The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (892 page)

I swear by all the gods, I am no longer sick. You have made me well. Now, tell me what you want me to do.

Brutus

A piece of work that will make sick men whole.

What I am going to tell you may make sick men whole.

Ligarius

But are not some whole that we must make sick?

Will is making some healthy men sick?

Brutus

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


I shall unfold to thee, as we are going,


To whom it must be done.

It may, also. I will tell you as we go 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.

I’m following you, although I still don’t know why. But as long as you’re leading, I’m following.

Brutus

Follow me then.

Come this way, then.

Exit.

Thunder and lightning. Enter Caesar, in his night-gown.

Caesar

Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight:


Thrice hath Calpurnia in her sleep cried out,


"Help, ho! They murder Caesar!"--Who's within?

Neither heaven nor earth is at peace this night. Three times Calpurnia has cried out in her sleep, “Help! They murder Caesar!” Who’s there?

Servant

My lord?

Your servant, my lord?

Caesar

Go bid the priests do present sacrifice,


And bring me their opinions of success.

Tell the priests to present a sacrifice and come tell me what they think.

Servant

I will, my lord.

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.

What’s going on, Caesar? Do you mean to go out today? You shouldn’t.

Caesar

Caesar shall forth: the things that threaten me


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


The face of Caesar, they are vanished.

I am going out because those that wish to cause me harm always talk behind my back. When I appear, they vanish.

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,


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 fight upon the clouds,


In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,


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,


And I do fear them!

Caesar, I have never been superstitious, but now I am frightened. A lioness was seen in the streets, graves have opened revealing the dead, fire has been set throughout the Capitol, and the noise of battle heard in the air with the cries of horses, dying men, and shrieking ghosts. Oh, Caesar! There is no explanation for these occurrences, and I am afraid.

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.

Who can avoid what the gods ordain? So, I shall go out and face these predictions for myself and for Rome.

Calpurnia

When beggars die, there are no comets seen;


The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.

When beggars die, nothing extraordinary happens, but when a prince dies, strange things are seen.

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;


Seeing that death, a necessary end,


Will come when it will come.--

Cowards die many deaths, but a courageous man only experiences death once. Death is inevitable, so I don’t understand why men fear it.

Re-enter Servant.

What say the augurers?

What did the priests say?

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.

They don’t think you should come out today. When they performed the sacrifice, they couldn’t find the heart.

Caesar

The gods do this in shame of cowardice:


Caesar should be a beast without a heart,


If he should stay at home today for fear.


No, Caesar shall not: danger knows full well


That Caesar is more dangerous than he:


We are two lions litter'd in one day,


And I the elder and more terrible;


And Caesar shall go forth.

It is a sign from the gods, that a beast without a heart is a coward. I will not stay home today in fear. I, myself, am dangerous. So, I will go.

Calpurnia

Alas, my lord,


Your wisdom is consumed in confidence!


Do not go forth to-day: call it my fear


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.

Please, my lord, don’t go. Blame it on my fear. Let Mark Antony go instead, and say that you are ill. I am begging you. Do not go.

Caesar

Mark Antony shall say I am not well,


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

Mark Antony can say I am not well, and I will stay home for you.

Enter Decius Brutus

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

Here’s Decius Brutus. He can tell them.

Decius Brutus

Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar:


I come to fetch you to the Senate-house.

All hail, Caesar! Good morning, sir. I have come to escort you to the senate-house.

Caesar

And you are come in very happy time


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.

I am glad you are here. You can tell the senators that I will not be coming today, well cannot is not really true, nor is I dare not. Just tell them I’m not coming.

Calpurnia

Say he is sick.

Say he is sick.

Caesar

Shall Caesar send a lie?


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


To be afeard to tell grey-beards the truth?--


Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

Shall I tell a lie? Am I afraid to tell the old men the truth? Decius, go tell I am not coming.

Decius Brutus

Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,


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

You must give me a reason, so I will not be laughed at.

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:


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.

Just tell them I don’t want to come. That should be enough. But, since I love you, I will tell you in private, Calpurnia had a dream and saw me murdered. She has begged me to stay home today.

Decius Brutus

This dream is all amiss interpreted:


It was a vision fair and fortunate.


Your statue spouting blood in many pipes,


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.

The dream is misinterpreted. It was not the blood of your death but the blood of birth. Rome is going to experience a revival under you. This is what Calpurnia’s dream meant.

Caesar

And this way have you well expounded it.

That is a good explanation.

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,


Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock


Apt to be render'd, for someone 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


"Lo, Caesar is afraid"?


Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love


To your proceeding bids me tell you this;


And reason to my love is liable.

I know because today the senate decided to give you a crown. If you don’t come, they may change their minds. Some may even question your abilities if you listen to your wife’s dreams. Pardon my frankness, I tell you this out of my love for you.