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Act 5, Scene 4
Julius Caesar Translation Act 5, Scene 5
BRUTUS, DARDANIUS, CLITUS, STRATO, and VOLUMNIUS enter.
BRUTUS
Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.
BRUTUS
Come, my few last remaining friends, and rest on this rock.
CLITUS
Statilius showed the torchlight but, my lord,He came not back. He is or ta'en or slain.
CLITUS
Statilius waved the torchlight at us, but he hasn’t come back. He’s been captured or killed.
BRUTUS
Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word.It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. [whispers to CLITUS]
BRUTUS
Sit down, Clitus. Killed, probably. It’s in fashion, apparently. Listen, Clitus. [He whispers to CLITUS]
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CLITUS
What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
CLITUS
Who, me, my lord? No, not for all the world.
BRUTUS
Peace then! No words.
BRUTUS
Silence, then! Don’t say anything.
CLITUS
I’ll rather kill myself.
CLITUS
I’d rather kill myself.
BRUTUS
Hark thee, Dardanius. [whispers to DARDANIUS]
BRUTUS
Listen, Dardanius. [He whispers to DARDANIUS]
DARDANIUS
Shall I do such a deed?
DARDANIUS
Me, do something like that?
CLITUS
O Dardanius!
CLITUS
Oh, Dardanius!
DARDANIUS
O Clitus!
DARDANIUS
Oh, Clitus!
CLITUS
[aside to DARDANIUS] What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
CLITUS
[To DARDANIUS so that only he can hear] What awful request did Brutus ask of you?
DARDANIUS
[aside to CLITUS] To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
DARDANIUS
[To CLITUS so that only he can hear] To kill him, Clitus. Look, he’s thinking about what to do.
CLITUS
[aside to DARDANIUS] Now is that noble vessel full of grief,That it runs over even at his eyes.
CLITUS
[To DARDANIUS so that only he can hear] Now that noble man is so full of grief that it spills from his eyes.
BRUTUS
Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word.
BRUTUS
Come here, good Volumnius. Listen for a minute.
VOLUMNIUS
What says my lord?
VOLUMNIUS
What is it, my lord?
BRUTUS
Why this, Volumnius: The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me Two several times by night. At Sardis once, And this last night here in Philippi fields. I know my hour is come.
BRUTUS
Well, this, Volumnius. The ghost of Caesar has appeared to me two times at night. Once at Sardis, and then last night, here in the fields of Philippi. I know that my hour has come.
VOLUMNIUS
Not so, my lord.
VOLUMNIUS
No it hasn’t, my lord.
BRUTUS
Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.Our enemies have beat us to the pit.
BRUTUS
No, I’m sure it has, Volumnius. You understand the world and how it works, Volumnius. Our enemies have driven us to the edge of the grave.
Faint sounds of battle.
BRUTUS
It is more worthy to leap in ourselves Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Thou know’st that we two went to school together. Even for that our love of old, I prithee, Hold thou my sword hilts, whilst I run on it.
BRUTUS
It’s nobler to leap in ourselves than wait until they push us. Good Volumnius, you know that we went to school together. In the name of our old friendship, I beg you, hold my the handle of my sword while I impale myself on it.
VOLUMNIUS
That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
VOLUMNIUS
That’s not a job for a friend, my lord.
Sounds of battle.
CLITUS
Fly, fly, my lord. There is no tarrying here.
CLITUS
Run, run, my lord. We can’t wait here.
BRUTUS
Farewell to you. —And you .—And you, Volumnius. —Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep. Farewell to thee too, Strato. —Countrymen, My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man but he was true to me. I shall have glory by this losing day More than Octavius and Mark Antony By this vile conquest shall attain unto. So fare you well at once, for Brutus' tongue Hath almost ended his life’s history. Night hangs upon mine eyes. My bones would rest, That have but labored to attain this hour.
BRUTUS
[To CLITUS] Farewell to you.
[To DARDANIUS] And you.
[To VOLUMNIUS] And you, Volumnius.
[To STRATO] Strato, you’ve slept all this while. Farewell to you too, Strato.
[To all of his soldiers] Countrymen, my heart rejoices that, throughout my life, I've only known men who were true to me. I’ll have glory in defeat this day—more than Octavius and Mark Antony will gain by their foul victory. So farewell, without further ado, for my tongue has almost finished speaking. I see only darkness before my eyes. My bones, which have worked to hold me up until this time, now want to rest.
Sounds of battle. Offstage, someone cries, “Run, run, run!”
CLITUS
Fly, my lord, fly.
CLITUS
Run, my lord, run.
BRUTUS
Hence. I will follow.
BRUTUS
Go on! I’ll follow.
CLITUS, DARDANIUS, and VOLUMNIUS exit.
BRUTUS
I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord. Thou art a fellow of a good respect. Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it. Hold then my sword and turn away thy face While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
BRUTUS
I beg you, Strato, stay by me, your lord. You’re a man with a good reputation. Your life has had some taste of honor in it. So hold my sword, and turn your face away while I run myself onto it. Will you, Strato?
STRATO
Give me your hand first. [holds BRUTUS' sword] Fare you well, my lord.
STRATO
Shake my hand, first. [He holds BRUTUS' sword] Farewell, my lord.
BRUTUS
Farewell, good Strato. [runs on his sword] Caesar, now be still.I killed not thee with half so good a will. [dies]
BRUTUS
Farewell, good Strato. [He runs onto his sword] Caesar, now rest. I killed you half as willingly as I kill myself. [He dies]
Sounds of battle. Trumpets sound a retreat. OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, MESSALA, and LUCILLIUS enter with the army.
OCTAVIUS
What man is that?
OCTAVIUS
What man is that?
MESSALA
My master’s man.—Strato, where is thy master?
MESSALA
My master’s man. Strato, where’s your master?
STRATO
Free from the bondage you are in, Messala. The conquerors can but make a fire of him. For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honor by his death.
STRATO
He's free from the captivity you are in, Messala. The conquerors can do nothing but make a fire of him, because Brutus alone defeated himself. And no other man can gain honor from his death.
LUCILLIUS
So Brutus should be found.—I thank thee, Brutus,That thou hast proved Lucillius' saying true.
LUCILLIUS
This is how Brutus should be found. Thank you, Brutus, for proving my prediction true.
OCTAVIUS
All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.—Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
OCTAVIUS
I will gladly take anyone who served Brutus into my own service.
[To STRATO] Will you serve me, man?
STRATO
Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
STRATO
Yes, if Messala recommends me to you.
OCTAVIUS
Do so, good Messala.
OCTAVIUS
Do so, good Messala.
MESSALA
How died my master, Strato?
MESSALA
How did my master die, Strato?
STRATO
I held the sword and he did run on it.
STRATO
I held the sword and he impaled himself on it.
MESSALA
Octavius, then take him to follow thee,That did the latest service to my master.
MESSALA
Then take this man into your service, Octavius, for he did the final service to my master.
ANTONY
This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he Did that they did in envy of great Caesar. He only in a general honest thought And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, “This was a man.”
ANTONY
This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators except for Brutus did what they did because they were jealous of great Caesar. He alone acted from high ideals, and for the general good. His life was noble, and the elements were so perfectly balanced in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, “This was a man.”
OCTAVIUS
According to his virtue let us use him, With all respect and rites of burial. Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie Most like a soldier, ordered honorably. So call the field to rest, and let’s away To part the glories of this happy day.
OCTAVIUS
We will treat him according to his virtue, with the highest respect and all the proper burial rites. His body will rest tonight in my tent with all the honorable ceremony owed to a soldier. So order the armies in the fields to rest, and let’s go share the glories of this happy day.
All exit.
