The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (890 page)

Is he alone?

Is he by himself?

Lucius

No, sir, there are more with him.

No, sir. More men are with him.

Brutus

Do you know them?

Do you know any of 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


By any mark of favor.

I can’t see their faces because their hats are pulled down and their faces are half buried in their coats.

Brutus

Let 'em enter.--

Let them come in.

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


To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;


Hide it in smiles and affability:


For if thou pass, thy native semblance on,


Not Erebus itself were dim enough


To hide thee from prevention.

They are the conspirators. Only dangerous activities take place by night, when evil is most free. In the day, how will they continue to hide their plans. If they showed their true plans, hell would not be able to hide them from being found.

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?

Are we bothering you, Brutus? We are probably disturbing your rest. Good night.

Brutus

I have been up this hour, awake all night.


Know I these men that come along with you?

I have been up and awake all night. Do I know your companions?

Cassius

Yes, every man of them; and no man here


But honors you; and every one doth wish


You had but that opinion of yourself


Which every noble Roman bears of you.


This is Trebonius.

Yes, you know everyone. All of the men think very highly of you. This is Trebonius.

Brutus

He is welcome hither.

He is welcome here.

Cassius

This Decius Brutus.

This is Decius Brutus.

Brutus

He is welcome too.

He is also welcome.

Cassius

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

This is Casca, Cinna, and Metellus Cimber.

Brutus

They are all welcome.--


What watchful cares do interpose themselves


Betwixt your eyes and night?

They are all welcome. What brings you here this time of night?

Cassius

Shall I entreat a word?

I was hoping to have a word with you.

Brutus and Cassius whisper.

Decius Brutus

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

This is the east. Doesn’t the sun rise here?

Casca

No.

No.

Cinna

O, pardon, sir, it doth, and yon grey lines


That fret the clouds are messengers of day.

Pardon me, sir, it is. The gray line over there is the rising of the sun.

Casca

You shall confess that you are both deceived.


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


Stands, as the Capitol, directly here.

I think you are both wrong. See where I’m pointing my sword. The sun is rising in the south because of the time of year. In two months, it will rise higher in the north. The capitol is over there.

Brutus

Give me your hands all over, one by one.

Give me your hands, one over the other.

Cassius

And let us swear our resolution.

Let’s swear an oath.

Brutus

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


The sufferance of our souls, the time's abuse--


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


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,


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


That welcome wrongs; unto bad causes swear


Such creatures as men doubt: but do not stain


The even virtue of our enterprise,


Nor th' insuppressive mettle of our spirits,


To think that or our cause or our performance


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.

No, not an oath. We don’t need to swear an oath to one another. Oaths are for cowards or old men. We have enough motivation to spur us to action. Our word is good enough.

Cassius

But what of Cicero? Shall we sound him?


I think he will stand very strong with us.

What about Cicero? Should we get him? I think he will support us.

Casca

Let us not leave him out.

Let’s not leave him out.

Cinna

No, by no means.

No, by no means.

Metellus Cimber

O, let us have him! for his silver hairs


Will purchase us a good opinion,


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.

Oh, let’s include him. His age and wisdom will make us appear noteworthy and make men listen to us. He will also take the blame for our actions, since we are young.

Brutus

O, name him not! let us not break with him;


For he will never follow any thing


That other men begin.

I don’t think we should include him. He’ll never go along with anything like this.

Cassius

Then leave him out.

Then leave him out.

Casca

Indeed, he is not fit.

I don’t think he is right.

Decius Brutus

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

Are we only going after 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,


Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

Good question, Decius. I think Mark Antony may give us some trouble. So, if he does, let him fall with Caesar.

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,


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,


Stir up their servants to an act of rage,


And after seem to chide 'em. This shall mark


Our purpose necessary, and not envious;


Which so appearing to the common eyes,


We shall be call'd purgers, not murderers.


And for Mark Antony, think not of him;


For he can do no more than Caesar's arm


When Caesar's head is off.

I don’t think that will be necessary, Cassius. Antony just follows Caesar. With Caesar gone, Antony will be no trouble. We must go about this properly and not make Caesar seem like a martyr. We do not want to be seen as murderers, but purgers of evil.

Cassius

Yet I do fear him;


For in th' ingrafted love he bears to Caesar--

I still fear him, because of his devotion to Caesar.

Brutus

Alas, good Cassius, do not think of him:


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.

Don’t think of him, Cassius. If he loves Caesar, all he can do is die for him. He probably will die anyway the way he lives.

Trebonius

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


For he will live, and laugh at this hereafter.

No one should fear him. Don’t kill him. He’ll probably live and laugh about this later.

Clock strikes.

Brutus

Peace! count the clock.

Be quiet! What time is it?

Cassius

The clock hath stricken three.

Three o’clock.

Trebonius

'Tis time to part.

It’s time to go.

Cassius

But it is doubtful yet


Whether Caesar will come forth today or no;


For he is superstitious grown of late,


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


May hold him from the Capitol to-day.