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Enter OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and their army.
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OCTAVIUS
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Now, Antony, our hopes are answered:
| answered gratified |
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You said the enemy would not come down,
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But keep the hills and upper regions;
| keep remain in |
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It proves not so: their battles are at hand;
| battles forces |
5.1.5 |
They mean to warn us at Philippi here,
| warn challenge | here i.e., on the plains of |
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Answering before we do demand of them.
| Philippi | Answering . . . them i.e., offering |
| | battle before we force them to |
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ANTONY
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Tut, I am in their bosoms, and I know
| I am in their bosoms I know their secret |
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Wherefore they do it: they could be content
| thoughts | could . . . bravery they would be |
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To visit other places, and come down
| happy to be elsewhere, and they come down |
5.1.10 |
With fearful bravery, thinking by this face
| with a frightened show of bravery |
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To fasten in our thoughts that they have courage;
| face (false) show of courage |
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But 'tis not so.
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Enter a Messenger.
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Messenger
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Prepare you, generals:
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The enemy comes on in gallant show;
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Their bloody sign of battle is hung out,
| bloody sign crimson flag or coat of arms |
5.1.15 |
And something to be done immediately.
| And . . . done as if battle is to be joined |
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ANTONY
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Octavius, lead your battle softly on,
| battle troops | softly slowly, cautiously |
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Upon the left hand of the even field.
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OCTAVIUS
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Upon the right hand I; keep thou the left.
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ANTONY
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Why do you cross me in this exigent?
| cross contradict | exigent critical moment |
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OCTAVIUS
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5.1.20 |
I do not cross you; but I will do so.
| I will do so I will contradict you in the |
| | future or I will do as I said >>>
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March.
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Drum. Enter BRUTUS, CASSIUS,
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and their army; [LUCILIUS, TITINIUS, | |
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MESSALA, and others]. | |
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BRUTUS
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They stand, and would have parley.
| stand i.e., stand still, do not advance |
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CASSIUS
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Stand fast, Titinius: we must out and talk.
| we must out we must go out between the |
| | armies |
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OCTAVIUS
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Mark Antony, shall we give sign of battle?
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ANTONY
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No, Caesar, we will answer on their charge.
| we . . . charge we will retaliate when they |
5.1.25 |
Make forth; the generals would have some words.
| attack | Make forth step forward |
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OCTAVIUS
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Stir not until the signal.
| Stir not until the signal. (Octavius is speaking |
| | to his troops.) |
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BRUTUS
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Words before blows: is it so, countrymen?
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OCTAVIUS
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Not that we love words better, as you do.
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BRUTUS
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Good words are better than bad strokes, Octavius.
| bad strokes i.e., senseless violence |
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ANTONY
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5.1.30 |
In your bad strokes, Brutus, you give good words:
| bad i.e., treacherous | good i.e., hypocritical |
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Witness the hole you made in Caesar's heart,
| Witness for example, consider |
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Crying "Long live! hail, Caesar!"
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CASSIUS
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Antony,
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The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
| posture effectiveness |
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But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
| for as for | Hybla town famous for honey |
5.1.35 |
And leave them honeyless.
| (Cassius is being sarcastic.) |
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ANTONY
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Not stingless too?
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BRUTUS
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O, yes, and soundless too;
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For you have stol'n their buzzing, Antony,
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And very wisely threat before you sting.
| threat threaten | very wisely (Sarcastic; he |
| | means that Antony is all talk.) |
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ANTONY
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Villains, you did not so, when your vile daggers
| so i.e., give warning before you struck |
5.1.40 |
Hack'd one another in the sides of Caesar:
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You show'd your teeth like apes, and fawn'd like hounds,
| show'd your teeth grinned |
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And bow'd like bondmen, kissing Caesar's feet;
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Whilst damned Casca, like a cur, behind
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Struck Caesar on the neck. O you flatterers!
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CASSIUS
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5.1.45 |
Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
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This tongue had not offended so to-day,
| This tongue i.e., Antony's tongue |
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If Cassius might have ruled.
| ruled prevailed (Cassius urged that Antony |
| | be killed too, but Brutus overruled him. |
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OCTAVIUS
| See Act 2, Scene 1, Line 155 ff.
.) |
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Come, come, the cause: if arguing make us sweat,
| the cause the essential dispute between us |
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The proof of it will turn to redder drops.
| proof trial (by combat) | it i.e., "the cause" |
5.1.50 |
Look,
| redder drops i.e., bloodshed |
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I draw a sword against conspirators;
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When think you that the sword goes up again?
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Never, till Caesar's three and thirty wounds
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Be well avenged; or till another Caesar
| another Caesar i.e., himself, Octavius Caesar |
5.1.55 |
Have added slaughter to the sword of traitors.
| added slaughter to been slaughtered by |
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BRUTUS
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Caesar, thou canst not die by traitors' hands,
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Unless thou bring'st them with thee.
| Unless . . . thee i.e., unless there are traitors in |
| | your army (Brutus denies that he is a traitor.) |
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OCTAVIUS
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So I hope;
| So I hope i.e., I hope you're right that I will not |
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I was not born to die on Brutus' sword.
| die at your hand, traitor. |
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BRUTUS
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O, if thou wert the noblest of thy strain,
| if even if | strain family line |
5.1.60 |
Young man, thou couldst not die more honourable.
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CASSIUS
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A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
| schoolboy i.e., Octavius, 18 years old |
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Join'd with a masker and a reveller!
| worthless of such honour unworthy of the |
| | honor of doing combat against Brutus |
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ANTONY
| a masker and a reveller i.e., Antony >>>
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Old Cassius still!
| Old Cassius still! i.e., Still the same old |
| | Cassius! |
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OCTAVIUS
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Come, Antony, away!
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Defiance, traitors, hurl we in your teeth:
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5.1.65 |
If you dare fight to-day, come to the field;
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If not, when you have stomachs.
| stomachs appetites (for battle) |
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Exeunt OCTAVIUS, ANTONY, and army.
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CASSIUS
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Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
| billow wave | swim bark let the ship float as it |
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The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.
| will | on the hazard at stake, subject to chance |
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BRUTUS
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Ho, Lucilius! hark, a word with you.
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Lucilius and [then] Messala stand forth.
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LUCILIUS
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My lord?
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[BRUTUS and LUCILIUS converse apart.]
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CASSIUS
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5.1.70 |
Messala!
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MESSALA
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What says my general?
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CASSIUS
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Messala,
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This is my birthday; as this very day
| as as of |
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Was Cassius born. Give me thy hand, Messala:
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Be thou my witness that against my will,
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As Pompey was, am I compell'd to set
| As Pompey was (At the battle of Pharsalus.) >>>
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5.1.75 |
Upon one battle all our liberties.
| set stake, gamble |
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You know that I held Epicurus strong
| held . . . opinion strongly believed in Epicurus' |
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And his opinion: now I change my mind,
| opinion (that there are no omens from the gods) |
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And partly credit things that do presage.
| presage foretell events |
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Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
| former ensign foremost banner >>>
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5.1.80 |
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
| fell swooped down |
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Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
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Who to Philippi here consorted us:
| consorted accompanied |
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This morning are they fled away and gone;
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And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,
| kites (A kite is a kind of a hawk.) >>>
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5.1.85 |
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
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As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
| As as if | prey (All three birds eat carrion, |
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A canopy most fatal, under which
| including dead soldiers.) |
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Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.
| fatal presaging death |
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MESSALA
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Believe not so.
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CASSIUS
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I but believe it partly;
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5.1.90 |
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
| fresh of spirit hopeful |
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To meet all perils very constantly.
| constantly with a steady spirit |
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BRUTUS
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Even so, Lucilius.
| Even so, Lucilius (Brutus is done speaking |
| | to Lucilius and turns to Cassius.) |
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CASSIUS
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Now, most noble Brutus,
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The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
| The gods may the gods | stand be |
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Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
| Lovers best friends | lead . . . age grow old |
5.1.95 |
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
| rest still incertain are always uncertain |
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Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
| reason with consider |
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If we do lose this battle, then is this
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The very last time we shall speak together:
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What are you then determined to do?
| are . . . determined have . . . decided |
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BRUTUS
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5.1.100 |
Even by the rule of that philosophy
| that philosophy i.e., Stoicism |
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By which I did blame Cato for the death
| Cato Portia's father, Brutus' father-in-law >>>
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Which he did give himselfI know not how,
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But I do find it cowardly and vile,
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For fear of what might fall, so to prevent
| what might fall what might chance to happen |
5.1.105 |
The time of lifearming myself with patience
| so . . . of life by suicide cut life short |
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To stay the providence of some high powers
| stay await |
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That govern us below.
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CASSIUS
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Then, if we lose this battle,
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You are contented to be led in triumph
| in triumph as a captive in a triumphal |
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Thorough the streets of Rome?
| procession | Thorough through |
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BRUTUS
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5.1.110 |
No, Cassius, no: think not, thou noble Roman,
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That ever Brutus will go bound to Rome;
| bound in chains |
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He bears too great a mind. But this same day
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Must end that work the ides of March begun;
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And whether we shall meet again I know not.
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5.1.115 |
Therefore our everlasting farewell take:
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For ever, and for ever, farewell, Cassius!
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If we do meet again, why, we shall smile;
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If not, why then, this parting was well made.
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CASSIUS
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For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus!
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5.1.120 |
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
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If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.
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BRUTUS
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Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
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The end of this day's business ere it come!
| ere before |
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But it sufficeth that the day will end,
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5.1.125 |
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!
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Exeunt.
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