JULIUS CAESAR

ACT 1
SCENE 3
 THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. CASCA
AND CICERO ENTER.
• CICERO
CICERO
• Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar Good evening, Casca. Did you
home? Why are you breathless? And walk Caesar home? Why are
why stare you so? you breathless? And why are
you looking around like that?

CASCA
• CASCA Aren’t you disturbed when the
• Are not you moved when all the sway entire earth shakes as if it were
of earth Shakes like a thing unfirm? O unsteady? Oh, Cicero, I’ve seen
storms with gusting winds that
Cicero, I have seen tempests when the
have split ancient oak trees.
scolding winds Have rived the knotty And I’ve seen the ocean swell
oaks, and I have seen Th’ ambitious
ocean
Swell and rage and foam To be Rage, and foam, as if it wanted to
exalted with the threatening clouds, rise all the way to the dark clouds
above. But not until tonight—not
But never till tonight, never till now,
until now—have I ever seen a storm
Did I go through a tempest dropping that drops fire. Either there is a civil
fire. Either there is a civil strife in war in heaven, or the world—too
heaven, Or else the world, too saucy disrespectful toward the gods—
with the gods, Incenses them to send angers them so much that they
send destruction.
destruction
CICERO CICERO
Why, did you see anything else that
Why, saw you anything more made it seem like it came from the
wonderful? gods?
• CASCA CASCA
• A common slave—you know him well A common slave—you’d recognize
by sight— Held up his left hand, him—held up his left hand, which
which did flame and burn Like twenty flamed and burned with the strength
torches joined, and yet his hand, Not of twenty torches. And yet his hand
did not feel the fire and was not
sensible of fire, remained unscorched.
scorched. In addition—I haven’t
Besides—I ha’ not since put up my
sheathed my sword since seeing
sword— Against the Capitol I met a this—across from the Capitol I saw a
lion, Who glaz’d upon me and went lion who stared at me and then
surly by, Without annoying me And walked by without harming me. And
there were drawn Upon a heap a there were drawn
hundred ghastly women, Transformed Upon a heap a hundred ghastly
with their fear, who swore they saw women, Transformèd with their fear,
Men all in fire walk up and down the who swore they saw Men all in fire
streets. walk up and down the streets.
 CASCA
• CASCA
And yesterday the owl sat hooting and
• And yesterday the bird of night did sit shrieking in the marketplace at noon.
Even at noon-day upon the When all these strange things happen
marketplace, Hooting and shrieking. at the same time, men should not say,
When these prodigies Do so “Here are the reasons why this is
conjointly meet, let not men say, happening; it’s all natural and normal.”
“These are their reasons; they are I believe these are omens regarding
natural.” For I believe they are what will happen in the place where
portentous things Unto the climate they occur, right here in Rome.
that they point upon.
• CICERO CICERO
Yes, these are strange times. But men
• Indeed, it is a strange-disposèd time.
often interpret things for their own
But men may construe things after
purposes, and misunderstand the
their fashion, Clean from the purpose
actual meaning of the things
of the things themselves. Comes
themselves. Is Caesar coming to the
Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?
Capitol tomorrow?
• CASCA CASCA
• He doth, for he did bid Antonius He is. He told Antonius to tell you
Send word to you he would be he’d be there tomorrow.
there tomorrow.
CICERO
• CICERO Good night then, Casca. This angry
weather isn’t something to walk
• Good night then, Casca. This around in
disturbèd sky Is not to walk in.
• CASCA CASCA
Farewell, Cicero
• Farewell, Cicero.

CICERO exits.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
Who’s there?
Who’s there?
• CASCA CASCA
A Roman.
A Roman.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
Casca, I recognize your voice.
Casca, by your voice.
• CASCA CASCA
Your ear is good. Cassius,
• Your ear is good. Cassius, what a night this is!
what night is this!
 CASSIUS
• CASSIUS It’s a very pleasing night to honest men.
• A very pleasing night to honest men.
CASCA
• CASCA Who’s ever seen the heavens seem so
• Who ever knew the heavens menace threatening as this?
so?
CASSIUS
• CASSIUS Those who have known how bad things
are here on earth. I have walked around
• Those that have known the earth so the streets, exposing myself to the
full of faults. For my part, I have perilous night, with my jacket unbuttoned
walked about the streets, Submitting like this, baring my chest to the
me unto the perilous night, And, thus thunderbolt, as you see, Casca. When the
unbracèd, Casca, as you see, Have forked blue lightning seemed to break
open the sky, I put myself right where I
bared my bosom to the thunder-
thought it would hit.
stone.
• CASCA CASCA
But why would you tempt the heavens
• But wherefore did you so much that way? Men are supposed to be
tempt the heavens? It is the part of afraid and tremble when the mightiest
men to fear and tremble When the gods send such dreadful signs to warn
most mighty gods by tokens send and shock us.
Such dreadful heralds to astonish
us. CASSIUS
• CASSIUS
You are dull, Casca. And you lack the
• You are dull, Casca, and those
sparks of liveliness that a Roman
sparks of life That should be in a
should have—or else you just don’t
Roman you do want, Or else you
show them. You look pale, you stare,
use not. You look pale, and gaze,
and you give yourself over to fear and
And put on fear, and cast yourself
wonder at the strange uproar in the
in wonder To see the strange
heavens.
impatience of the heavens.
• But if you would consider the true But if you think about the true
cause Why all these fires, why all cause of all these fires, all these
floating ghosts; or the reason why
these gliding ghosts, Why birds and
birds and animals are acting
beasts from quality and kind, Why differently from how they
old men fool and children calculate, normally behave; why old men,
Why all these things change from fools, and children make
their ordinance Their natures and prophecies; why all these things
have transformed from their
preformèd faculties To monstrous
natural qualities and become
quality— why, you shall find That monstrous, then you’d see that
heaven hath infused them with heaven put such evil spirits in
these spirits To make them them so as to give a terrifying
instruments of fear and warning warning of an unnatural
government that is coming
Unto some monstrous state.
• Now could I, Casca, name to Right now, Casca, I could name a
thee a man Most like this man who’s just like this dreadful
night. He thunders, shoots
dreadful night, That thunders,
lightning, opens up graves, and
lightens, opens graves, and roars roars just like the lion in the
As doth the lion in the Capitol— Capitol. He is a man no mightier in
A man no mightier than thyself his abilities than you or me. Yet he
or me In personal action, yet has grown as tremendous and
frightening as tonight’s shocking
prodigious grown, And fearful as
sights.
these strange eruptions are.
• CASCA CASCA
It’s Caesar you’re talking about.
• ‘Tis Caesar that you mean. Is it Isn’t it, Cassius?
not, Cassius?
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
• Let it be who it is. For Romans now Don’t worry about who it is. Romans
Have thews and limbs like to their today may have the same strong
bodies as our ancestors. But—curse
ancestors, But—woe the while!—our this time!—we don’t have the will of
fathers’ minds are dead, And we are our fathers. It’s like we have inherited
governed with our mothers’ spirits. Our only the spirits of our mothers
yoke and sufferance show us instead. Our willingness to be
womanish. enslaved shows that we are weak,
like women.
• CASCA
CASCA
• Indeed, they say the senators Indeed, they say that the senators
tomorrow Mean to establish Caesar as plan to make Caesar a king tomorrow.
a king, And he shall wear his crown by And he’ll wear his crown at sea and
sea and land In every place save here on land everywhere except here in
in Italy. Italy.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
I know where I’ll wear this dagger
• I know where I will wear this dagger if that happens. I’ll free myself from
then, Cassius from bondage will deliver slavery by killing myself. Oh, you
Cassius. Therein, ye gods, you make the gods, through suicide you make
weak most strong. Therein, ye gods, you weak become strong. Through
suicide, you gods, you can defeat
tyrants do defeat. Nor stony tower, nor
tyrants. No stony tower, no brass
walls of beaten brass, Nor airless walls, no airless dungeon, no iron
dungeon, nor strong links of iron Can be chains can imprison a strong spirit.
retentive to the strength of spirit. But Though held by such prisons, life
life, being weary of these worldly bars, never loses the power to destroy
itself. I know—and may all the
Never lacks power to dismiss itself. If I
world know—that I can overthrow
know this, know all the world besides, the tyranny I currently suffer I
That part of tyranny that I do bear can whenever I want by killing myself.
shake off at pleasure.
Thunder sounds again
• CASCA CASCA
So can I. Every imprisoned man
• So can I. So every bondman in his holds in his own hand the ability to
own hand bears The power to cancel escape his captivity
his captivity.
CASSIUS
• CASSIUS So then how can Caesar have
• And why should Caesar be a tyrant become a tyrant? Poor man! I know
then? Poor man! I know he would not he wouldn’t be a wolf if he didn’t
see that the Romans were such
be a wolf But that he sees the sheep. He would not be a lion if the
Romans are but sheep. He were no Romans weren’t deer. Someone
lion were not Romans hinds. Those who wants to make a big fire
that with haste will make a mighty quickly starts with little twigs.
fire Begin it with weak straws.
• What trash is Rome, What rubbish and Rome is trash—just rubbish and
what offal, when it serves For the base garbage to be burned—when it allows
itself to light up the ambitions of a thing
matter to illuminate So vile a thing as
as worthless as Caesar. But, oh, grief!
Caesar! But, O grief, Where hast thou What have you made me say? I might
led me? I perhaps speak this Before a be saying this to someone who wants
willing bondman. Then I know My to be a slave, and then I'll have to face
answer must be made. But I am armed, the consequences of my words. But I’m
armed, and danger is unimportant to
And dangers are to me indifferent.
me.
• CASCA
CASCA
• You speak to Casca, and to such a man You’re speaking to Casca, not some
That is no fleering telltale. Hold, my smirking tattletale. Take my hand. If
hand. Be factious for redress of all these you’re forming a faction that will right
griefs, And I will set this foot of mine as all of these wrongs, I’ll go just as far as
the one of you who will go the farthest.
far As who goes farthest.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
You’ve got a deal. Now you should
• There’s a bargain made. Now know know, Casca, that I’ve already
you, Casca, I have moved already persuaded some of the noblest
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans to join me in an effort that is at
Romans To undergo with me an once honorable and dangerous. And I
know that by now they’re waiting for
enterprise Of honorable-dangerous
me in the lobby of Pompey’s theater,
consequence. And I do know by this because no one is out walking in the
they stay for me In Pompey’s porch. streets right now. And the sky is as
For now, this fearful night, There is bloody, fiery, and terrible as the work
no stir or walking in the streets, we are planning to do.
And the complexion of the element
In favor’s like the work we have in
hand, Most bloody, fiery, and most
terrible.
 CINNA ENTERS
• CASCA
• Stand close awhile, for here CASCA
comes one in haste. Hide for a bit—someone is rushing toward us.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
• ‘Tis Cinna. I do know him by his It’s Cinna. I recognize him by the way he
gait. He is a friend. Cinna, walks. He is a friend.
where haste you so?
• CINNA To CINNA] Cinna, where are you rushing to?
• To find out you. Who’s that? CINNA
Metellus Cimber?
To find you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?
• CASSIUS
• No, it is Casca, one incorporate CASSIUS
To our attempts. Am I not No, it’s Casca, who is an ally in our efforts. Are
stayed for, Cinna? the others waiting for me, Cinna?
• CINNA CINNA
I’m glad to hear it. What a frightening
• I am glad on ’t. What a fearful night night this is! There are two or three of
is this! There’s two or three of us us who have seen strange sights.
have seen strange sights.
CASSIUS
• CASSIUS Are the others waiting for me? Tell
me.
• Am I not stayed for? Tell me.
CINNA
• CINNA
Yes, they are. Oh, Cassius, if you
• Yes, you are. O Cassius, if you could could just persuade noble Brutus to
But win the noble Brutus to our join us—
party—
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
Don’t worry. Good Cinna, take
• Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper and put it in the
this paper, And look you lay it in judge’s chair where Brutus sits
the praetor’s chair Where Brutus so he will find it. And throw this
may but find it. And throw this In one in through his window.
Attach this one with wax to the
at his window. Set this up with
statue of Brutus’ ancestor, Old
wax Upon old Brutus’ statue. All Brutus. When all this is done,
this done, Repair to Pompey’s return to the lobby of Pompey’s
porch, where you shall find us. Is theater, where you will find us.
Decius Brutus and Trebonius Are Decius Brutus and
Trebonius there?
there?
• CINNA CINNA
• All but Metellus Cimber, and Everyone but Metellus Cimber, and
he’s gone To seek you at your he’s gone to look for you at your
house. Well, I will hie, And so house. Well, I’ll get going, and do
bestow these papers as you what you’ve asked me to do with
bade me. these papers.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
• That done, repair to Pompey’s When you’re done, return to
theatre. Pompey’s theater.

CINNA exits.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
• Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere Come on, Casca. Before the
day See Brutus at his house. Three daylight comes, you and I will go
parts of him Is ours already, and the see Brutus at his house. He is
man entire Upon the next encounter already three-quarters on our side,
yields him ours. and this next meeting will bring
him to us completely.
• CASCA
• Oh, he sits high in all the people’s CASCA
hearts, And that which would Oh, he is loved and admired by the
appear offense in us, His people. Just like an alchemist who
countenance, like richest alchemy, transforms lead into gold, Brutus’
Will change to virtue and to natural nobility would make
worthiness. actions look virtuous and good
that would look bad if we did them
alone.
• CASSIUS CASSIUS
You’re completely right
• Him and his worth and our about both Brutus’ nobility
great need of him You have and our need for him. Let’s
right well conceited. Let us go, go, because it’s already after
For it is after midnight, and ere midnight, and before it’s day
day We will awake him and be we must wake him and make
sure he’s with us.
sure of him.

They exit