The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (904 page)

Antony

Villains, you did not so when your vile daggers


Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar:


You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,


And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;


Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind


Struck Caesar on the neck. O flatterers!

That’s better than what you did when you acted like beasts and killed Caesar, stabbing him in his sides, while Casca struck from behind, you flatterers.

Cassius

Flatterers!--Now, Brutus, thank yourself:


This tongue had not offended so to-day,


If Cassius might have ruled.

Flatterers! We wouldn’t be here were I the ruler.

Octavius

Come, come, the cause: if arguing makes us sweat,


The proof of it will turn to redder drops.


Look,--


I draw a sword against conspirators:


When think you that the sword goes up again?


Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds


Be well avenged; or till another Caesar


Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.

Come on, get to the point. We aren’t here to argue. I draw my sword against conspirators and keep it up until Caesar’s death is avenged, or until I have been killed by the same traitors.

Brutus

Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,


Unless thou bring'st them with thee.

You aren’t going to die at the hands of a traitor, unless you kill yourself.

Octavius

So I hope;


I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.

That’s my hope. I was not born to die on Brutus’s sword.

Brutus

O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,


Young man, thou couldst not die more honourably.

You couldn’t die a more honorable death.

Cassius

A peevish school boy, worthless of such honour,


Join'd with a masker and a reveller!

You are just a school boy and not worthy of such an honor.

Antony

Old Cassius still!

There’s the old Cassius!

Octavius

Come, Antony; away!--


Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:


If you dare fight today, come to the field;


If not, when you have stomachs.

Come on, Antony. Let’s go! Traitors, if you dare to fight today, come to the field. If not, come when you have the stomachs for it.

Exit Octavius, Antony, and their armies.

Cassius

Why, now, blow wind, swell billow, and swim bark!


The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

Why now are we having a storm?

Brutus

Ho, Lucilius! Hark, a word with you.

Hey, Lucilius! Listen, I need a word with you.

Lucilius

Standing forward.

My lord?

I’m listening.

CASSIUS

Messala,--

MESSALA

What says my General?

Cassius

Messala,


This is my birth-day; as this very day


Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:


Be thou my witness that against my will,


As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set


Upon one battle all our liberties.


You know that I held Epicurus strong,


And his opinion: now I change my mind,


And partly credit things that do presage.


Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign


Two mighty eagles fell; and there they perch'd,


Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;


Who to Philippi here consorted us:


This morning are they fled away and gone;


And in their steads do ravens, crows, and kites


Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,


As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem


A canopy most fatal, under which


Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

Messala, this is my birthday. Give me your hand and be my witness that I am here against my will. I am going to set all of our freedom on the line. You know that believed in Epicurus, but now I have changed my mind. On the way from Sardis, I saw two mighty eagles fall and feed from our soldiers’ hands. They are gone, now, and ravens and crows circle us like we are about to be prey. We seem ready to die.

Messala

Believe not so.

I don’t think so.

Cassius

I but believe it partly;


For I am fresh of spirit, and resolved


To meet all perils very constantly.

I believe it partly, because I am ready.

Brutus

Even so, Lucilius.

Even so, Lucilius.

Cassius

Now, most noble Brutus,


The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,


Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!


But, since th' affairs of men rest still incertain,


Let's reason with the worst that may befall.


If we do lose this battle, then is this


The very last time we shall speak together:


What are you then determined to do?

Now, most noble Brutus, the gods are going to be friendly today so we lovers of peace may live to a ripe old age. But, since we are still unsure how this is going to turn out let’s just say we lose today. What are you going to do then?

Brutus

Even by the rule of that philosophy


By which I did blame Cato for the death


Which he did give himself;--I know not how,


But I do find it cowardly and vile,


For fear of what might fall, so to prevent


The time of life;--arming myself with patience


To stay the providence of some high powers


That govern us below.

I am going to stay the course with patience, unlike Cato who killed himself for fear of the unknown.

Cassius

Then, if we lose this battle,


You are contented to be led in triumph


Thorough the streets of Rome?

Then, if we lose, you are going to be content to be led through the streets of Rome?

Brutus

No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,


That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;


He bears too great a mind. But this same day


Must end that work the Ides of March begun;


And whether we shall meet again I know not.


Therefore our everlasting farewell take:


For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!


If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;


If not, why, then this parting was well made.

No, Cassius, I don’t think so. Any Roman who thinks I will go into Rome in handcuffs thinks too much of himself. Today, we will finish what was started on March 15
th
. I don’t know if we will meet again, so let’s say our goodbyes. Farewell, Cassius! If we do meet again, let’s smile, and know we parted well.

Cassius

For ever and for ever farewell, Brutus!


If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;


If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

If we meet again, Brutus, we will smile, indeed. If not, we did part well.

Brutus

Why then, lead on. O, that a man might know


The end of this day's business ere it come!


But it sufficeth that the day will end,


And then the end is known.--Come, ho! away!

Well, then, let’s go. I wish I knew what is about to happen, but the day will end all the same and then, I’ll know. Let’s go!

Exit.

Alarm. Enter Brutus and Messala.

Brutus

Ride, ride, Messala, ride, and give these bills


Unto the legions on the other side:


Let them set on at once; for I perceive


But cold demeanor in Octavius' wing,


And sudden push gives them the overthrow.


Ride, ride, Messala: let them all come down.

Ride, ride, Messala, and give these orders to the men on the other side.

Loud alarm.

Let them start at once, because I believe Octavius’s men are not ready. Hurry, Messala, ride. Let them all come down.

Exit.

Alarms. Enter Cassius and Titinius.

Cassius

O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!


Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy:


This ensign here of mine was turning back;


I slew the coward, and did take it from him.

Oh, look, Titinius. Look, the enemy is fleeing! One of my men tried to turn back, but I killed him.

Titinius

O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early;


Who, having some advantage on Octavius,


Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil,


Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.

Oh, Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early. He thought he had advantage over Octavius, but he was too eager. His soldiers have started looting, and we’re surrounded by Antony.

Pindarus