The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (885 page)

Yes, sir. I live by the awl. I am not a political man. I am like a doctor to old shoes. I save their lives when they are in danger. I have mended many a proper man’s shoes.

Flavius

But wherefore art not in thy shop today?


Why dost thou lead these men about the streets?

Why are you not in your shop, today? Why are you leading these men around?

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.

I am hoping to get more work for myself by wearing out their shoes. But, sir, we have all taken off work to see Caesar and celebrate his success.

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,


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


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.

What is he celebrating? What has he done to receive such adoration? You idiots! Once, you did whatever you could to cheer on Pompey as he rode through the city of Rome. Now, you put on your best clothes and take off work to celebrate Pompey’s murderer. Go home and pray to the gods to keep the plague away you deserve for such a showing of ingratitude.

Flavius

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


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.

Go on my fellow countrymen, and to make amends for your wrongdoings, go to the river Tiber and cry until its banks overflow.

Exit 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.

Look at those morons leaving, speechless. Let’s go down towards the Capitol and take the decorations from the statues.

Marullus

May we do so?


You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

Can we do that? 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.

It doesn’t matter. I don’t want any of the statues decorated for Caesar. Make sure you disperse any of the crowds. If we take away his supporters, maybe he will be more realistic and start treating us fairly, instead of using fear.

Exit.

Flourish. Enter Caesar. Antony, for the course. Calpurnia, Portia, Decius Brutus, Cicero, Brutus, Cassius, and Casca. A great crowd following, among them a soothsayer.

Caesar

Calpurnia,--

Calpurnia!

Casca

Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.

Be quiet, everyone! Caesar speaks.

Caesar

Calpurnia,--

Calpurnia!

Calpurnia

Here, my lord.

Here I am, my lord.

Caesar

Stand you directly in Antonius' way,


When he doth run his course.--Antonius,--

You are standing in Antony’s way when he runs the race. Antony

Antony

Caesar, my lord?

Yes, 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.

Don’t forget to touch Calpurnia when you begin to race. The old men say if a childless woman is touched in this holy race, she’ll become fertile.

Antony

I shall remember.


When Caesar says "Do this," it is perform'd.

I won’t forget. When you tell me to do something, it is as good as done.

Caesar

Set on; and leave no ceremony out.

Okay, then. Get going, and don’t leave out any rituals.

Flourish

Soothsayer

Caesar!

Caesar!

Caesar

Ha! Who calls?

Who’s calling me?

Casca

Bid every noise be still.--Peace yet again!

Be quiet everyone!

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.

Who’s calling me? I hear a shrill voice over the music crying, “Caesar!” Speak, I’m listening.

Soothsayer

Beware the Ides of March.

Beware the ides of March.

Caesar

What man is that?

Who is that?

Brutus

A soothsayer bids you beware the Ides of March.

A soothsayer is telling you to beware of March 15
th
.

Caesar

Set him before me; let me see his face.

Bring him to me. I want to see his face.

Cassius

Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

Fellow, come out of the crowd. Look at Caesar.

Soothsayer approaches.

Caesar

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

What do you want to say to me now? Speak again.

Soothsayer

Beware the Ides of March.

Beware of March 15
th
.

Caesar

He is a dreamer; let us leave him. Pass.

He’s crazy. Let’s leave.

Exit all except Brutus and Cassius.

Cassius

Will you go see the order of the course?

Are you going to watch the race?

Brutus

Not I

No, not me.

Cassius

I pray you, do.

Oh, please do.

Brutus

I am not gamesome; I do lack some part


Of that quick spirit that is in Antony.


Let me not hinder, Cassius, your desires;


I'll leave you.

I don’t care for sports like Antony, but don’t let me stop you, Cassius. I’ll leave.

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, I have observed lately that you don’t seem to have the same feelings towards me, you once had. You have been stubborn and unfriendly to me, your friend who 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


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, don’t be fooled. If I have looked differently lately, it has nothing to do with you. I have been preoccupied with personal affairs. So, don’t worry about our relationship. Just know, that I am at war with myself and haven’t been myself.

Cassius

Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;


By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried


Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.


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

Well then, let me tell you I have been keeping some very interesting thoughts to myself. Brutus, can you see your face?

Brutus

No, Cassius, for the eye sees not itself


But by reflection, by some other thing.

No, Cassius, the eye cannot see itself, except in its reflection.

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,--


Except immortal Caesar!-- speaking of Brutus,


And groaning underneath this age's yoke,


Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.