Julius Caesar, with line numbers E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: Seltzer Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 107

Beschreibung

The classic tragedy. According to Wikipedia: "Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the conspiracy against the Roman dictator of the same name, his assassination and its aftermath. It is one of several Roman plays that he wrote, based on true events from Roman history, which also include Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Although the title of the play is Julius Caesar, Caesar is not the main character in its action; he appears in only three scenes, and is killed at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the play is Marcus Brutus, and the central psychological drama is his struggle between the conflicting demands of honor, patriotism, and friendship. The play reflected the general anxiety of England over succession of leadership. At the time of its creation and first performance, Queen Elizabeth, a strong ruler, was elderly and had refused to name a successor, leading to worries that a civil war similar to that of Rome might break out after her death."

Leseprobe

Julius Caesar By William Shakespeare

published by Samizdat Express, Orange, CT, USA

established in 1974, offering over 14,000 books

Other tragedies by William Shakespeare:

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Hamlet

King Lear

Macbeth

Othello

Romeo and Juliet

Timon of Athens

Titus Andronicus

Troilus and Cressida

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Dramatis Personae

Julius Caesar

Act I

Scene I.  Rome. A street.

Scene II.  A public place.

Scene III.  The same. A street.

Act II

Scene I.  Rome. BRUTUS's orchard.

Scene II.  CAESAR's house.

Scene III.  A street near the Capitol.

Scene IV.  Another part of the same street, before the house of BRUTUS.

Act III

Scene I.  Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above.

Scene II.  The Forum.

Scene III.  A street.

Act IV

Scene I.  A house in Rome.

Scene II.  Camp near Sardis. Before BRUTUS's tent.

Scene III.  Brutus's tent.

Act V

Scene I.  The plains of Philippi.

Scene II.  The same. The field of battle.

Scene III.  Another part of the field.

Scene IV.  Another part of the field.

Scene V.  Another part of the field.

Dramatis Personae

Julius Caesar (Caesar:)

Triumvirs After Death Of Julius Caesar:

Octavius Caesar (Octavius:)

Marcus Antonius (Antony:)

M. Aemilius Lepidus (Lepidus:)

Senators:

Cicero

Publius

Popilius Lena (Popilius:)

Conspirators Against Julius Caesar:

Marcus Brutus (Brutus:)

Cassius

Casca

Trebonius

Ligarius

Decius Brutus

Metellus Cimber

Cinna

Tribunes:

Flavius

Marullus

Artemidorus Of Cnidos A Teacher Of Rhetoric. (Artemidorus:)

A SOOTHSAYER (SOOTHSAYER:)

Cinna A Poet. (Cinna The Poet:)

Another Poet (Poet:)

Friends To Brutus And Cassius:

Lucilius

Titinius

Messala

Young Cato (Cato:)

Volumnius

SERVANTs To Brutus:

Varro

Clitus

Claudius

Strato

Lucius

Dardanius

Pindarus SERVANT To Cassius.

Calpurnia Wife To Caesar.

Portia Wife To Brutus.

Senators, Citizens, Guards, Attendants, &c.

(FIRST CITIZEN:)

(SECOND CITIZEN:)

(THIRD CITIZEN:)

(FOURTH CITIZEN:)

(First Commoner:)

(Second Commoner:)

(SERVANT:)

(First Soldier:)

(Second Soldier:)

(Third Soldier:)

(Messenger:)

JULIUS CAESAR

SCENE  Rome: the neighbourhood of Sardis: the neighbourhood of Philippi.

ACT I

SCENE I.  Rome. A street.

 [Enter FLAVIUS, MARULLUS, and certain Commoners]

(1) FLAVIUS Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home:

 Is this a holiday? what! know you not,

 Being mechanical, you ought not walk

 Upon a labouring day without the sign

 Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?

FIRST COMMONER Why, sir, a carpenter.

MARULLUS Where is thy leather apron and thy rule?

 What dost thou with thy best apparel on?

 You, sir, what trade are you?

(10) SECOND COMMONER Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am but,

 as you would say, a cobbler.

MARULLUS But what trade art thou? answer me directly.

SECOND COMMONER A trade, sir, that, I hope, I may use with a safe

 conscience; which is, indeed, sir, a mender of bad soles.

MARULLUS What trade, thou knave? thou naughty knave, what trade?

SECOND COMMONER Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me: yet,

 if you be out, sir, I can mend you.

(20) MARULLUS What meanest thou by that? mend me, thou saucy fellow!

SECOND COMMONER Why, sir, cobble you.

FLAVIUS Thou art a cobbler, art thou?

SECOND COMMONER Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl: I

 meddle with no tradesman's matters, nor women's

 matters, but with awl. I am, indeed, sir, a surgeon

 to old shoes; when they are in great danger, I

 recover them. As proper men as ever trod upon

 neat's leather have gone upon my handiwork.

(30) FLAVIUS But wherefore art not in thy shop today?

 Why dost thou lead these men about the streets?

SECOND COMMONER Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes, to get myself

 into more work. But, indeed, sir, we make holiday,

 to see Caesar and to rejoice in his triumph.

MARULLUS Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?

 What tributaries follow him to Rome,

 To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?

 You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!

 O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,

(40) Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft

 Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,

 To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,

 Your infants in your arms, and there have sat

 The livelong day, with patient expectation,

 To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:

 And when you saw his chariot but appear,

 Have you not made an universal shout,

 That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,

 To hear the replication of your sounds

(50) Made in her concave shores?

 And do you now put on your best attire?

 And do you now cull out a holiday?

 And do you now strew flowers in his way

 That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone!

 Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,

 Pray to the gods to intermit the plague

 That needs must light on this ingratitude.

FLAVIUS Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault,

(60) Assemble all the poor men of your sort;

 Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears

 Into the channel, till the lowest stream

 Do kiss the most exalted shores of all.

 [Exeunt all the Commoners]

 See whether their basest metal be not moved;

 They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness.

 Go you down that way towards the Capitol;

 This way will I disrobe the images,

 If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.

MARULLUS May we do so?

(70) You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

FLAVIUS It is no matter; let no images

 Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,

 And drive away the vulgar from the streets:

 So do you too, where you perceive them thick.

 These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing

 Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,

 Who else would soar above the view of men

 And keep us all in servile fearfulness.

 [Exeunt]

SCENE II.  A public place.

 [Flourish. Enter CAESAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS BRUTUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great crowd following, among them a SOOTHSAYER]

(1) CAESAR Calpurnia!

CASCA          Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.

CAESAR Calpurnia!

CALPURNIA Here, my lord.

CAESAR Stand you directly in Antonius' way,

 When he doth run his course. Antonius!

ANTONY Caesar, my lord?

CAESAR Forget not, in your speed, Antonius,

 To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say,

 The barren, touched in this holy chase,

 Shake off their sterile curse.

ANTONY I shall remember:

(10) When Caesar says 'do this,' it is perform'd.

CAESAR Set on; and leave no ceremony out.

 [Flourish]

SOOTHSAYER Caesar!

CAESAR Ha! who calls?

CASCA Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!

CAESAR Who is it in the press that calls on me?

 I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music,

 Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.

SOOTHSAYER Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR What man is that?

BRUTUS A SOOTHSAYER bids you beware the ides of March.

(20) CAESAR Set him before me; let me see his face.

CASSIUS Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

CAESAR What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.

SOOTHSAYER Beware the ides of March.

CAESAR He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.

 [Sennet. Exeunt all except BRUTUS and CASSIUS]

CASSIUS Will you go see the order of the course?

BRUTUS Not I.

CASSIUS I pray you, do.

BRUTUS I am not gamesome: I do lack some part

 Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.

(30) Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;

 I'll leave you.

CASSIUS Brutus, I do observe you now of late:

 I have not from your eyes that gentleness

 And show of love as I was wont to have:

 You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand

 Over your friend that loves you.

BRUTUS Cassius,

 Be not deceived: if I have veil'd my look,

 I turn the trouble of my countenance

 Merely upon myself. Vexed I am

(40) Of late with passions of some difference,

 Conceptions only proper to myself,

 Which give some soil perhaps to my behaviors;

 But let not therefore my good friends be grieved--

 Among which number, Cassius, be you one--

 Nor construe any further my neglect,

 Than that poor Brutus, with himself at war,

 Forgets the shows of love to other men.

CASSIUS Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;

 By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried

(50) Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.

 Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

BRUTUS No, Cassius; for the eye sees not itself,

 But by reflection, by some other things.

CASSIUS 'Tis just:

 And it is very much lamented, Brutus,

 That you have no such mirrors as will turn

 Your hidden worthiness into your eye,

 That you might see your shadow. I have heard,

 Where many of the best respect in Rome,

(60) Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus

 And groaning underneath this age's yoke,

 Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

BRUTUS Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius,

 That you would have me seek into myself

 For that which is not in me?

CASSIUS Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear:

 And since you know you cannot see yourself

 So well as by reflection, I, your glass,

 Will modestly discover to yourself

(70) That of yourself which you yet know not of.

 And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:

 Were I a common laugher, or did use

 To stale with ordinary oaths my love

 To every new protester; if you know

 That I do fawn on men and hug them hard

 And after scandal them, or if you know

 That I profess myself in banqueting

 To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

 [Flourish, and shout]

BRUTUS What means this shouting? I do fear, the people

 Choose Caesar for their king.

(80) CASSIUS Ay, do you fear it?

 Then must I think you would not have it so.

BRUTUS I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well.

 But wherefore do you hold me here so long?

 What is it that you would impart to me?

 If it be aught toward the general good,

 Set honour in one eye and death i' the other,

 And I will look on both indifferently,

 For let the gods so speed me as I love

 The name of honour more than I fear death.

(90) CASSIUS I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,

 As well as I do know your outward favour.

 Well, honour is the subject of my story.

 I cannot tell what you and other men

 Think of this life; but, for my single self,

 I had as lief not be as live to be

 In awe of such a thing as I myself.

 I was born free as Caesar; so were you:

 We both have fed as well, and we can both

 Endure the winter's cold as well as he:

(100) For once, upon a raw and gusty day,

 The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,

 Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now

 Leap in with me into this angry flood,

 And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,

 Accoutred as I was, I plunged in

 And bade him follow; so indeed he did.

 The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it

 With lusty sinews, throwing it aside

 And stemming it with hearts of controversy;

(110) But ere we could arrive the point proposed,

 Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'

 I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,

 Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

 The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber

 Did I the tired Caesar. And this man

 Is now become a god, and Cassius is

 A wretched creature and must bend his body,

 If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.

 He had a fever when he was in Spain,

(120) And when the fit was on him, I did mark

 How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;

 His coward lips did from their colour fly,

 And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world

 Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:

 Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans

 Mark him and write his speeches in their books,

 Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Titinius,'

 As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me

 A man of such a feeble temper should

(130) So get the start of the majestic world

 And bear the palm alone.

 [Shout. Flourish]

BRUTUS Another general shout!

 I do believe that these applauses are

 For some new honours that are heap'd on Caesar.

CASSIUS Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world

 Like a Colossus, and we petty men

 Walk under his huge legs and peep about

 To find ourselves dishonourable graves.