JULIUS CAESAR
ACT 3 SCENE 2
BRUTUS and CASSIUS enter with a crowd of PLEBEIANS.
PLEBEIANS
We demand answers! Give us answers!
BRUTUS
Then follow me and listen to what I say, friends.
[To CASSIUS] Cassius, go on to the next street. Split up the crowd.
[To PLEBEIANS] Let those who want to hear me speak stay here. Those who want to hear from
Cassius, go with him. We’ll explain the reasons behind Caesar’s death publicly.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
I’ll listen to Brutus.
ANOTHER PLEBEIAN
I’ll listen to Cassius, and later we'll compare what they have said.
CASSIUS exits with some of the PLEBEIANS. BRUTUS gets up on the platform.
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Noble Brutus has walked up to the platform. Quiet!
BRUTUS
Please be calm until I finish. Romans, countrymen, and friends! Listen to the reasons for my
actions, and be silent so you can hear and know that, upon my honor, you can believe me. Be
wise in your judgment, and keep your mind alert so that you can judge me wisely. If there’s
anyone in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, I say to him that my love for Caesar was no
less than his. If, that friend demands to know why I rose up against Caesar, this is my answer:
it’s not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Would you prefer that Caesar were
living, and we would all one day die as slaves? Or would you prefer that Caesar were dead and
we all lived as free men? Because Caesar was my friend, I weep for him. Because he had so
much good fortune, I am happy for him. Because he was brave, I honor him. But because he was
ambitious, I killed him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his bravery,
and death for his ambition. Who standing here is so miserable that he wants to be a slave? Who
here is so uncivilized that he does not want to be a Roman? Who here is so awful that he does
not love his country? If there are any, let them speak—because they are the ones that I have
offended. I will wait for a reply.
ALL
No one, Brutus, no one.
BRUTUS
Then I have offended no one. I’ve done no more to Caesar than you would do to me. The reasons
for his death are recorded in the Capitol. His glory has not been reduced where he earned it, nor
have the offenses for which he was killed been exaggerated.
ANTONY enters with CAESAR’s body.
BRUTUS
, Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no part in killing Caesar,
will benefit from his death- full citizenship in the republic. which of you won't benefit from
that? I will depart with these final words: just as I killed my best friend for the good of Rome, I
will still keep the same dagger, so that I can kill myself when my country requires my death.
ALL
Live, Brutus! Live, live!
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Let’s carry him in triumph to his house!
SECOND PLEBEIAN
Let’s build a statue of him, near those of his ancestors!
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him become Caesar!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
We will crown Brutus, who has all of Caesar’s better qualities.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
We’ll carry him to his house with shouts and celebration!
BRUTUS
My countrymen—
SECOND PLEBEIAN
Quiet! Silence! Brutus speaks.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Hey, quiet!
BRUTUS
Good countrymen, let me leave on my own. For my sake, stay here with Antony. Give honor to
Caesar’s corpse, as well as to Antony’s speech about Caesar’s glories. I have given permission to
Antony to do so. I beg that none of you leave until Antony has spoken, except for me.
BRUTUS exits.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
We'll stay! Let us listen to Mark Antony.
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him walk up to the platform. We’ll listen to him.
[To ANTONY] Noble Antony, go up the platform.
ANTONY
For Brutus’ sake, I am thankful to you.
[He steps up onto the platform]
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
What does he say about Brutus?
THIRD PLEBEIAN
He says that for Brutus’ sake he finds himself thankful to us all.
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
He’d better not say anything bad about Brutus here.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Caesar was a tyrant.
ACT 3 SCENE 2
BRUTUS and CASSIUS enter with a crowd of PLEBEIANS.
PLEBEIANS
We demand answers! Give us answers!
BRUTUS
Then follow me and listen to what I say, friends.
[To CASSIUS] Cassius, go on to the next street. Split up the crowd.
[To PLEBEIANS] Let those who want to hear me speak stay here. Those who want to hear from
Cassius, go with him. We’ll explain the reasons behind Caesar’s death publicly.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
I’ll listen to Brutus.
ANOTHER PLEBEIAN
I’ll listen to Cassius, and later we'll compare what they have said.
CASSIUS exits with some of the PLEBEIANS. BRUTUS gets up on the platform.
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Noble Brutus has walked up to the platform. Quiet!
BRUTUS
Please be calm until I finish. Romans, countrymen, and friends! Listen to the reasons for my
actions, and be silent so you can hear and know that, upon my honor, you can believe me. Be
wise in your judgment, and keep your mind alert so that you can judge me wisely. If there’s
anyone in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, I say to him that my love for Caesar was no
less than his. If, that friend demands to know why I rose up against Caesar, this is my answer:
it’s not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more. Would you prefer that Caesar were
living, and we would all one day die as slaves? Or would you prefer that Caesar were dead and
we all lived as free men? Because Caesar was my friend, I weep for him. Because he had so
much good fortune, I am happy for him. Because he was brave, I honor him. But because he was
ambitious, I killed him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his bravery,
and death for his ambition. Who standing here is so miserable that he wants to be a slave? Who
here is so uncivilized that he does not want to be a Roman? Who here is so awful that he does
not love his country? If there are any, let them speak—because they are the ones that I have
offended. I will wait for a reply.
ALL
No one, Brutus, no one.
BRUTUS
Then I have offended no one. I’ve done no more to Caesar than you would do to me. The reasons
for his death are recorded in the Capitol. His glory has not been reduced where he earned it, nor
have the offenses for which he was killed been exaggerated.
ANTONY enters with CAESAR’s body.
BRUTUS
, Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony, who, though he had no part in killing Caesar,
will benefit from his death- full citizenship in the republic. which of you won't benefit from
that? I will depart with these final words: just as I killed my best friend for the good of Rome, I
will still keep the same dagger, so that I can kill myself when my country requires my death.
ALL
Live, Brutus! Live, live!
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Let’s carry him in triumph to his house!
SECOND PLEBEIAN
Let’s build a statue of him, near those of his ancestors!
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him become Caesar!
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
We will crown Brutus, who has all of Caesar’s better qualities.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
We’ll carry him to his house with shouts and celebration!
BRUTUS
My countrymen—
SECOND PLEBEIAN
Quiet! Silence! Brutus speaks.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Hey, quiet!
BRUTUS
Good countrymen, let me leave on my own. For my sake, stay here with Antony. Give honor to
Caesar’s corpse, as well as to Antony’s speech about Caesar’s glories. I have given permission to
Antony to do so. I beg that none of you leave until Antony has spoken, except for me.
BRUTUS exits.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
We'll stay! Let us listen to Mark Antony.
THIRD PLEBEIAN
Let him walk up to the platform. We’ll listen to him.
[To ANTONY] Noble Antony, go up the platform.
ANTONY
For Brutus’ sake, I am thankful to you.
[He steps up onto the platform]
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
What does he say about Brutus?
THIRD PLEBEIAN
He says that for Brutus’ sake he finds himself thankful to us all.
FOURTH PLEBEIAN
He’d better not say anything bad about Brutus here.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Caesar was a tyrant.
