Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 3
Another part of the field.
The Original
Plain Modern English
Alarum. Enter Cassius and Titinius.
Cassius
O, look, Titinius, look, the villains fly!
Myself have to mine own turn'd enemy:
This ensign here of mine was turning back;
I slew the coward, and did take it from him.
Cassius
Look, Titinius — the cowards are running!
I've become an enemy to my own men.
My own standard-bearer was retreating.
I killed the coward and took the flag off him.
Titinius
O Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early;
Who, having some advantage on Octavius,
Took it too eagerly: his soldiers fell to spoil,
Whilst we by Antony are all enclosed.
Titinius
Cassius, Brutus gave the order too soon.
Having gained some advantage over Octavius,
he pressed it too eagerly. His men fell to looting
while Antony surrounded us completely.
Enter Pindarus.
Pindarus
Fly further off, my lord, fly further off;
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord:
Fly, therefore, noble Cassius, fly far' off.
Pindarus
Get further away, my lord, further away!
Mark Antony is in your camp, my lord.
So run, noble Cassius — run far off.
Cassius
This hill is far enough.—Look, look, Titinius;
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?
Cassius
This hill is far enough. — Look, Titinius:
is that my camp where I can see the fire?
Titinius
They are, my lord.
Titinius
It is, my lord.
Cassius
Titinius, if thou lovest me,
Mount thou my horse and hide thy spurs in him,
Till he have brought thee up to yonder troops
And here again; that I may rest assured
Whether yond troops are friend or enemy.
Cassius
Titinius, if you care for me,
take my horse and bury your spurs in him
until he's carried you to those troops over there
and back again — so I can know for certain
whether they're friends or enemies.
Titinius
I will be here again, even with a thought.
Titinius
I'll be back as fast as thought.
Exit.
Cassius
Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill:
My sight was ever thick: regard Titinius,
And tell me what thou notest about the field.—
Cassius
Go, Pindarus, get higher up that hill.
My eyesight was always poor. Watch Titinius
and tell me what you see across the field. (His eyesight. The whole catastrophe turns on it.)
Pindarus goes up.
Cassius
This day I breathed first: time is come round,
And where I did begin, there shall I end;
My life is run his compass.—Sirrah, what news?
Cassius
I was born on this day. Time has come full circle,
and where I began, there I'll end.
My life has run its course. — Well, what news?
Pindarus
O my lord!
Pindarus
My lord!
Cassius
What news?
Cassius
What news?
Pindarus
Titinius is enclosed round about
With horsemen, that make to him on the spur:
Yet he spurs on. Now they are almost on him.—
Now, Titinius!—Now some 'light. O, he 'lights too:
He's ta'en; and, hark! they shout for joy.
Pindarus
Titinius is surrounded
by horsemen spurring toward him.
He's still riding on. Now they're almost on him —
Now, Titinius! — Some are dismounting. He's dismounting too.
He's captured — listen, they're cheering! (Every word of this is wrong. They are his own side, congratulating him.)
Cassius
Come down; behold no more.—
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face!
Cassius
Come down. Don't watch any more.
What a coward I am, to have lived long enough
to see my best friend captured in front of me.
Pindarus descends.
Cassius
Come hither, sirrah:
In Parthia did I take thee prisoner;
And then I swore thee, saving of thy life,
That whatsoever I did bid thee do,
Thou shouldst attempt it. Come now, keep thine oath;
Now be a freeman; and with this good sword,
That ran through Caesar's bowels, search this bosom.
Stand not to answer: here, take thou the hilts;
And when my face is cover'd, as 'tis now,
Guide thou the sword.—Caesar, thou art revenged,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.
Cassius
Come here.
I took you prisoner in Parthia,
and when I spared your life I made you swear
that whatever I ordered you to do,
you'd attempt it. Now keep that oath.
Be a free man now — and with this good sword
that ran through Caesar's guts, search out my heart.
Don't stop to argue. Here — take the hilt.
And when my face is covered, as it is now,
guide the sword. — Caesar, you're avenged,
and with the very sword that killed you.
He dies.
Pindarus
So, I am free, yet would not so have been,
Durst I have done my will.—O Cassius!
Far from this country Pindarus shall run,
Where never Roman shall take note of him.
Pindarus
So I'm free — though I'd rather not have been,
if I'd dared do what I wanted. Cassius!
Pindarus will run far from this country,
where no Roman will ever notice him again.
Exit. Re-enter Titinius with Messala.
Messala
It is but change, Titinius; for Octavius
Is overthrown by noble Brutus' power,
As Cassius' legions are by Antony.
Messala
It's an even exchange, Titinius. Octavius
has been beaten by noble Brutus's force,
just as Cassius's legions were beaten by Antony.
Titinius
These tidings would well comfort Cassius.
Titinius
This news would be a great comfort to Cassius.
Messala
Where did you leave him?
Messala
Where did you leave him?
Titinius
All disconsolate,
With Pindarus his bondman, on this hill.
Titinius
Utterly wretched,
with his servant Pindarus, on this hill.
Messala
Is not that he that lies upon the ground?
Messala
Isn't that him lying on the ground?
Titinius
He lies not like the living. O my heart!
Titinius
He isn't lying like a living man. Oh, my heart!
Messala
Is not that he?
Messala
Isn't that him?
Titinius
No, this was he, Messala,
But Cassius is no more.—O setting Sun,
As in thy red rays thou dost sink to night,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set,
The sun of Rome is set! Our day is gone;
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!
Mistrust of my success hath done this deed.
Titinius
No — this WAS him, Messala.
Cassius is no more. — Setting sun,
as you sink into night in your red rays,
so Cassius's day has set in his red blood.
Rome's sun has set. Our day is over.
Clouds, damp and danger are coming. Our work is finished.
It was doubting my success that did this.
Messala
Mistrust of good success hath done this deed.
O hateful Error, Melancholy's child!
Why dost thou show to the apt thoughts of men
The things that are not? O Error, soon conceived,
Thou never comest unto a happy birth,
But kill'st the mother that engender'd thee!
Messala
Doubting a good outcome did this.
Hateful Error, child of Depression —
why do you show men, so ready to believe you,
things that don't exist? Error, so quickly conceived,
you never come to a happy birth
but kill the mind that gave you life.
Titinius
What, Pindarus! where art thou, Pindarus?
Titinius
Pindarus! Where are you, Pindarus?
Messala
Seek him, Titinius, whilst I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears: I may say, thrusting it;
For piercing steel and darts envenomed
Shall be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
As tidings of this sight.
Messala
Look for him, Titinius, while I go to find
noble Brutus and thrust this report
into his ears. 'Thrusting' is the right word —
piercing steel and poisoned arrows
would be as welcome to Brutus's ears
as news of this sight.
Titinius
Hie you, Messala,
And I will seek for Pindarus the while.—
Titinius
Hurry, Messala,
and I'll look for Pindarus meanwhile.
Exit Messala.
Titinius
Why didst thou send me forth, brave Cassius?
Did I not meet thy friends? And did not they
Put on my brows this wreath of victory,
And bid me give it thee? Didst thou not hear their shouts?
Alas, thou hast misconstrued every thing!
But, hold thee, take this garland on thy brow;
Thy Brutus bid me give it thee, and I
Will do his bidding.—Brutus, come apace,
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.—
By your leave, gods: this is a Roman's part:
Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.
Titinius
Why did you send me out, brave Cassius?
Didn't I reach your allies? And didn't they
put this victory wreath on my head
and tell me to bring it to you? Didn't you hear them cheering?
You misread every single thing.
But here — take this garland on your forehead.
Your Brutus told me to give it to you, and I
will do as he asked. — Brutus, come quickly
and see how I honoured Caius Cassius. —
By your leave, gods — this is a Roman's duty.
Come, Cassius's sword, and find Titinius's heart.
He dies. Alarum. Re-enter Messala, with Brutus, young Cato, Strato, Volumnius, and Lucilius.
Brutus
Where, where, Messala, doth his body lie?
Brutus
Where, Messala — where does his body lie?
Messala
Lo, yonder, and Titinius mourning it.
Messala
There — with Titinius mourning over it.
Brutus
Titinius' face is upward.
Brutus
Titinius's face is turned upward.
Cato
He is slain.
Cato
He's dead.
Brutus
O Julius Caesar, thou art mighty yet!
Thy spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In our own proper entrails.
Brutus
Julius Caesar — you're still powerful!
Your spirit walks the earth and turns our swords
into our own guts.
Cato
Brave Titinius!
Look whether he have not crown'd dead Cassius!
Cato
Brave Titinius!
Look — he's crowned the dead Cassius!
Brutus
Are yet two Romans living such as these?—
The last of all the Romans, fare thee well!
It is impossible that ever Rome
Should breed thy fellow.—Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man than you shall see me pay.—
I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time.—
Come therefore, and to Thassos send his body:
His funerals shall not be in our camp,
Lest it discomfort us.—Lucilius, come;—
And come, young Cato;—let us to the field.—
Labeo and Flavius, set our battles on:—
'Tis three o'clock; and Romans, yet ere night
We shall try fortune in a second fight.
Brutus
Are there two more Romans like these left alive?
Farewell, last of all the Romans!
It's impossible that Rome will ever
produce your equal. — Friends, I owe more tears
to this dead man than you'll see me pay.
I'll find the time, Cassius. I'll find the time.
Come then — send his body to Thasos.
His funeral won't be held in our camp;
it would demoralise us. — Lucilius, come. —
And young Cato — to the field. —
Labeo and Flavius, order the attack. —
It's three o'clock, and Romans, before nightfall
we'll test our luck in a second battle.
Exeunt.