The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (888 page)

Casca

Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth


Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,


I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds


Have rived the knotty oaks; and I have seen


Th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,


To be exalted with the threatening clouds:


But never till tonight, never till now,


Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.


Either there is a civil strife in heaven,


Or else the world too saucy with the gods,


Incenses them to send destruction.

Aren’t you moved when all of the earth is shaking? Oh Cicero, I have seen storms when the winds broke old oak trees and I have seen the ocean swell and rage with foam, but I have never seen a storm that dropped fire like rain. Not until tonight, not until now. Either there is a storm in heaven or the world is about to come to an end.

Cicero

Why, saw you anything more wonderful?

What have you seen so strange?

Casca

A common slave--you'd know him well by sight--


Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn


Like twenty torches join'd, and yet his hand


Not sensible of fire remain'd unscorch'd.


Besides,--I ha' not since put up my sword,--


Against the Capitol I met a lion,


Who glared upon me, and went surly by,


Without annoying me: and there were drawn


Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,


Transformed with their fear; who swore they saw


Men, all in fire, walk up and down the streets.


And yesterday the bird of night did sit


Even at noonday upon the marketplace,


Howling and shrieking. When these prodigies


Do so conjointly meet, let not men say


"These are their reasons; they are natural";


For I believe they are portentous things


Unto the climate that they point upon.

I saw a familiar slave hold up his hand. It was on fire, but it didn’t get burned. Then, when I took out my sword, I saw a lion that looked at me but didn’t attack. Later, there were a hundred women who swore they saw men on fire walking down the streets. Yesterday, the night owl was I the marketplace hooting at noon. When these things take place, we must pay attention. They are an omen of bad things to come.

Cicero

Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time.


But men may construe things after their fashion,


Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.


Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?

That is certainly strange, but men sometimes see things they want to see that aren’t actually correct. Is Caesar coming to the Capitol tomorrow?

Casca

He doth, for he did bid Antonius


Send word to you he would be there to-morrow.

He is because he told Antony to tell you he would be there tomorrow.

Cicero

Good then, Casca: this disturbed sky


Is not to walk in.

Good night then, Cicero. This is not a good night to walk around according to the sky.

Exit Cicero.

Enter Cassius.

Cassius

Who's there?

Who’s there?

Casca

A Roman.

A Roman.

Cassius

Casca, by your voice.

I recognize your voice, Casca.

Casca

Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!

You’ve got a good ear, Cassius! What a night this has been!

Cassius

A very pleasing night to honest men.

It has been a good night for honest men.

Casca

Who ever knew the heavens menace so?

Who knew the heavens could be so menacing?

Cassius

Those that have known the earth so full of faults.


For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,


Submitting me unto the perilous night;


And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,


Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone;


And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open


The breast of heaven, I did present myself


Even in the aim and very flash of it.

Those that have known the earth’s faults, like me. I walked about the streets welcoming the thunder and the lightning.

Casca

But wherefore did you so much tempt the Heavens?


It is the part of men to fear and tremble,


When the most mighty gods by tokens send


Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.

Why would you tempt the heavens like that? Most men would tremble with fear when the gods send us such astonishing sights.

Cassius

You are dull, Casca;and those sparks of life


That should be in a Roman you do want,


Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze,


And put on fear and cast yourself in wonder,


To see the strange impatience of the Heavens:


But if you would consider the true cause


Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,


Why birds and beasts,from quality and kind;


Why old men, fools, and children calculate;--


Why all these things change from their ordinance,


Their natures, and preformed faculties


To monstrous quality;--why, you shall find


That Heaven hath infused them with these spirits,


To make them instruments of fear and warning


Unto some monstrous state. Now could I, Casca,


Name to thee a man most like this dreadful night;


That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars,


As doth the lion in the Capitol;


A man no mightier than thyself or me


In personal action; yet prodigious grown,


And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

You are dumb, Casca. You lack the characteristics of a Roman, or else you aren’t showing them. If you think about all of these strange occurrences, you would realize, it’s the gods foreshadowing some awful things to come. Right now, I can think of an ordinary man in the Capitol who, like these strange occurrences, performs unbelievable acts.

Casca

'Tis Caesar that you mean; is it not, Cassius?

You’re talking about Caesar, aren’t you, Cassius?

Cassius

Let it be who it is: for Romans now


Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors;


But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,


And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;


Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.

Whoever. We may look like our Roman forefathers, but we are acting like our mothers.

Casca

Indeed they say the senators to-morrow


Mean to establish Caesar as a king;


And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,


In every place save here in Italy.

True. They say the senators are planning on making Caesar king, tomorrow. He will wear his crown everywhere, except here in Italy.

Cassius

I know where I will wear this dagger then;


Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:


Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;


Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:


Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,


Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron


Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;


But life, being weary of these worldly bars,


Never lacks power to dismiss itself.


If I know this, know all the world besides,


That part of tyranny that I do bear


I can shake off at pleasure.

I know where this dagger will be worn, then. I will not be reined. Nothing can deter me, not even death. Let everyone know that I can shake off the threat of tyranny, when I want.

Thunder continues.

Casca

So can I:


So every bondman in his own hand bears


The power to cancel his captivity.

So can I. Every man has the strength to overcome bondage.

Cassius

And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?


Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,


But that he sees the Romans are but sheep:


He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.


Those that with haste will make a mighty fire


Begin it with weak straws: what trash is Rome,


What rubbish, and what offal, when it serves


For the base matter to illuminate


So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,


Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this


Before a willing bondman: then I know


My answer must be made; but I am arm'd,


And dangers are to me indifferent.

Poor Caesar! He thinks Romans are sheep and he is a wolf. He wouldn’t be a lion, if Rome weren’t acting like a bunch of donkeys. People, who want to make a big fire, start with little sticks. Rome has become complete trash, the way it adores Caesar. But, wait, I may be talking to someone who wants to be a slave. Then, I may be in danger for what I’m saying. It doesn’t matter because I am armed and not afraid.

Casca

You speak to Casca; and to such a man


That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand:


Be factious for redress of all these griefs;


And I will set this foot of mine as far


As who goes farthest.

Hey, you’re talking to me. I’m not two-faced. I won’t tell anyone. Let’s shake and join together to right these wrongs. I will go as far as any man.

Cassius

There's a bargain made.


Now know you, Casca, I have moved already


Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans


To undergo with me an enterprise


Of honorable-dangerous consequence;


And I do know by this, they stay for me


In Pompey's Porch: for now, this fearful night,


There is no stir or walking in the streets;


And the complexion of the element


Is favor'd like the work we have in hand,


Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.

That’s a deal. Now, I must tell you, I have already been working on some of the noblest minds in Rome to join with me in overthrowing Caesar. But, it’s going to be dangerous, so we are meeting tonight at Pompey’s porch because no one will be out in this weather.

Casca

Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.

Hang on. Here comes someone now.

Cassius

'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait;


He is a friend.--