JULIUS CAESAR. William Shakespeare

Take up the body.

       SECOND CITIZEN.

       Go, fetch fire.

       THIRD CITIZEN.

       Pluck down benches.

       FOURTH CITIZEN.

       Pluck down forms, windows, any thing.

       [Exeunt Citizens, with the body.]

       ANTONY.

       Now let it work.—Mischief, thou art afoot,

       Take thou what course thou wilt!—

       [Enter a Servant.]

       How now, fellow?

       SERVANT.

       Sir, Octavius is already come to Rome.

       ANTONY.

       Where is he?

       SERVANT.

       He and Lepidus are at Caesar’s house.

       ANTONY.

       And thither will I straight to visit him:

       He comes upon a wish. Fortune is merry,

       And in this mood will give us any thing.

       SERVANT.

       I heard ‘em say Brutus and Cassius

       Are rid like madmen through the gates of Rome.

       ANTONY.

       Belike they had some notice of the people,

       How I had moved them. Bring me to Octavius.

       [Exeunt.]

      SCENE III. The same. A street.

       [Enter Cinna, the poet.]

       CINNA.

       I dreamt tonight that I did feast with Caesar,

       And things unluckily charge my fantasy:

       I have no will to wander forth of doors,

       Yet something leads me forth.

       [Enter Citizens.]

       FIRST CITIZEN.

       What is your name?

       SECOND CITIZEN.

       Whither are you going?

       THIRD CITIZEN.

       Where do you dwell?

       FOURTH CITIZEN.

       Are you a married man or a bachelor?

       SECOND CITIZEN.

       Answer every man directly.

       FIRST CITIZEN.

       Ay, and briefly.

       FOURTH CITIZEN.

       Ay, and wisely.

       THIRD CITIZEN.

       Ay, and truly; you were best.

       CINNA. What is my name? Whither am I going? Where do I dwell? Am I a married man or a bachelor? Then, to answer every man directly and briefly, wisely and truly. Wisely I say I am a bachelor.

       SECOND CITIZEN. That’s as much as to say they are fools that marry; you’ll bear me a bang for that, I fear. Proceed; directly.

       CINNA.

       Directly, I am going to Caesar’s funeral.

       FIRST CITIZEN.

       As a friend, or an enemy?

       CINNA.

       As a friend.

       SECOND CITIZEN.

       That matter is answered directly.

       FOURTH CITIZEN.

       For your dwelling,—briefly.

       CINNA.

       Briefly, I dwell by the Capitol.

       THIRD CITIZEN.

       Your name, sir, truly.

       CINNA.

       Truly, my name is Cinna.

       FIRST CITIZEN.

       Tear him to pieces! he’s a conspirator.

       CINNA.

       I am Cinna the poet, I am Cinna the poet.

       FOURTH CITIZEN.

       Tear him for his bad verses, tear him for his bad verses.

       CINNA.

       I am not Cinna the conspirator.

       FOURTH CITIZEN. It is no matter, his name’s Cinna; pluck but his name out of his heart, and turn him going.

       THIRD CITIZEN.

       Tear him, tear him! Come; brands, ho! firebrands. To

       Brutus’, to Cassius’; burn all. Some to Decius’ house, and some

       to Casca’s, some to Ligarius’: away, go!

       [Exeunt.]

       ACT IV.

       Table of Contents

      

      SCENE I. Rome. A room in Antony’s house.

       [Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table.]

       ANTONY.

       These many then shall die; their names are prick’d.

       OCTAVIUS.

       Your brother too must die: consent you, Lepidus?

       LEPIDUS.

       I do consent,—

       OCTAVIUS.

       Prick him down, Antony.

       LEPIDUS.

       —Upon condition Publius shall not live,

       Who is your sister’s son, Mark Antony.

       ANTONY.

       He shall not live; look, with a spot I damn him.

       But, Lepidus, go you to Caesar’s house;

       Fetch the will hither, and we shall determine

       How to cut off some charge in legacies.

       LEPIDUS.

       What, shall I find you here?

       OCTAVIUS.

       Or here, or at the Capitol.

       [Exit Lepidus.]

       ANTONY.

       This is a slight unmeritable man,

       Meet to be sent on errands: is it fit,

       The threefold world divided, he should stand

       One of the three to share it?

       OCTAVIUS.

       So you thought him;

       And took his voice who should be prick’d to die,

       In our black sentence and proscription.

       ANTONY.

       Octavius, I have seen more days than you:

       And, though we lay these honors on this man,

       To ease ourselves of divers slanderous loads,

       He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,

       To groan and sweat under the business,

       Either led or driven, as we point the way;

       And having brought our treasure where we will,

       Then take we down his load and turn him off,

       Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears