Julius Caesar: Act III, Scene 1
Caesar: It is now March 15.
Soothsayer: Day’s not over yet.
Artemidorus: Hey, Caesar, read this document.
Decius: Trebonius wants you to read his humble request.
Artemidorus: Read mine first! For mine will mean more to you.
Caesar: I can read it later.
Artemidorus: Read it now.
Caesar: Are you mad?
Cassius: Why are you starting these petitions? Come to the capitol.
CAESAR ENTERS THE CAPITOL – THE REST FOLLOW
Popilius: I wish you luck today.
Cassius: Why, Popilius?
Popilius: Goodbye.
LEAVES HIM AND JOINS CAESAR
Brutus: What did Popilius say?
Cassius: He wished us luck. But I don’t think he knows about our plan.
Brutus: Look how he makes his way to Caesar. Watch out.
Cassius: Casca, be on alert because we fear we may be stopped. Brutus, what should we do? If people find out,
Cassius or Caesar won’t return alive. If so, I will kill myself.
Brutus: Calm down, Cassius. Don’t worry about Popilius. He doesn’t know.
Cassius: Trebonius is moving in. Look, Brutus. He’s distracting Mark Antony.
ANTONY AND TREBONIUS EXIT
Decius: Where is Metellus Cimber? Let him go and immediately present his request to Caesar.
Brutus: He’s ready. Follow and help him.
Cinna: Casca, you should make the first move.
Caesar: Are we ready? What’s happening that we must address?
Metellus: All powerful Caesar, I beg you with a humble heart.
KNEELING
Caesar: I need to stop you, Cimber. This kneeling might work on ordinary men and change laws that have been
firmly established into the whims of children. Don’t be foolish enough to think that my emotions are so out of
control that I’ll be swayed from the proper course with compliments, bowing, and fawning like a dog. Your
brother is banished. If you bow and pray and fawn for him, I’ll kick like a dog out of my way. I’m not unjust
nor will I grant a pardon without good reason.
Metellus: Is there no voice worthier than my own to appeal to Caesar to repeal the order that my brother be
banished?
Brutus: KNEELING I kiss your hand but not in flattery, Caesar. I ask you to repeal Publius Cimber’s
banishment immediately.
Caesar: What: Even you, Brutus?
Cassius: KNEELING Pardon him, Caesar, pardon him. I fall to your feet to beg you to restore Publius
Cimber’s rights as a citizen.
Caesar: I could be convinced if I were like you. If I could beg others to change their minds, begging would
convince me, too. But I’m as immovable as the northern star, whose stable and stationary quality has no equal
in the sky. The sky shows countless stars. They’re all made of fire, and each one shines. But only one among all
of them remains in a fixed position. So it is on earth. The world is full of men, and men are flesh and blood and
they are capable of reason. Yet out of all of them, I know only one who is unassailable, who never moves from
his position. To show you that that’s me, let me prove it a little, even in this case. I was firm in ordering that
Cimber be banished, and I remain firm in that decision. Will you do the impossible?
Decius: Great Caesar.
Caesar: Does Brutus not kneel in vain?
Casca: My hands shall speak for me!
CASCA STABS CAESAR FIRST – THE OTHERS STAB CAESAR
Caesar: And you, Brutus:
CAESAR FALLS AND DIES
Cinna: Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead! Run about the streets and tell everyone it has happened!
Cassius: Run to the stages and yell out “The people are free!”
Brutus: Everyone, do not be afraid. Stay where you are. It needed to be done.
Casca: Go to the stands, Brutus.
Decius: Cassius, you go, too.
Brutus: Where’s Publius?
Cinna: He is here and still confused about what happened.
Metellus: Stand together as one, in case one of Caesar’s friends sees what we’ve done.
Brutus: Do not talk of standing together. Publius, good fellow, there was no harm intended for you or any other
Roman.
Cassius: Go away, Publius. The people might hurt you, too, due to your age.
Brutus: Leave and don’t let anyone take the blame for what we have done.
ALL BUT THE CONSPIRATORS EXIT – ENTER TREBONIUS
Cassius: Where is Antony?
Trebonius: He ran to his house in shock and men, wives, and children go hysterical as if it were the end of the
world.
Brutus: The goddesses will know your fate, and when we die the time of death and the legacy is all men care
about.
Casca: By removing twenty years off his life, he now has less time to worry about it.
Brutus: Caesar’s death is a benefit, and we are Caesar’s friends and we have cut his time of fearing death short.
Bend over, Romans, and smear Caesar’s blood to your elbows and on your swords. Then we will walk to the
marketplace, waving our bloody swords, yelling peace, freedom, and liberty.
Cassius: Bend over and wash your hands in his blood. People will be acting this great moment out for a long
time.
Brutus: Caesar will bleed for entertainment because he is like dust on Pompey’s statue.
Cassius: We will all be known as the men who saved our country.
Decius: Should we move on?
Cassius: Every one of us should go praise Brutus.
ENTER SERVANT
Brutus: A friend of Antony’s is coming.
Servant: Antony told me to come here and honor you, Brutus. Antony says he will follow you.
Brutus: Your master is a good Roman. Tell him to come be satisfied.
Servant: I’ll get him.
Brutus: I’m sure he will be a good friend.
Cassius: I hope we can, but I still am suspicious and I’m normally right.
ENTER ANTONY
Brutus: Hey, look! There’s Antony! What’s up, Mark Antony?
Antony: Caesar, why did you have to leave me? Are all your accomplishments, power, and glory not good
enough to make these people happy? Brutus, I don’t know what your plan is or if you plan on killing me or
who you plan on killing. But if you’re going to kill me now and kill me with Caesar because this would be the
most noble time to die since Caesar died this hour. Caesar was the most noble man in this world, and your
swords are covered in his blood. I do beg of you, if you ever hold a grudge against me, I will assure you that
your blood stained hands prove your greedy desire to grab ahold of self-pleasure. I could live a thousand more
years and still I would not be so ready to die at any time, any place, or by any way as I would by the hand of
you taking my life by Caesar’s side. This is because I know you are killing the best of this age.
Brutus: Antony, please don’t beg for us to kill you. I know that we may appear as cruel and blood-craving
people because of our appearance and actions I agree that we do seem this way because of the bloody business
we have done here. You don’t see, though, that our hearts are full of pity for the wrong Caesar did against
Rome. You have to understand that like a fire extinguishing another fire, any pity we would have for Caesar
was driven out by all of our pity for Rome. We won’t kill you, though, Mark Antony. We welcome you as
brothers with love and kindness.
Cassius: Your opinions will be easily recognized and considered equal when we decide who will hold political
power.
Brutus: Be patient, though, until we have told the people of Rome for they will be afraid. We will explain to
them that I, who did love Caesar, have killed him.
Antony: I don’t doubt your knowledge. Each of you, let me shake your bloody hands. Gentlemen, where should
I begin? My reputation is on thin ice. You’re either going to judge me as a coward or a flatterer. I did love
you, Caesar. If your spirit looks upon us, don’t grieve your death to see Antony shaking hands with your foes
around your corpse. If I had as many eyes crying as you had wounds bleeding, it would have been better to
have come to an agreement than be friends with your enemies. Excuse me, Julius! You were cornered like a
brave male deer. You fell and the hunters stand covered in your blood and red in your bloodstream. Like a deer
killed by many princes you lie here.
Cassius: Mark Antony…
Antony: Pardon me, Cassius. The enemies of Caesar shall say this; in a friend, it is cold restraint.
Cassius: I don’t blame you for praising Caesar. What’s the deal you’re going to make with us? Will you join
us or not?
Antony: I will join you because I’m friends with you and love you all. Tell me why and how Caesar was
dangerous.
Brutus: Even though Caesar’s murder was brutal, it was done for a good cause. Even though you loved Caesar,
you should be content.
Antony: That’s all I want. And I would like to bring his body to the marketplace and to the pulpit because I was
his friend. I would like to speak at the funeral.
Brutus: You will, Mark Antony.
Cassius: BRUTUS AND CASSIUS MOVE TO THE SIDE Brutus, can I talk to you? You don’t know what
you’re doing. Don’t let him talk at the funeral. Do you know how fired up the people will get about what he has
to say?
Brutus: Excuse me. I will go into the pulpit first. I will show them why Caesar is dead. I will argue with what
Antony says. He is only speaking with our permission. We are committed to Caesar having a proper burial. It
will do us more good than bad.
Cassius: I don’t know what will happen, but I don’t like it.
Brutus: You will bring Caesar’s body here. You will not blame us in your speech. You will only speak all the
good you can of Caesar. You will say you speak with our permission. If you do not, you will not attend the
funeral. You will speak in the same pulpit as me after I am done speaking.
Antony: Okay, that’s all I want.
Brutus: Get the body ready, then follow us.
BRUTUS AND CASSIUS LEAVE
Antony: Excuse me, Julius Caesar. Forgive me for being kind to these murderers. You are the body of the best
man that ever lived in all time. Give sorrow to the person who murdered Caesar. A curse will fall upon these
men. Italy will be harassed by the fury of the people. There will be many deaths and destruction that we will
grow used to. Mothers will smile when they see their children cut to pieces. Everyone will suffer from the cruel
deeds. And Caesar’s spirit will search for revenge when he comes from hell. The good people of Rome will cry
battle cries and release the dogs of war. This war will kill many people, and even the dead will groan for burial.
ENTER OCTAVIUS’S SERVANT
Antony: You serve Octavius Caesar, don’t you?
Servant: I do, Mark Antony.
Antony: Caesar wrote to him to come to Rome.
Servant: He received his letters and is coming. And he asked me to say … SEEING CAESAR’S BODY ... Oh,
Caesar!
Antony: You’re feeling bad, so go away and weep. I see you have passion for him. Seeing tears run down full
of sorrow. Is your master coming?
Servant: He is 21 miles from Rome.
Antony: Ride back quickly and tell him what has happened. Here is a mourning Rome, a dangerous Rome.
Rome is not safe for Octavius yet; go quickly and tell him so, but don’t come back. Don’t come back until I
have spoken about this in the marketplace. There I will test my speech and see how people are taking this cruel
issue. According to their response, you will tell Octavius. Lend me a hand.
THEY EXIT WITH CAESAR’S BODY