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Julius Caesar - Act 5, scene 5
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Julius Caesar - Act 5, scene 5Act 5, scene 5
⌜Scene 5⌝
Synopsis:
Brutus begs four of his followers to assist him in his suicide. All but the fourth decline. Brutus kills himself. Antony praises Brutus as the only honorable conspirator, and Octavius orders Brutus’s funeral rites.
Enter Brutus, Dardanus, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius.BRUTUS
2571 Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.
⌜He sits down.⌝
CLITUS
2572 Statilius showed the torchlight, but, my lord,
2573 He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain.
BRUTUS
2574 Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word;
2575 5 It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
⌜He whispers to Clitus.⌝
CLITUS
2576 What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
BRUTUS
2577 Peace, then, no words.
CLITUS 2578 I’ll rather kill myself.
BRUTUS
2579 Hark thee, Dardanus.⌜He whispers to Dardanus.⌝
DARDANUS 2580 10 Shall I do such a deed?
CLITUS 2581 O Dardanus!
DARDANUS 2582 O Clitus!
⌜Dardanus and Clitus step aside.⌝
CLITUS
2583 What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
DARDANUS
2584 To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
CLITUS
2585 15 Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
2586 That it runs over even at his eyes.
BRUTUS
2587 Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word.
VOLUMNIUS
2588 What says my lord?
BRUTUS 2589 Why this, Volumnius:
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205
2590
20 The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me2591 Two several times by night—at Sardis once
2592 And this last night here in Philippi fields.
2593 I know my hour is come.
VOLUMNIUS 2594 Not so, my lord.
BRUTUS
2595 25 Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
2596 Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.
2597 Our enemies have beat us to the pit.Low alarums.
2598 It is more worthy to leap in ourselves
2599 Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
2600 30 Thou know’st that we two went to school together;
2601 Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
2602 Hold thou my sword hilts whilst I run on it.
VOLUMNIUS
2603 That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
Alarum ⌜continues.⌝
CLITUS
2604 Fly, fly, my lord! There is no tarrying here.
BRUTUS
2605 35 Farewell to you—and you—and you, Volumnius.—
2606 Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep.
2607 Farewell to thee, too, Strato.—Countrymen,
2608 My heart doth joy that yet in all my life
2609 I found no man but he was true to me.
2610 40 I shall have glory by this losing day
2611 More than Octavius and Mark Antony
2612 By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
2613 So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue
2614 Hath almost ended his life’s history.
2615 45 Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest,
2616 That have but labored to attain this hour.
Alarum. Cry within “Fly, fly, fly!”
CLITUS
2617 Fly, my lord, fly!
BRUTUS 2618 Hence. I will follow.
⌜All exit but Brutus and Strato.⌝
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207
2619
I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.2620 50 Thou art a fellow of a good respect;
2621 Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it.
2622 Hold, then, my sword, and turn away thy face
2623 While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
STRATO
2624 Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
BRUTUS
2625 55 Farewell, good Strato.
⌜Brutus runs on his sword.⌝
2626 Caesar, now be still.
2627 I killed not thee with half so good a will.⌜He⌝ dies.
Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala,
Lucilius, and the army.
OCTAVIUS 2628 What man is that?
MESSALA
2629 My master’s man.—Strato, where is thy master?
STRATO
2630 60 Free from the bondage you are in, Messala.
2631 The conquerors can but make a fire of him,
2632 For Brutus only overcame himself,
2633 And no man else hath honor by his death.
LUCILIUS
2634 So Brutus should be found.—I thank thee, Brutus,
2635 65 That thou hast proved Lucilius’ saying true.
OCTAVIUS
2636 All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.—
2637 Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
STRATO
2638 Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
OCTAVIUS
2639 Do so, good Messala.
MESSALA 2640 70 How died my master, Strato?
STRATO
2641 I held the sword, and he did run on it.
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209
MESSALA 2642 Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
2643 That did the latest service to my master.
ANTONY
2644 This was the noblest Roman of them all.
2645 75 All the conspirators save only he
2646 Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.
2647 He only in a general honest thought
2648 And common good to all made one of them.
2649 His life was gentle and the elements
2650 80 So mixed in him that nature might stand up
2651 And say to all the world “This was a man.”
OCTAVIUS
2652 According to his virtue, let us use him
2653 With all respect and rites of burial.
2654 Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
2655 85 Most like a soldier, ordered honorably.
2656 So call the field to rest, and let’s away
2657 To part the glories of this happy day.
They all exit.