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Julius Caesar - Act 5, scene 3
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Julius Caesar - Act 5, scene 3Act 5, scene 3
⌜Scene 3⌝
Synopsis:
Cassius, mistakenly believing that the battle has been lost and that Titinius has been taken captive, orders Pindarus to kill him. When Titinius returns, he puts his wreath of victory on Cassius’s head and kills himself. Brutus orders his legions into battle again in order to conquer the still undefeated Antony.
Alarums. Enter Cassius ⌜carrying a standard⌝ andTitinius.
CASSIUS
2415 O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
2416 Myself have to mine own turned enemy.
2417 This ensign here of mine was turning back;
2418 I slew the coward and did take it from him.
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TITINIUS 2419 5 O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
2420 Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
2421 Took it too eagerly. His soldiers fell to spoil,
2422 Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Enter Pindarus.
PINDARUS
2423 Fly further off, my lord, fly further off!
2424 10 Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord.
2425 Fly therefore, noble Cassius, fly far off.
CASSIUS
2426 This hill is far enough.—Look, look, Titinius,
2427 Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
TITINIUS
2428 They are, my lord.
CASSIUS 2429 15 Titinius, if thou lovest me,
2430 Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him
2431 Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops
2432 And here again, that I may rest assured
2433 Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
TITINIUS
2434 20 I will be here again even with a thought.He exits.
CASSIUS
2435 Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill.
2436 My sight was ever thick. Regard Titinius
2437 And tell me what thou not’st about the field.
⌜Pindarus goes up.⌝
2438 This day I breathèd first. Time is come round,
2439 25 And where I did begin, there shall I end;
2440 My life is run his compass.—Sirrah, what news?
PINDARUS, above. 2441 O my lord!
CASSIUS 2442 What news?
PINDARUS
2443 Titinius is enclosèd round about
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193
2444
30 With horsemen that make to him on the spur,2445 Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.
2446 Now Titinius! Now some light. O, he lights too.
2447 He’s ta’en.Shout.
2448 And hark, they shout for joy.
CASSIUS 2449 35Come down, behold no more.—
2450 O, coward that I am to live so long
2451 To see my best friend ta’en before my face!
Pindarus ⌜comes down.⌝
2452 Come hither, sirrah.
2453 In Parthia did I take thee prisoner,
2454 40 And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
2455 That whatsoever I did bid thee do
2456 Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine
2457 oath.
2458 Now be a freeman, and with this good sword,
2459 45 That ran through Caesar’s bowels, search this
2460 bosom.
2461 Stand not to answer. Here, take thou the hilts,
2462 And, when my face is covered, as ’tis now,
2463 Guide thou the sword.⌜Pindarus stabs him.⌝
2464 50 Caesar, thou art revenged
2465 Even with the sword that killed thee.⌜He dies.⌝
PINDARUS
2466 So I am free, yet would not so have been,
2467 Durst I have done my will.—O Cassius!—
2468 Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
2469 55 Where never Roman shall take note of him.
⌜He exits.⌝
Enter Titinius and Messala.
MESSALA
2470 It is but change, Titinius, for Octavius
2471 Is overthrown by noble Brutus’ power,
2472 As Cassius’ legions are by Antony.
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195
TITINIUS 2473 These tidings will well comfort Cassius.
MESSALA
2474 60 Where did you leave him?
TITINIUS 2475 All disconsolate,
2476 With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
MESSALA
2477 Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
TITINIUS
2478 He lies not like the living. O my heart!
MESSALA
2479 65 Is not that he?
TITINIUS 2480 No, this was he, Messala,
2481 But Cassius is no more. O setting sun,
2482 As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night,
2483 So in his red blood Cassius’ day is set.
2484 70 The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone;
2485 Clouds, dews, and dangers come. Our deeds are
2486 done.
2487 Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.
MESSALA
2488 Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
2489 75 O hateful error, melancholy’s child,
2490 Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
2491 The things that are not? O error, soon conceived,
2492 Thou never com’st unto a happy birth
2493 But kill’st the mother that engendered thee!
TITINIUS
2494 80 What, Pindarus! Where art thou, Pindarus?
MESSALA
2495 Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
2496 The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
2497 Into his ears. I may say “thrusting it,”
2498 For piercing steel and darts envenomèd
2499 85 Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
2500 As tidings of this sight.
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TITINIUS
2501
Hie you, Messala,2502 And I will seek for Pindarus the while.
⌜Messala exits.⌝
2503 Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
2504 90 Did I not meet thy friends, and did not they
2505 Put on my brows this wreath of victory
2506 And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their
2507 shouts?
2508 Alas, thou hast misconstrued everything.
2509 95 But hold thee, take this garland on thy brow.
⌜Laying the garland on Cassius’ brow.⌝
2510 Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
2511 Will do his bidding.—Brutus, come apace,
2512 And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.—
2513 By your leave, gods, this is a Roman’s part.
2514 100 Come, Cassius’ sword, and find Titinius’ heart!
⌜He⌝ dies ⌜on Cassius’ sword.⌝
Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Strato,
Volumnius, and Lucilius, ⌜Labeo, and Flavius.⌝
BRUTUS
2515 Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
MESSALA
2516 Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
BRUTUS
2517 Titinius’ face is upward.
CATO 2518 He is slain.
BRUTUS
2519 105 O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet;
2520 Thy spirit walks abroad and turns our swords
2521 In our own proper entrails.Low alarums.
CATO 2522 Brave Titinius!—
2523 Look whe’er he have not crowned dead Cassius.
BRUTUS
2524 110 Are yet two Romans living such as these?—
2525 The last of all the Romans, fare thee well.
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199
2526
It is impossible that ever Rome2527 Should breed thy fellow.—Friends, I owe more
2528 tears
2529 115 To this dead man than you shall see me pay.—
2530 I shall find time, Cassius; I shall find time.—
2531 Come, therefore, and to ⌜Thasos⌝ send his body.
2532 His funerals shall not be in our camp,
2533 Lest it discomfort us.—Lucilius, come.—
2534 120 And come, young Cato. Let us to the field.—
2535 Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on.
2536 ’Tis three o’clock, and, Romans, yet ere night
2537 We shall try fortune in a second fight.
They exit.