Julius Caesar :   Act 5, Scene 1


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