Julius Caesar: Act 3, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 3, Scene 1 of Julius Caesar from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

  Original Text

 Translated Text

  Source: Folger Shakespeare Library

Flourish. Enter Caesar, Antony, Lepidus; Brutus, Cassius,
Casca, Decius, Metellus, Trebonius, Cinna; Publius,
Popilius, Artemidorus, the Soothsayer, and other
Senators and Petitioners.

CAESAR The ides of March are come.

SOOTHSAYER Ay, Caesar, but not gone.

ARTEMIDORUS Hail, Caesar. Read this schedule.

DECIUS
Trebonius doth desire you to o’erread,
At your best leisure, this his humble suit. 5

The crowd of traitorous senators and a bunch of hangers-on surround Julius Caesar just outside the Capitol. Decius, a traitor, offers a request from Trebonius to Caesar while Artemidorius tries to get his attention.

ARTEMIDORUS
O Caesar, read mine first, for mine’s a suit
That touches Caesar nearer. Read it, great Caesar.

CAESAR
What touches us ourself shall be last served.

ARTEMIDORUS
Delay not, Caesar; read it instantly.

CAESAR
What, is the fellow mad? 10

After a vague but ominous interaction between Caesar and the soothsayer, Artemidorius pleads with Caesar to read his letter first, because it's personal. Caesar, the picture of humility, says that, because he puts the affairs of Rome before his own, he'll read Artemidorius' suit last. Artemidorius presses him, and Caesar wonders if he's crazy.

PUBLIUS Sirrah, give place.

CASSIUS
What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.

Caesar goes forward, the rest following.

Before Caesar has time to reconsider, he is hustled to the Capitol by Cassius. Cassius says Caesar shouldn't just give audience to every Tom, Dick, and Roman in the street—he needs to hurry to the Capitol.

POPILIUS, to Cassius
I wish your enterprise today may thrive.

CASSIUS What enterprise, Popilius? 15

POPILIUS Fare you well. He walks away.

BRUTUS What said Popilius Lena?

CASSIUS
He wished today our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discoverèd.

BRUTUS
Look how he makes to Caesar. Mark him. 20

CASSIUS
Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.—
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.

BRUTUS Cassius, be constant. 25
Popilius Lena speaks not of our purposes,
For look, he smiles, and Caesar doth not change.

As Caesar enters the Capitol, Senator Popilius wishes Cassius good luck in "today's enterprise." Naturally, the conspirators flip out a little bit—Popilius, who is now chatting up Caesar, seems to know about the plot. Brutus, calm and collected, assures everyone that they're just scaring themselves. Popilius smiles with Caesar, who looks unconcerned, so he clearly hasn't just heard about the murder plot.

CASSIUS
Trebonius knows his time, for look you, Brutus,
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

Trebonius and Antony exit.

DECIUS
Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go 30
And presently prefer his suit to Caesar.

BRUTUS
He is addressed. Press near and second him.

CINNA
Casca, you are the first that rears your hand.

Meanwhile, Trebonius is busy luring Antony away, and the plan is falling into place. Metellus will come up close to Caesar, pretending to have some request, and everyone will gather around him to fall into killing position. Cinna says Casca will strike first.

CAESAR
Are we all ready? What is now amiss
That Caesar and his Senate must redress? 35

METELLUS, kneeling
Most high, most mighty, and most puissant Caesar,
Metellus Cimber throws before thy seat
An humble heart.

CAESAR I must prevent thee, Cimber.
These couchings and these lowly courtesies 40
Might fire the blood of ordinary men
And turn preordinance and first decree
Into the law of children. Be not fond
To think that Caesar bears such rebel blood
That will be thawed from the true quality 45
With that which melteth fools—I mean sweet
words,
Low-crookèd curtsies, and base spaniel fawning.
Thy brother by decree is banishèd.
If thou dost bend and pray and fawn for him, 50
I spurn thee like a cur out of my way.
Know: Caesar doth not wrong, nor without cause
Will he be satisfied.

Team Conspiracy breaks and hustles as Caesar calls the Senate to order. Metellus is the first to come before Caesar, and he begins to kneel, but Caesar cuts him off. Pretentiously referring to himself in the third person, Caesar says such stooping might appeal to lesser men, but it won't sway him. Caesar declares that Metellus's brother (whom Metellus is making a request on behalf of) will remain banished. Further, no amount of begging and pleading will shake the great Caesar, it only makes him scorn the beggar. (Caesar, in his arrogance, definitely makes it harder to be sympathetic towards him here.)

METELLUS
Is there no voice more worthy than my own
To sound more sweetly in great Caesar’s ear 55
For the repealing of my banished brother?

BRUTUS, kneeling
I kiss thy hand, but not in flattery, Caesar,
Desiring thee that Publius Cimber may
Have an immediate freedom of repeal.

CAESAR
What, Brutus? 60

As Metellus is making his plea for his brother Publius, Brutus joins in and kisses Caesar's hand, which totally surprises Caesar. 

CASSIUS, kneeling
Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon!
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

CAESAR
I could be well moved, if I were as you.
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me. 65
But I am constant as the Northern Star,
Of whose true fixed and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks;
They are all fire, and every one doth shine. 70
But there’s but one in all doth hold his place.
So in the world: ’tis furnished well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive.
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank, 75
Unshaked of motion; and that I am he
Let me a little show it, even in this:
That I was constant Cimber should be banished
And constant do remain to keep him so.

Next, Cassius falls at Caesar's feet, but still Caesar says he won't change the law to accommodate Publius. He declares himself to be "as constant as the northern star." While every man might be a fiery star, all the stars move except the northern one. Caesar identifies with that star, so he's not about to change his mind.

CINNA, kneeling
O Caesar— 80

CAESAR Hence. Wilt thou lift up Olympus?

DECIUS, kneeling
Great Caesar—

CAESAR Doth not Brutus bootless kneel?

The conspirators press on, and Caesar demands that they go away, saying that their pleading is as useless as trying to lift up Olympus, mountain of the gods. After all, he hasn't even been swayed by his best buddy, Brutus, kneeling before him. Come on, guys! Give it up.

CASCA Speak, hands, for me!

As Casca strikes, the others rise up and stab Caesar.

CAESAR Et tu, Brutè?—Then fall, Caesar. 85

He dies.

Suddenly Casca rises to stab Caesar. Brutus stabs him too. This is where Caesar utters the famous "Et tu, Brute? [You too, Brutus?]. It seems Caesar is willing to fall seeing as how one of his most noble friends, Brutus, has betrayed him. This is moving, even after the whole, "I'm the most special star in the whole galaxy" speech.

CINNA
Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!
Run hence, proclaim, cry it about the streets.

CASSIUS
Some to the common pulpits and cry out
“Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement.”

Immediately after Caesar falls, Cinna starts his version of "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead," and tells everybody to run and spread the message in the streets.

BRUTUS
People and Senators, be not affrighted. 90
Fly not; stand still. Ambition’s debt is paid.

Brutus realizes that all the other folks standing around in the Capitol watching Caesar bleed might be a bit shocked. He tells them everything is going to be okay now that Caesar is dead. Caesar's ambition was, after all, the root of their problems. 

CASCA
Go to the pulpit, Brutus.

DECIUS And Cassius too.

BRUTUS Where’s Publius?

CINNA
Here, quite confounded with this mutiny. 95

METELLUS
Stand fast together, lest some friend of Caesar’s
Should chance—

Casca directs Brutus and Cassius to the pulpit, probably to address the crowd, when Brutus notices he can't find Publius. Cinna points out that Publius is looking shocked by the great mutiny, and Metellus urges the conspirators to stand together in case Caesar's friends in the Capitol want to start a fight.

BRUTUS
Talk not of standing.—Publius, good cheer.
There is no harm intended to your person,
Nor to no Roman else. So tell them, Publius. 100

CASSIUS
And leave us, Publius, lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

BRUTUS
Do so, and let no man abide this deed
But we the doers.

All but the Conspirators exit.

Brutus tells everyone to chill. No one wants to hurt anybody, and he hopes no one wants to hurt them. Sensing that the plan to become heroes for killing Caesar has not come to pass, he adds that only the men who've done this deed will bear its consequences.

Enter Trebonius.

CASSIUS Where is Antony? 105

TREBONIUS Fled to his house amazed.
Men, wives, and children stare, cry out, and run
As it were doomsday.

Trebonius enters to confirm the worst: Antony has run to his house, shocked by the act, and people are shrieking in the street like it's the end of the world as we know it (and no one feels fine).

BRUTUS Fates, we will know your
pleasures. 110
That we shall die we know; ’tis but the time,
And drawing days out, that men stand upon.

CASCA
Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

BRUTUS
Grant that, and then is death a benefit. 115
So are we Caesar’s friends, that have abridged
His time of fearing death. Stoop, Romans, stoop,
And let us bathe our hands in Caesar’s blood
Up to the elbows and besmear our swords.
Then walk we forth, even to the marketplace, 120
And, waving our red weapons o’er our heads,
Let’s all cry “Peace, freedom, and liberty!”

Brutus says that everyone knows they're going to die eventually, and life is just the process of waiting for the days to pass before it happens. (Maybe Brutus should get a hobby, or a support group.) Cassius and Brutus go on to suggest that, as Caesar's friends, they've done him a favor by shortening the period of time he would've spent worrying about death. Interesting logic.

CASSIUS
Stoop then, and wash.
They smear their hands and swords with Caesar’s blood.
How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over 125
In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

BRUTUS
How many times shall Caesar bleed in sport,
That now on Pompey’s basis lies along
No worthier than the dust!

CASSIUS So oft as that shall be, 130
So often shall the knot of us be called
The men that gave their country liberty.

DECIUS
What, shall we forth?

CASSIUS Ay, every man away.
Brutus shall lead, and we will grace his heels 135
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

Weirdly, Cassius then calls everyone to bathe their hands up to their elbows in Caesar's blood and to cover their swords with it, so they can walk out into the streets and the marketplace declaring peace, freedom, and liberty in the land. (This is notably reminiscent of Calphurnia's dream.) Cassius is sure this bloodbath will go down in history as a noble act, and everyone agrees that Brutus should lead the procession into the street, as he has the boldest and best heart in Rome.

Enter a Servant.

BRUTUS
Soft, who comes here? A friend of Antony’s.

SERVANT, kneeling
Thus, Brutus, did my master bid me kneel.
Thus did Mark Antony bid me fall down,
And, being prostrate, thus he bade me say: 140
Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest;
Caesar was mighty, bold, royal, and loving.
Say, I love Brutus, and I honor him;
Say, I feared Caesar, honored him, and loved him.
If Brutus will vouchsafe that Antony 145
May safely come to him and be resolved
How Caesar hath deserved to lie in death,
Mark Antony shall not love Caesar dead
So well as Brutus living, but will follow
The fortunes and affairs of noble Brutus 150
Thorough the hazards of this untrod state
With all true faith. So says my master Antony.

Antony's servant enters, causing the marching band of merry, bloody men to take pause. The servant explains that Antony wants everyone to know he believes Brutus is noble, wise, valiant, and honest. Also, that while Antony loves Brutus and honors him, Antony also feared, loved, and honored Caesar. Antony thus pledges (through his servant) to love Brutus if he can get some assurance that it's safe to come around for a visit sometime and hear the story of why Brutus thought it was okay to kill their leader. Regardless, he'll be faithful to Brutus from now on.

BRUTUS
Thy master is a wise and valiant Roman.
I never thought him worse.
Tell him, so please him come unto this place, 155
He shall be satisfied and, by my honor,
Depart untouched.

SERVANT I’ll fetch him presently.

Servant exits.

BRUTUS
I know that we shall have him well to friend.

Brutus tells Antony's servant that his master will be safe if he comes to the Capitol. Brutus is sure glad they can all be friends again.

CASSIUS
I wish we may; but yet have I a mind 160
That fears him much, and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

Cassius, however, is still suspicious of Antony, and as the resident expert in treachery, he's usually right about spotting it in others.

Enter Antony.

BRUTUS
But here comes Antony.—Welcome, Mark Antony!

ANTONY
O mighty Caesar, dost thou lie so low?
Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils 165
Shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well.—
I know not, gentlemen, what you intend,
Who else must be let blood, who else is rank.
If I myself, there is no hour so fit
As Caesar’s death’s hour, nor no instrument 170
Of half that worth as those your swords made rich
With the most noble blood of all this world.
I do beseech you, if you bear me hard,
Now, whilst your purpled hands do reek and smoke,
Fulfill your pleasure. Live a thousand years, 175
I shall not find myself so apt to die;
No place will please me so, no mean of death,
As here by Caesar, and by you cut off,
The choice and master spirits of this age.

Antony shows up and makes a great show over Caesar's body, weeping and wailing. He worries aloud about who else will be killed over some secret grudge the conspirators might hold. He then pleas with the conspirators to kill him right now if they want him dead, as to die by swords still fresh with Caesar's blood would be the greatest death ever, hands down.

BRUTUS
O Antony, beg not your death of us! 180
Though now we must appear bloody and cruel,
As by our hands and this our present act
You see we do, yet see you but our hands
And this the bleeding business they have done.
Our hearts you see not; they are pitiful; 185
And pity to the general wrong of Rome
(As fire drives out fire, so pity pity)
Hath done this deed on Caesar. For your part,
To you our swords have leaden points, Mark Antony.
Our arms in strength of malice, and our hearts 190
Of brothers’ temper, do receive you in
With all kind love, good thoughts, and reverence.

CASSIUS
Your voice shall be as strong as any man’s
In the disposing of new dignities.

BRUTUS
Only be patient till we have appeased 195
The multitude, beside themselves with fear;
And then we will deliver you the cause
Why I, that did love Caesar when I struck him,
Have thus proceeded.

Brutus then pleads with Antony that, though the conspirators' hands are bloody (literally), their hearts are pitiful. After all, someone needed to do this terrible deed for Rome, to drive out fire with fire. Brutus promises Antony he will only met with love, and he promises to soon explain the reason they've killed Caesar. Right now, though, they've got to go out and quiet the public, which is a bit frightened of the men who stopped for a quick dip in Caesar's blood.

ANTONY I doubt not of your wisdom. 200
Let each man render me his bloody hand.
First, Marcus Brutus, will I shake with you.—
Next, Caius Cassius, do I take your hand.—
Now, Decius Brutus, yours;—now yours,
Metellus;— 205
Yours, Cinna;—and, my valiant Casca, yours;—
Though last, not least in love, yours, good
Trebonius.—
Gentlemen all—alas, what shall I say?
My credit now stands on such slippery ground 210
That one of two bad ways you must conceit me,
Either a coward or a flatterer.—
That I did love thee, Caesar, O, ’tis true!
If then thy spirit look upon us now,
Shall it not grieve thee dearer than thy death 215
To see thy Antony making his peace,
Shaking the bloody fingers of thy foes—
Most noble!—in the presence of thy corpse?
Had I as many eyes as thou hast wounds,
Weeping as fast as they stream forth thy blood, 220
It would become me better than to close
In terms of friendship with thine enemies.
Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bayed, brave
hart,
Here didst thou fall, and here thy hunters stand 225
Signed in thy spoil and crimsoned in thy Lethe.
O world, thou wast the forest to this hart,
And this indeed, O world, the heart of thee.
How like a deer strucken by many princes
Dost thou here lie! 230

Antony says he has no doubt that Brutus probably had some very good reason to kill Caesar, and he shakes bloody hands with the conspirators all around. He then looks on Caesar's corpse and begins a long-winded speech in praise of Caesar, whom he has betrayed by becoming loyal to his murderers.

CASSIUS
Mark Antony—

ANTONY Pardon me, Caius Cassius.
The enemies of Caesar shall say this;
Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

CASSIUS
I blame you not for praising Caesar so. 235
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be pricked in number of our friends,
Or shall we on and not depend on you?

Cassius interrupts this dramatic posturing and flat-out asks whether Antony is with them or against them.

ANTONY
Therefore I took your hands, but was indeed
Swayed from the point by looking down on Caesar. 240
Friends am I with you all and love you all,
Upon this hope, that you shall give me reasons
Why and wherein Caesar was dangerous.

Antony says he was committed to the conspirators, but then he noticed Caesar's corpse again (still lying on the ground at their feet), and the plan to be down with the murderers suddenly looked a little less savory. Still, Antony will remain their friend if they can provide some reason to believe Caesar was dangerous.

BRUTUS
Or else were this a savage spectacle.
Our reasons are so full of good regard 245
That were you, Antony, the son of Caesar,
You should be satisfied.

Brutus promises they can and they will.

ANTONY That’s all I seek;
And am, moreover, suitor that I may
Produce his body to the marketplace, 250
And in the pulpit, as becomes a friend,
Speak in the order of his funeral.

Antony's only other little request is that he be allowed to take the body to the marketplace and to speak at Caesar's funeral.

BRUTUS
You shall, Mark Antony.

CASSIUS Brutus, a word with you.
Aside to Brutus. You know not what you do. Do 255
not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral.
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

Brutus, ever trusting, readily gives in to Antony's request, but Cassius senses foul play and pulls Brutus aside. He says Brutus should bar Antony from speaking at Caesar's funeral as he's likely to say things that will incite the people against the conspirators.

BRUTUS, aside to Cassius By your pardon, 260
I will myself into the pulpit first
And show the reason of our Caesar’s death.
What Antony shall speak I will protest
He speaks by leave and by permission,
And that we are contented Caesar shall 265
Have all true rites and lawful ceremonies.
It shall advantage more than do us wrong.

CASSIUS, aside to Brutus
I know not what may fall. I like it not.

Brutus will solve this problem by going to the pulpit first and explaining in a calm and rational manner his reasons for killing Caesar. (Rationality always goes over well with angry mobs, right?) He'll explain that the conspirators have given Antony permission to speak (meaning he's not an adversary), and that Caesar will have all the lawful burial ceremonies. Brutus is certain this will win them good PR all around.

BRUTUS
Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar’s body.
You shall not in your funeral speech blame us 270
But speak all good you can devise of Caesar
And say you do ’t by our permission,
Else shall you not have any hand at all
About his funeral. And you shall speak
In the same pulpit whereto I am going, 275
After my speech is ended.

Just to make sure, Brutus makes Antony promise not to say anything inflammatory at Caesar's funeral. Instead of blaming the killers, he should speak of Caesar's virtue by focusing more on Caesar's life than his death.

ANTONY Be it so.
I do desire no more.

BRUTUS
Prepare the body, then, and follow us.

All but Antony exit.

ANTONY
O pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, 280
That I am meek and gentle with these butchers.
Thou art the ruins of the noblest man
That ever livèd in the tide of times.
Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy 285
(Which like dumb mouths do ope their ruby lips
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue)
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife
Shall cumber all the parts of Italy; 290
Blood and destruction shall be so in use
And dreadful objects so familiar
That mothers shall but smile when they behold
Their infants quartered with the hands of war,
All pity choked with custom of fell deeds; 295
And Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
Cry “Havoc!” and let slip the dogs of war,
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth 300
With carrion men groaning for burial.

Enter Octavius’ Servant.

You serve Octavius Caesar, do you not?

Antony promises and is left alone to give a little soliloquy, in which he reveals that he fully intends to incite the crowd to bloody murder against the conspirators. In fact, there'll be so much blood and destruction that Caesar might show up from hell with the goddess of discord at his side, and mothers will smile to see their infants torn limb from limb. (Ew.) Well, the man has a plan.

SERVANT I do, Mark Antony.

ANTONY
Caesar did write for him to come to Rome.

SERVANT
He did receive his letters and is coming, 305
And bid me say to you by word of mouth—
O Caesar!

ANTONY
Thy heart is big. Get thee apart and weep.
Passion, I see, is catching, for mine eyes,
Seeing those beads of sorrow stand in thine, 310
Began to water. Is thy master coming?

SERVANT
He lies tonight within seven leagues of Rome.

A servant arrives with the news that Octavius, Julius Caesar's adopted son and heir, is on his way. Caesar had recently sent him a letter asking him to come to Rome, and he is now just seven leagues away.

ANTONY
Post back with speed and tell him what hath
chanced.
Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome, 315
No Rome of safety for Octavius yet.
Hie hence and tell him so.—Yet stay awhile;
Thou shalt not back till I have borne this corpse
Into the marketplace. There shall I try,
In my oration, how the people take 320
The cruel issue of these bloody men,
According to the which thou shalt discourse
To young Octavius of the state of things.
Lend me your hand.

They exit with Caesar’s body.

Antony tells the servant to hold Octavius where he is, as it's not safe for him in the city yet. He says Octavius should come after Antony has had a chance to give his speech and kick-start the mob rioting. The servant then lends Antony a hand to carry Caesar's body out of the Capitol.