of Caesar shall say this;

Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

CASSIUS I blame you not for praising Caesar so; 215

But what compact mean you to have with us?

Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;

Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

ANTONY Therefore I took your hands, but was, indeed,

Sway'd from the point, by looking down on Caesar. 220

Friends am I with you all and love you all,

Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons

Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.

BRUTUS Or else were this a savage spectacle:

Our reasons are so full of good regard 225

That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,

You should be satisfied.

ANTONY That's all I seek:

And am moreover suitor that I may

Produce his body to the market–place;

And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend, 230

Speak in the order of his funeral.

BRUTUS You shall, Mark Antony.

CASSIUS Brutus, a word with you.

Aside to BRUTUS.

You know not what you do: do not consent

That Antony speak in his funeral:

Know you how much the people may be moved 235

By that which he will utter?

BRUTUS By your pardon;

I will myself into the pulpit first,

And show the reason of our Caesar's death:

What Antony shall speak, I will protest

He speaks by leave and by permission, 240

And that we are contented Caesar shall

Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.

It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

CASSIUS I know not what may fall; I like it not.

BRUTUS Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar's body.

You shall not in your funeral speech blame us,

But speak all good you can devise of Caesar,

And say you do't by our permission;

Else shall you not have any hand at all

About his funeral: and you shall speak 250

In the same pulpit whereto I am going,

After my speech is ended.

ANTONY Be it so.

I do desire no more.

BRUTUS Prepare the body then, and follow us.

[Exeunt all but ANTONY.]

ANTONY O, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, 255

That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!

Thou art the ruins of the noblest man

That ever lived in the tide of times.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!

Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,–– 260

Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,

To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue––

A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;

Domestic fury and fierce civil strife

Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; 265

Blood and destruction shall be so in use

And dreadful objects so familiar

That mothers shall but smile when they behold

Their infants quarter'd with the hands of war;

All pity choked with custom of fell deeds: 270

And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,

With Ate by his side come hot from hell,

Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice

Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;

That this foul deed shall smell above the earth 275

With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Enter a Servant.

You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?

Servant I do, Mark Antony.

ANTONY Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.

Servant He did receive his letters, and is coming; 280

And bid me say to you by word of mouth––

O Caesar!––

[Seeing the body.]

ANTONY Thy heart is big, get thee apart and weep.

Passion, I see, is catching; for mine eyes,

Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, 285

Began to water. Is thy master coming?

Servant He lies to–night within seven leagues of Rome.

ANTONY Post back with speed, and tell him what hath chanced:

Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome,

No Rome of safety for Octavius yet; 290

Hie hence, and tell him so. Yet, stay awhile;

Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corse

Into the market–place: there shall I try

In my oration, how the people take

The cruel issue of these bloody men; 295

According to the which, thou shalt discourse

To young Octavius of the state of things.

Lend me your hand.

Exeunt with CAESAR's body.

Posted on September 4, 2017 by admin

Act 3, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT III SCENE II Setting: The Forum.

Enter BRUTUS and CASSIUS, and a throng of Citizens.

Exit CASSIUS, with some of the Citizens. BRUTUS goes into the pulpit.

Citizens We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied.

BRUTUS Then follow me, and give me audience, friends.

Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here; 5

Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Caesar's death.

First Citizen I will hear Brutus speak.

Second Citizen I will hear Cassius; and compare their reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered. 10

Third Citizen The noble Brutus is ascended: silence!

BRUTUS Be patient till the last.

Romans, countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my

cause, and be silent, that you may hear: believe me

for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour, that

you may believe: censure me in your wisdom, and

awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of

Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar

was no less than his. If then that friend demand

why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:

––Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved

Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and

die all slaves, than that Caesar were dead, to live

all free men? As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;

as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was

valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I

slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his

fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his

ambition. Who is here so base that would be a

bondman? If any, speak; for him have I offended.

Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If

any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so

vile that will not love his country? If any, speak;

for him have I offended. I pause for a reply. 33

All None, Brutus, none.

BRUTUS Then none have I offended. I have done no more to

Caesar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of

his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not

extenuated, wherein he was worthy, nor his offences

enforced, for which he suffered death. 39

Enter ANTONY and others, with CAESAR's body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who,

though he had no hand in his death, shall receive

the benefit of his dying, a place in the

commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this

I depart,––that, as I slew my best lover for the

good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself,

when it shall please my country to need my death. 46

All Live, Brutus! live, live!

First Citizen Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

Second Citizen Give him a statue with his ancestors.

Third Citizen Let him be Caesar.

Fourth Citizen Caesar's better parts 50

Shall be crown'd in Brutus.

First Citizen We'll bring him to his house

With shouts and clamours.

BRUTUS My countrymen,––

Second Citizen Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

First Citizen Peace, ho!

BRUTUS Good countrymen, let me depart alone, 55

And, for my sake, stay here with Antony:

Do grace to Caesar's corpse, and grace his speech

Tending to Caesar's glories; which Mark Antony,

By our permission, is allow'd to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart, 60

Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.

Exit

First Citizen Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark Antony.

Third Citizen Let him go up into the public chair;

We'll hear him. Noble Antony, go up.

ANTONY For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you. 65

Goes into the pulpit

Fourth Citizen What does he say of Brutus?

Third Citizen He says, for Brutus' sake,

He finds himself beholding to us all.

Fourth Citizen Twere best he speak no harm of Brutus here.

First Citizen This Caesar was a tyrant.

Third Citizen Nay, that's certain:

We are blest that Rome is rid of him. 70

Second Citizen Peace! let us hear what Antony can say.

ANTONY You gentle Romans,––

Citizens Peace, ho! let us hear him.

ANTONY Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;

I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them; 75

The good is oft interred with their bones;

So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus

Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:

If it were so, it was a grievous fault,

And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it. 80

Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest––

For Brutus is an honourable man;

So are they all, all honourable men––

Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.

He was my friend, faithful and just to me: 85

But Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

He hath brought many captives home to Rome

Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:

Did this in Caesar seem ambitious? 90

When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And Brutus is an honourable man.

You all did see that on the Lupercal 95

I thrice presented him a kingly crown,

Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?

Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;

And, sure, he is an honourable man.

I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke, 100

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me; 105

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

First Citizen Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.

Second Citizen If thou consider rightly of the matter,

Caesar has had great wrong.

Third Citizen Has he, masters? 110

I fear there will a worse come in his place.

Fourth Citizen Mark'd ye his words? He would not take the crown;

Therefore 'tis certain he was not ambitious.

First Citizen If it be found so, some will dear abide it.

Second Citizen Poor soul! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.

Third Citizen There's not a nobler man in Rome than Antony. 116

Fourth Citizen Now mark him, he begins again to speak.

ANTONY But yesterday the word of Caesar might

Have stood against the world; now lies he there.

And none so poor to do him reverence. 120

O masters, if I were disposed to stir

Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,

I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong,

Who, you all know, are honourable men:

I will not do them wrong; I rather choose 125

To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you,

Than I will wrong such honourable men.

But here's a parchment with the seal of Caesar;

I found it in his closet, 'tis his will:

Let but the commons hear this testament–– 130

Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read––

And they would go and kiss dead Caesar's wounds

And dip their napkins in his sacred blood,

Yea, beg a hair of him for memory,

And, dying, mention it within their wills, 135

Bequeathing it as a rich legacy

Unto their issue.

Fourth Citizen We'll hear the will: read it, Mark Antony.

All The will, the will! we will hear Caesar's will.

ANTONY Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;

It is not meet you know how Caesar loved you. 141

You are not wood, you are not stones, but men;

And, being men, bearing the will of Caesar,

It will inflame you, it will make you mad:

Tis good you know not that you are his heirs; 145

For, if you should, O, what would come of it!

Fourth Citizen Read the will; we'll hear it, Antony;

You shall read us the will, Caesar's will.

ANTONY Will you be patient? will you stay awhile?

I have o'ershot myself to tell you of it: 150

I fear I wrong the honourable men

Whose daggers have stabb'd Caesar; I do fear it.

Fourth Citizen They were traitors: honourable men!

All The will! the testament!

Second Citizen They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will. 155

ANTONY You will compel me, then, to read the will?

Then make a ring about the corpse of Caesar,

And let me show you him that made the will.

Shall I descend? and will you give me leave? 160

Several Citizens Come down.

Second Citizen Descend.

Third Citizen You shall have leave.

ANTONY comes down.

Fourth Citizen A ring; stand round.

First Citizen Stand from the hearse, stand from the body.

Second Citizen Room for Antony, most noble Antony. 166

ANTONY Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.

Several Citizens Stand back; room; bear back.

ANTONY If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.

You all do know this mantle: I remember 170

The first time ever Caesar put it on;

Twas on a summer's evening, in his tent,

That day he overcame the Nervii:

Look, in this place ran Cassius' dagger through:

See what a rent the envious Casca made: 175

Through this the well–beloved Brutus stabb'd;

And as he pluck'd his cursed steel away,

Mark how the blood of Caesar follow'd it,

As rushing out of doors, to be resolved

If Brutus so unkindly knock'd, or no; 180

For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel:

Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!

This was the most unkindest cut of all;

For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,

Ingratitude, more strong than traitors' arms, 185

Quite vanquish'd him: then burst his mighty heart;

And, in his mantle muffling up his face,

Even at the base of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.

O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! 190

Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,

Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.

O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel

The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.

Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold 195

Our Caesar's vesture wounded? Look you here,

Here is himself, marr'd, as you see, with traitors.

First Citizen O piteous spectacle!

Second Citizen O noble Caesar!

Third Citizen O woful day! 200

Fourth Citizen O traitors, villains!

First Citizen O most bloody sight!

Second Citizen We will be revenged.

All Revenge! About! Seek! Burn! Fire! Kill! Slay!

Let not a traitor live!

ANTONY Stay, countrymen. 205

First Citizen Peace there! hear the noble Antony.

Second Citizen We'll hear him, we'll follow him, we'll die with him.

ANTONY Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up

To such a sudden flood of mutiny.

They that have done this deed are honourable: 210

What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,

That made them do it: they are wise and honourable,

And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you. 215

I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts:

I am no orator, as Brutus is;

But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,

That love my friend; and that they know full well

That gave me public leave to speak of him: 220

For I have neither wit, nor words, nor worth,

Action, nor utterance, nor the power of speech,

To stir men's blood: I only speak right on;

I tell you that which you yourselves do know;

Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,

And bid them speak for me: but were I Brutus, 226

And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony

Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue

In every wound of Caesar that should move

The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny. 230

All We'll mutiny.

First Citizen We'll burn the house of Brutus.

Third Citizen Away, then! come, seek the conspirators.

ANTONY Yet hear me, countrymen; yet hear me speak.

All Peace, ho! Hear Antony. Most noble Antony!

ANTONY Why, friends, you go to do you know not what:

Wherein hath Caesar thus deserved your loves?

Alas, you know not: I must tell you then:

You have forgot the will I told you of.

All Most true. The will! Let's stay and hear the will. 240

ANTONY Here is the will, and under Caesar's seal.

To every Roman citizen he gives,

To every several man, seventy–five drachmas.

Second Citizen Most noble Caesar! We'll revenge his death.

Third Citizen O royal Caesar!

ANTONY Hear me with patience.

All Peace, ho!

ANTONY Moreover, he hath left you all his walks,

His private arbours and new–planted orchards,

On this side Tiber; he hath left them you, 250

And to your heirs for ever, common pleasures,

To walk abroad, and recreate yourselves.

Here was a Caesar! when comes such another?

First Citizen Never, never. Come, away, away!

We'll burn his body in the holy place, 255

And with the brands fire the traitors' houses.

Take up the body.

Second Citizen Go fetch fire.

Third Citizen Pluck down benches.

Fourth Citizen Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

Exeunt Citizens with the body.

ANTONY Now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, 261

Take thou what course thou wilt!

Enter a Servant

How now, fellow!

Servant Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

ANTONY Where is he?

Servant He and Lepidus are at Caesar's house.

ANTONY And thither will I straight to visit him:

He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,

And in this mood will give us any thing.

Servant I heard him say, Brutus and Cassius 269

Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.

ANTONY Belike they had some notice of the people,

How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.

Exeunt

Posted on September 4, 2017 by admin

Act 3, page 2

Table of Contents

ACT III SCENE III Setting: A street.

Enter CINNA the poet.

CINNA THE POET I dreamt to–night that I did feast with Caesar,

And things unlucky charge my fantasy:

I have no will to wander forth of doors,

Yet something leads me forth.

Enter Citizens.

First Citizen What is your name? 5

Second Citizen Whither are you going?

Third Citizen Where do you dwell?

Fourth Citizen Are you a married man or a bachelor?

Second Citizen Answer every man directly.

First Citizen Ay, and briefly. 10

Fourth Citizen Ay, and wisely.

Third Citizen Ay, and truly, you were best.

CINNA THE POET What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I

dwell? Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to

answer every man directly and briefly, wisely and

truly: wisely I say, I am a bachelor.

Second Citizen That's as much as to say, they are fools that marry:

you'll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed; directly.

CINNA THE POET Directly, I am going to Caesar's funeral. 20

First Citizen As a friend or an enemy?

CINNA THE POET As a friend.

Second Citizen That matter is answered directly.

Fourth Citizen For your dwelling,––briefly.

CINNA THE POET Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol. 25

Third Citizen Your name, sir, truly.

CINNA THE POET Truly, my name is Cinna.

First Citizen Tear him to pieces; he's a conspirator.

CINNA THE POET I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet. 29

Fourth Citizen Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

CINNA THE POET I am not Cinna the conspirator.

Fourth Citizen It is no matter, his name's Cinna; pluck but his

name out of his heart, and turn him going. 34

Third Citizen Tear him, tear him! Come, brands ho! fire–brands:

to Brutus', to Cassius'; burn all: some to Decius'

house, and some to Casca's; some to Ligarius': away, go!

Exeunt

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Act 4, page 1

Table of Contents

ACT 4 SCENE 2 Setting: Athens. A room in QUINCE'S house.

Enter QUINCE, FLUTE, SNOUT, and STARVELING

QUINCE Have you sent to Bottom's house? is he come home yet?

STARVELING He cannot be heard of. Out of doubt he is

transported.

FLUTE If he come not, then the play is marred: it goes

not forward, doth it?

QUINCE It is not possible: you have not a man in all

Athens able to discharge Pyramus but he.

FLUTE No, he hath simply the best wit of any handicraft

man in Athens. 10

QUINCE Yea and the best person too; and he is a very

paramour for a sweet voice.

FLUTE You must say 'paragon:' a paramour is, God bless us,

a thing of naught.

Enter SNUG

SNUG Masters, the duke is coming from the temple, and

there is two or three lords and ladies more married:

if our sport had gone forward, we had all been made

men.

FLUTE O sweet bully Bottom! Thus hath he lost sixpence a

day during his life; he could not have 'scaped

sixpence a day: an the duke had not given him

sixpence a day for playing Pyramus, I'll be hanged;

he would have deserved it: sixpence a day in

Pyramus, or nothing.

Enter BOTTOM

BOTTOM Where are these lads? where are these hearts?

QUINCE Bottom! O most courageous day! O most happy hour!

BOTTOM Masters, I am to discourse wonders: but ask me not

what; for if I tell you, I am no true Athenian. I

will tell you every thing, right as it fell out.

QUINCE Let us hear, sweet Bottom. 29

BOTTOM Not a word of me. All that I will tell you is, that

the duke hath dined. Get your apparel together,

good strings to your beards, new ribbons to your

pumps; meet presently at the palace; every man look

o'er his part; for the short and the long is, our

play is preferred. In any case, let Thisby have

clean linen; and let not him that plays the lion

pair his nails, for they shall hang out for the

lion's claws. And, most dear actors, eat no onions

nor garlic, for we are to utter sweet breath; and I

do not doubt but to hear them say, it is a sweet

comedy. No more words: away! go, away! 40

Exeunt

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Act 5, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT 5 SCENE 1 Setting:Athens. The palace of THESEUS.

[ Enter THESEUS, HIPPOLYTA, PHILOSTRATE, Lords and Attendants ]

HIPPOLYTA Tis strange my Theseus, that these

lovers speak of.

THESEUS More strange than true: I never may believe

These antique fables, nor these fairy toys.

Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, 5

Such shaping fantasies, that apprehend

More than cool reason ever comprehends.

The lunatic, the lover and the poet

Are of imagination all compact:

One sees more devils than vast hell can hold, 10

That is, the madman: the lover, all as frantic,

Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt:

The poet's eye, in fine frenzy rolling,

Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;

And as imagination bodies forth 15

The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen

Turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name.

Such tricks hath strong imagination,

That if it would but apprehend some joy, 20

It comprehends some bringer of that joy;

Or in the night, imagining some fear,

How easy is a bush supposed a bear!

HIPPOLYTA But all the story of the night told over,

And all their minds transfigured so together, 25

More witnesseth than fancy's images

And grows to something of great constancy;

But, howsoever, strange and admirable.

THESEUS Here come the lovers, full of joy and mirth.

[Enter LYSANDER, DEMETRIUS, HERMIA, and HELENA]

Joy, gentle friends! joy and fresh days of love 30

Accompany your hearts!

LYSANDER More than to us

Wait in your royal walks, your board, your bed!

THESEUS Come now; what masques, what dances shall we have,

To wear away this long age of three hours 35

Between our after–supper and bed–time?

Where is our usual manager of mirth?

What revels are in hand? Is there no play,

To ease the anguish of a torturing hour?

Call Philostrate. 40

PHILOSTRATE Here, mighty Theseus.

THESEUS Say, what abridgement have you for this evening?

What masque? what music? How shall we beguile

The lazy time, if not with some delight?

PHILOSTRATE There is a brief how many sports are ripe: 45

Make choice of which your highness will see first.

[Giving a paper]

THESEUS [Reads] 'The battle with the Centaurs, to be sung

By an Athenian eunuch to the harp.'

We'll none of that: that have I told my love,

In glory of my kinsman Hercules. 50

[Reads]

The riot of the tipsy Bacchanals,

Tearing the Thracian singer in their rage.'

That is an old device; and it was play'd

When I from Thebes came last a conqueror.

[Reads]

The thrice three Muses mourning for the death 55

Of Learning, late deceased in beggary.'

That is some satire, keen and critical,

Not sorting with a nuptial ceremony.

[Reads]

A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus

And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.' 60

Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!

That is, hot ice and wondrous strange snow.

How shall we find the concord of this discord?

PHILOSTRATE A play there is, my lord, some ten words long,

Which is as brief as I have known a play; 65

But by ten words, my lord, it is too long,

Which makes it tedious; for in all the play

There is not one word apt, one player fitted:

And tragical, my noble lord, it is;

For Pyramus therein doth kill himself. 70

Which, when I saw rehearsed, I must confess,

Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears

The passion of loud laughter never shed.

THESEUS What are they that do play it?

PHILOSTRATE Hard–handed men that work in Athens here, 75

Which never labour'd in their minds till now,

And now have toil'd their unbreathed memories

With this same play, against your nuptial.

THESEUS And we will hear it.

PHILOSTRATE No, my noble lord; 80

It is not for you: I have heard it over,

And it is nothing, nothing in the world;

Unless you can find sport in their intents,

Extremely stretch'd and conn'd with cruel pain,

To do you service. 85

THESEUS I will hear that play;

For never anything can be amiss,

When simpleness and duty tender it.

Go, bring them in: and take your places, ladies.

[Exit PHILOSTRATE]

HIPPOLYTA I love not to see wretchedness o'er charged 90

And duty in his service perishing.

THESEUS Why, gentle sweet, you shall see no such thing.

HIPPOLYTA He says they can do nothing in this kind.

THESEUS The kinder we, to give them thanks for nothing.

Our sport shall be to take what they mistake: 95

And what poor duty cannot do, noble respect

Takes it in might, not merit.

Where I have come, great clerks have purposed

To greet me with premeditated welcomes;

Where I have seen them shiver and look pale, 100

Make periods in the midst of sentences,

Throttle their practised accent in their fears

And in conclusion dumbly have broke off,

Not paying me a welcome. Trust me, sweet,

Out of this silence yet I pick'd a welcome; 105

And in the modesty of fearful duty

I read as much as from the rattling tongue

Of saucy and audacious eloquence.

Love, therefore, and tongue–tied simplicity

In least speak most, to my capacity. 110

[Re–enter PHILOSTRATE]

PHILOSTRATE So please your grace, the Prologue is address'd.

THESEUS Let him approach.

[Flourish of trumpets][Enter QUINCE for the Prologue]

Prologue If we offend, it is with our good will.

That you should think, we come not to offend,

But with good will. To show our simple skill, 115

That is the true beginning of our end.

Consider then we come but in despite.

We do not come as minding to contest you,

Our true intent is. All for your delight

We are not here. That you should here repent you, 120

The actors are at hand and by their show

You shall know all that you are like to know.

THESEUS This fellow doth not stand upon points.

LYSANDER He hath rid his prologue like a rough colt; he knows

not the stop. A good moral, my lord: it is not 125

enough to speak, but to speak true.

HIPPOLYTA Indeed he hath played on his prologue like a child

on a recorder; a sound, but not in government.

THESEUS His speech, was like a tangled chain; nothing

impaired, but all disordered. Who is next? 130

[Enter Pyramus and Thisbe, Wall, Moonshine, and Lion]

Prologue Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show;

But wonder on, till truth make all things plain.

This man is Pyramus, if you would know;

This beauteous lady Thisby is certain.

This man, with lime and rough–cast, doth present 135

Wall, that vile Wall which did these lovers sunder;

And through Wall's chink, poor souls, they are content

To whisper. At the which let no man wonder.

This man, with lanthorn, dog, and bush of thorn,

Presenteth Moonshine; for, if you will know, 140

By moonshine did these lovers think no scorn

To meet at Ninus' tomb, there, there to woo.

This grisly beast, which Lion hight by name,

The trusty Thisby, coming first by night,

Did scare away, or rather did affright; 145

And, as she fled, her mantle she did fall,

Which Lion vile with bloody mouth did stain.

Anon comes Pyramus, sweet youth and tall,

And finds his trusty Thisby's mantle slain:

Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, 150

He bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast;

And Thisby, tarrying in mulberry shade,

His dagger drew, and died. For all the rest,

Let Lion, Moonshine, Wall, and lovers twain

At large discourse, while here they do remain. 155

[Exeunt Prologue, Thisbe, Lion, and Moonshine]

THESEUS I wonder if the lion be to speak.

DEMETRIUS No wonder, my lord: one lion may, when many asses do.

Wall In this same interlude it doth befall

That I, one Snout by name, present a wall;

And such a wall, as I would have you think, 160

That had in it a crannied hole or chink,

Through which the lovers, Pyramus and Thisby,

Did whisper often very secretly.

This loam, this rough–cast and this stone doth show

That I am that same wall; the truth is so: 165

And this the cranny is, right and sinister,

Through which the fearful lovers are to whisper.

THESEUS Would you desire lime and hair to speak better?

DEMETRIUS It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard

discourse, my lord. 170

[Enter Pyramus]

THESEUS Pyramus draws near the wall: silence!

Pyramus O grim–look'd night! O night with hue so black!

O night, which ever art when day is not!

O night, O night! alack, alack, alack,

I fear my Thisby's promise is forgot! 175

And thou, O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall,

That stand'st between her father's ground and mine!

Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall,

Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!

[Wall holds up his fingers]

Thanks, courteous wall: Jove shield thee well for this! 180

But what see I? No Thisby do I see.

O wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss!

Cursed be thy stones for thus deceiving me!

THESEUS The wall, methinks, being sensible, should curse again.

Pyramus No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me' 185

is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to

spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will

fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes.

[Enter Thisbe]

Thisbe O wall, full often hast thou heard my moans,

For parting my fair Pyramus and me! 190

My cherry lips have often kiss'd thy stones,

Thy stones with lime and hair knit up in thee.

Pyramus I see a voice: now will I to the chink,

To spy an I can hear my Thisby's face. Thisby!

Thisbe My love thou art, my love I think. 195

Pyramus Think what thou wilt, I am thy lover's grace;

And, like Limander, am I trusty still.

Thisbe And I like Helen, till the Fates me kill.

Pyramus Not Shafalus to Procrus was so true.

Thisbe As Shafalus to Procrus, I to you. 200

Pyramus O kiss me through the hole of this vile wall!

Thisbe I kiss the wall's hole, not your lips at all.

Pyramus Wilt thou at Ninny's tomb meet me straightway?

Thisbe Tide life, 'tide death, I come without delay.

[Exeunt Pyramus and Thisbe]

Wall Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so; 205

And, being done, thus Wall away doth go.

[Exit]

THESEUS Now is the mural down between the two neighbours.

DEMETRIUS No remedy, my lord, when walls are so wilful to hear

without warning.

HIPPOLYTA This is the silliest stuff that ever I heard. 210

THESEUS The best in this kind are but shadows; and the worst

are no worse, if imagination amend them.

HIPPOLYTA It must be your imagination then, and not theirs.

THESEUS If we imagine no worse of them than they of

themselves, they may pass for excellent men. Here 215

come two noble beasts in, a man and a lion.

[Enter Lion and Moonshine]

Lion You, ladies, you, whose gentle hearts do fear

The smallest monstrous mouse that creeps on floor,

May now perchance both quake and tremble here,

When lion rough in wildest rage doth roar. 220

Then know that I, one Snug the joiner, am

A lion–fell, nor else no lion's dam;

For, if I should as lion come in strife

Into this place, 'twere pity on my life.

THESEUS A very gentle beast, of a good conscience. 225

DEMETRIUS The very best at a beast, my lord, that e'er I saw.

LYSANDER This lion is a very fox for his valour.

THESEUS True; and a goose for his discretion.

DEMETRIUS Not so, my lord; for his valour cannot carry his

discretion; and the fox carries the goose. 230

THESEUS His discretion, I am sure, cannot carry his valour;

for the goose carries not the fox. It is well:

leave it to his discretion, and let us listen to the moon.

Moonshine This lanthorn doth the horned moon present;––

DEMETRIUS He should have worn the horns on his head. 235

THESEUS He is no crescent, and his horns are

invisible within the circumference.

Moonshine This lanthorn doth the horned moon present;

Myself the man i' the moon do seem to be.

THESEUS This is the greatest error of all the rest: the man 240

should be put into the lanthorn. How is it else the

man i' the moon?

DEMETRIUS He dares not come there for the candle; for, you

see, it is already in snuff.

HIPPOLYTA I am aweary of this moon: would he would change! 245

THESEUS It appears, by his small light of discretion, that

he is in the wane; but yet, in courtesy, in all

reason, we must stay the time.

LYSANDER Proceed, Moon.

Moonshine All that I have to say, is, to tell you that the 250

lanthorn is the moon; I, the man in the moon; this

thorn–bush, my thorn–bush; and this dog, my dog.

DEMETRIUS Why, all these should be in the lanthorn; for all

these are in the moon. But, silence! here comes Thisbe.

[Enter Thisbe]

Thisbe This is old Ninny's tomb. Where is my love? 255

Lion [Roaring] Oh––

[Thisbe runs off]

DEMETRIUS Well roared, Lion.

THESEUS Well run, Thisbe.

HIPPOLYTA Well shone, Moon. Truly, the moon shines with a

good grace. 260

[The Lion shakes Thisbe's mantle, and exit]

THESEUS Well moused, Lion.

LYSANDER And so the lion vanished.

DEMETRIUS And then came Pyramus.

[Enter Pyramus]

Pyramus Sweet Moon, I thank thee for thy sunny beams;

I thank thee, Moon, for shining now so bright; 265

For, by thy gracious, golden, glittering gleams,

I trust to take of truest Thisby sight.

But stay, O spite!

But mark, poor knight,

What dreadful dole is here! 270

Eyes, do you see?

How can it be?

O dainty duck! O dear!

Thy mantle good,

What, stain'd with blood! 275

Approach, ye Furies fell!

O Fates, come, come,

Cut thread and thrum;

Quail, crush, conclude, and quell!

THESEUS This passion, and the death of a dear friend, would 280

go near to make a man look sad.

HIPPOLYTA Beshrew my heart, but I pity the man.

Pyramus O wherefore, Nature, didst thou lions frame?

Since lion vile hath here deflower'd my dear:

Which is––no, no––which was the fairest dame 285

That lived, that loved, that liked, that look'd

with cheer.

Come, tears, confound;

Out, sword, and wound

The pap of Pyramus; 290

Ay, that left pap,

Where heart doth hop:

[Stabs himself]

Thus die I, thus, thus, thus.

Now am I dead,

Now am I fled; 295

My soul is in the sky:

Tongue, lose thy light;

Moon take thy flight:

[Exit Moonshine]

Now die, die, die, die, die.

[Dies]

DEMETRIUS No die, but an ace, for him; for he is but one. 300

LYSANDER Less than an ace, man; for he is dead; he is nothing.

THESEUS With the help of a surgeon he might yet recover, and

prove an ass.

HIPPOLYTA How chance Moonshine is gone before Thisbe comes

back and finds her lover? 305

THESEUS She will find him by starlight. Here she comes; and

her passion ends the play.

[Re–enter Thisbe]

HIPPOLYTA Methinks she should not use a long one for such a

Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.

DEMETRIUS A mote will turn the balance, which Pyramus, which 310

Thisbe, is the better; he for a man, God warrant us;

she for a woman, God bless us.

LYSANDER She hath spied him already with those sweet eyes.

DEMETRIUS And thus she means, videlicet:––

Thisbe Asleep, my love? 315

What, dead, my dove?

O Pyramus, arise!

Speak, speak. Quite dumb?

Dead, dead? A tomb

Must cover thy sweet eyes. 320

These My lips,

This cherry nose,

These yellow cowslip cheeks,

Are gone, are gone:

Lovers, make moan: 325

His eyes were green as leeks.

O Sisters Three,

Come, come to me,

With hands as pale as milk;

Lay them in gore, 330

Since you have shore

With shears his thread of silk.

Tongue, not a word:

Come, trusty sword;

Come, blade, my breast imbrue: 335

[Stabs herself]

And, farewell, friends;

Thus Thisby ends:

Adieu, adieu, adieu.

[Dies]

THESEUS Moonshine and Lion are left to bury the dead.

DEMETRIUS Ay, and Wall too. 340

BOTTOM [Starting up] No assure you; the wall is down that

parted their fathers. Will it please you to see the

epilogue, or to hear a Bergomask dance between two

of our company?

THESEUS No epilogue, I pray you; for your play needs no 345

excuse. Never excuse; for when the players are all

dead, there needs none to be blamed. Marry, if he

that writ it had played Pyramus and hanged himself

in Thisbe's garter, it would have been a fine

tragedy: and so it is, truly; and very notably 350

discharged. But come, your Bergomask: let your

epilogue alone.

[A dance]

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve:

Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time.

I fear we shall out–sleep the coming morn 355

As much as we this night have overwatch'd.

This palpable–gross play hath well beguiled

The heavy gait of night. Sweet friends, to bed.

A fortnight hold we this solemnity,

In nightly revels and new jollity. 360

[Exeunt]

[Enter PUCK]

PUCK Now the hungry lion roars,

And the wolf behowls the moon;

Whilst the heavy ploughman snores,

All with weary task fordone.

Now the wasted brands do glow, 365

Whilst the screech–owl, screeching loud,

Puts the wretch that lies in woe

In remembrance of a shroud.

Now it is the time of night

That the graves all gaping wide, 370

Every one lets forth his sprite,

In the church–way paths to glide:

And we fairies, that do run

By the triple Hecate's team,

From the presence of the sun, 375

Following darkness like a dream,

Now are frolic: not a mouse

Shall disturb this hallow'd house:

I am sent with broom before,

To sweep the dust behind the door. 380

[Enter OBERON and TITANIA with their train]

OBERON Through the house give gathering light,

By the dead and drowsy fire:

Every elf and fairy sprite

Hop as light as bird from brier;

And this ditty, after me, 385

Sing, and dance it trippingly.

TITANIA First, rehearse your song by rote

To each word a warbling note:

Hand in hand, with fairy grace,

Will we sing, and bless this place. 390

[Song and dance]

OBERON Now, until the break of day,

Through this house each fairy stray.

To the best bride–bed will we,

Which by us shall blessed be;

And the issue there create 395

Ever shall be fortunate.

So shall all the couples three

Ever true in loving be;

And the blots of Nature's hand

Shall not in their issue stand; 400

Never mole, hare lip, nor scar,

Nor mark prodigious, such as are

Despised in nativity,

Shall upon their children be.

With this field–dew consecrate, 405

Every fairy take his gait;

And each several chamber bless,

Through this palace, with sweet peace;

And the owner of it blest

Ever shall in safety rest. 410

Trip away; make no stay;

Meet me all by break of day.

[Exeunt OBERON, TITANIA, and train]

PUCK If we shadows have offended,

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumber'd here 415

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend:

if you pardon, we will mend: 420

And, as I am an honest Puck,

If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends ere long;

Else the Puck a liar call; 425

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends.

Posted on September 4, 2017 by admin

Act 2, page 0

Table of Contents

ACT 2 SCENE 1. Setting: A wood near Athens

Enter a FAIRY at One door, and PUCK at another

PUCK How now, spirit! whither wander you?

FAIRY Over hill, over dale,

Thorough bush, thorough brier,

Over park, over pale,

Thorough flood, thorough fire,

I do wander every where,

Swifter than the moon's sphere;

And I serve the Fairy Queen,

To dew her orbs upon the green.

The cowslips tall her pensioners be; 10

In their gold coats spots you see;

Those be rubies, fairy favours,

In those freckles live their savours.

I must go seek some dewdrops here,

And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.

Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone.

Our Queen and all her elves come here anon.

PUCK The King doth keep his revels here to–night;

Take heed the Queen come not within his sight;

For Oberon is passing fell and wrath, 20

Because that she as her attendant hath

A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king.

She never had so sweet a changeling;

And jealous Oberon would have the child

Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild;

But she perforce withholds the loved boy,

Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy.

And now they never meet in grove or green,

By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,

But they do square, that all their elves for fear 30

Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.

FAIRY Either I mistake your shape and making quite,

Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite

Call'd Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he

That frights the maidens of the villagery,

Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern,

And bootless make the breathless housewife churn,

And sometime make the drink to bear no barm,

Mislead night–wanderers, laughing at their harm?

Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck, 40

You do their work, and they shall have good luck.

Are not you he?

PUCK Thou speakest aright:

I am that merry wanderer of the night.

I jest to Oberon, and make him smile

When I a fat and bean–fed horse beguile,

Neighing in likeness of a filly foal;

And sometime lurk I in a gossip's bowl

In very likeness of a roasted crab,

And, when she drinks, against her lips I bob,

And on her withered dewlap pour the ale. 50

The wisest aunt, telling the saddest tale,

Sometime for three–foot stool mistaketh me;

Then slip I from her bum, down topples she,

And 'tailor' cries, and falls into a cough;

And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,

And waxen in their mirth, and neeze, and swear

A merrier hour was never wasted there.

But room, fairy, here comes Oberon.

FAIRY And here my mistress. Would that he were gone!

Enter OBERON at one door, with his TRAIN, and TITANIA, at another, with hers

OBERON Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania. 60

TITANIA What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence;

I have forsworn his bed and company.

OBERON Tarry, rash wanton; am not I thy lord?

TITANIA Then I must be thy lady; but I know

When thou hast stolen away from fairy land,

And in the shape of Corin sat all day,

Playing on pipes of corn, and versing love

To amorous Phillida. Why art thou here,

Come from the farthest steep of India,

But that, forsooth, the bouncing Amazon, 70

Your buskin'd mistress and your warrior love,

To Theseus must be wedded, and you come

To give their bed joy and prosperity?

OBERON How canst thou thus, for shame, Titania,

Glance at my credit with Hippolyta,

Knowing I know thy love to Theseus?

Didst not thou lead him through the glimmering night

From Perigouna, whom he ravished?

And make him with fair Aegles break his faith,

With Ariadne and Antiopa? 80

TITANIA These are the forgeries of jealousy;

And never, since the middle summer's spring,

Met we on hill, in dale, forest, or mead,

By paved fountain, or by rushy brook,

Or in the beached margent of the sea,

To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind,

But with thy brawls thou hast disturb'd our sport.

Therefore the winds, piping to us in vain,

As in revenge, have suck'd up from the sea

Contagious fogs; which, falling in the land, 90

Hath every pelting river made so proud

That they have overborne their continents.

The ox hath therefore stretch'd his yoke in vain,

The ploughman lost his sweat, and the green corn

Hath rotted ere his youth attain'd a beard;

The fold stands empty in the drowned field,

And crows are fatted with the murrion flock;

The nine men's morris is fill'd up with mud,

And the quaint mazes in the wanton green,

For lack of tread, are undistinguishable. 100

The human mortals want their winter here;

No night is now with hymn or carol blest;

Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,

Pale in her anger, washes all the air,

That rheumatic diseases do abound.

And thorough this distemperature we see

The seasons alter: hoary–headed frosts

Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose;

And on old Hiems' thin and icy crown

An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds 110

Is, as in mockery, set. The spring, the summer,

The childing autumn, angry winter, change

Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world,

By their increase, now knows not which is which.

And this same progeny of evils comes

From our debate, from our dissension;

We are their parents and original.

OBERON Do you amend it, then; it lies in you.

Why should Titania cross her Oberon?

I do but beg a little changeling boy 120

To be my henchman.

TITANIA Set your heart at rest;

The fairy land buys not the child of me.

His mother was a vot'ress of my order;

And, in the spiced Indian air, by night,

Full often hath she gossip'd by my side;

And sat with me on Neptune's yellow sands,

Marking th' embarked traders on the flood;

When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive,

And grow big–bellied with the wanton wind;

Which she, with pretty and with swimming gait 130

Following– her womb then rich with my young squire–

Would imitate, and sail upon the land,

To fetch me trifles, and return again,

As from a voyage, rich with merchandise.

But she, being mortal, of that boy did die;

And for her sake do I rear up her boy;

And for her sake I will not part with him.

OBERON How long within this wood intend you stay?

TITANIA Perchance till after Theseus' wedding–day.

If you will patiently dance in our round, 140

And see our moonlight revels, go with us;

If not, shun me, and I will spare your haunts.

OBERON Give me that boy and I will go with thee.

TITANIA Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away!

We shall chide downright if I longer stay.

Exit TITANIA with her train

OBERON Well, go thy way; thou shalt not from this grove

Till I torment thee for this injury.

My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememb'rest

Since once I sat upon a promontory,

And heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back 150

Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath

That the rude sea grew civil at her song,

And certain stars shot madly from their spheres

To hear the sea–maid's music.

PUCK I remember.

OBERON That very time I saw, but thou couldst not,

Flying between the cold moon and the earth

Cupid, all arm'd; a certain aim he took

At a fair vestal, throned by the west,

And loos'd his love–shaft smartly from his bow,

As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts; 160

But I might see young Cupid's fiery shaft

Quench'd in the chaste beams of the wat'ry moon;

And the imperial vot'ress passed on,

In maiden meditation, fancy–free.

Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

It fell upon a little western flower,

Before milk–white, now purple with love's wound,

And maidens call it Love–in–idleness.

Fetch me that flow'r, the herb I showed thee once.

The juice of it on sleeping eye–lids laid 170

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees.

Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again

Ere the leviathan can swim a league.

PUCK I'll put a girdle round about the earth

In forty minutes.

Exit PUCK

OBERON Having once this juice,

I'll watch Titania when she is asleep,

And drop the liquor of it in her eyes;

The next thing then she waking looks upon,

Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull, 180

On meddling monkey, or on busy ape,

She shall pursue it with the soul of love.

And ere I take this charm from off her sight,

As I can take it with another herb,

I'll make her render up her page to me.

But who comes here? I am invisible;

And I will overhear their conference.

Enter DEMETRIUS, HELENA following him

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DEMETRIUS. I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.

Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?

The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me. 190

Thou told'st me they were stol'n unto this wood,

And here am I, and wood within this wood,

Because I cannot meet my Hermia.

Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.

HELENA You draw me, you hard–hearted adamant;

But yet you draw not iron, for my heart

Is true as steel. Leave you your power to draw,

And I shall have no power to follow you.

DEMETRIUS. Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair?

Or, rather, do I not in plainest truth 200

Tell you I do not nor I cannot love you?

HELENA. And even for that do I love you the more.

I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,

The more you beat me, I will fawn on you.

Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me,

Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave,

Unworthy as I am, to follow you.

What worser place can I beg in your love,

And yet a place of high respect with me,

Than to be used as you use your dog? 210

DEMETRIUS Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;

For I am sick when I do look on thee.

HELENA And I am sick when I look not on you.

DEMETRIUS You do impeach your modesty too much

To leave the city and commit yourself

Into the hands of one that loves you not;

To trust the opportunity of night,

And the ill counsel of a desert place,

With the rich worth of your virginity.

HELENA Your virtue is my privilege for that: 220

It is not night when I do see your face,

Therefore I think I am not in the night;

Nor doth this wood lack worlds of company,

For you, in my respect, are all the world.

Then how can it be said I am alone

When all the world is here to look on me?

DEMETRIUS I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,

And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.

HELENA The wildest hath not such a heart as you.

Run when you will; the story shall be chang'd: 230

Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase;

The dove pursues the griffin; the mild hind

Makes speed to catch the tiger– bootless speed,