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Julius Caesar Translation


Thunder and lightning. CASCA and CICERO enter.
CICERO
Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar home?
Why are you breathless? And why stare you so?
Good evening, Casca. Did you walk Caesar home? Why are you breathless? And why are
you looking around like that?
CASCA
Are not you moved when all the sway of earth
Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
5
I have seen tempests when the scolding winds
Have rived the knotty oaks, and I have seen
Th' ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam
To be exalted with the threatening clouds,
But never till tonight, never till now,
10
Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.
Either there is a civil strife in heaven,
Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,
Incenses them to send destruction.
Aren’t you disturbed when the entire earth shakes as if it were unsteady? Oh,
Cicero, I’ve seen storms with gusting winds that have split ancient oak trees. And
I’ve seen the ocean swell, rage, and foam, as if it wanted to rise all the way to
the dark clouds above. But not until tonight—not until now—have I ever seen a storm
that drops fire. Either there is a civil war in heaven, or the world—too
disrespectful toward the gods—angers them so much that they send destruction.
CICERO
Why, saw you anything more wonderful?
Why, did you see anything else that made it seem like it came from the gods?
CASCA
15
A common slave—you know him well by sight—
Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
Like twenty torches joined, and yet his hand,
Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched.
Besides—I ha' not since put up my sword—
20
Against the Capitol I met a lion,
Who glaz'd upon me and went surly by,
Without annoying me. And there were drawn
Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,
Transformèd with their fear, who swore they saw
25
Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
And yesterday the bird of night did sit
Even at noon-day upon the marketplace,
Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies
Do so conjointly meet, let not men say,
30
“These are their reasons; they are natural.”
For I believe they are portentous things
Unto the climate that they point upon.
A common slave—you’d recognize him—held up his left hand, which flamed and burned
with the strength of twenty torches. And yet his hand did not feel the fire and was
not scorched. In addition—I haven't sheathed my sword since seeing this—across from
the Capitol I saw a lion who stared at me and then walked by without harming me.
And there were a hundred frightened women all clustered together, who swore they
saw men covered in fire walk up and down the streets. And yesterday the owl sat
hooting and shrieking in the marketplace at noon.When all these strange things
happen at the same time, men should not say, “Here are the reasons why this is
happening; it's all natural and normal.” I believe these are omens regarding what
will happen in the place where they occur, right here in Rome.
CICERO
Indeed, it is a strange-disposèd time.
But men may construe things after their fashion,
35
Clean from the purpose of the things themselves. Comes
Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?
Yes, these are strange times. But men often interpret things for their own
purposes, and misunderstand the actual meaning of the things themselves. Is Caesar
coming to the Capitol tomorrow?
CASCA
He doth, for he did bid Antonius
Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.
He is. He told Antonius to tell you he’d be there tomorrow.
CICERO
Good night then, Casca. This disturbèd sky
40
Is not to walk in.
Good night then, Casca. This angry weather isn’t something to walk around in.
CASCA
Farewell, Cicero.
Farewell, Cicero
CICERO exits.
CASSIUS enters.
CASSIUS
Who’s there?
Who’s there?
CASCA
A Roman.
A Roman.
CASSIUS
Casca, by your voice.
Casca, I recognize your voice.
CASCA
45
Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!
Your ear is good. Cassius, what a night this is!
CASSIUS
A very pleasing night to honest men.
It’s a very pleasing night to honest men.
CASCA
Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
Who’s ever seen the heavens seem so threatening as this?
CASSIUS
Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walked about the streets,
50
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And, thus unbracèd, Casca, as you see,
Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone.
And when the cross blue lightning seemed to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
55
Even in the aim and very flash of it.
Those who have known how bad things are here on earth. I have walked around the
streets, exposing myself to the perilous night, with my jacket unbuttoned like
this, baring my chest to the thunderbolt, as you see, Casca. When the forked blue
lightning seemed to break open the sky, I put myself right where I thought it would
hit.
CASCA
But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
It is the part of men to fear and tremble
When the most mighty gods by tokens send
Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.
But why would you tempt the heavens that way? Men are supposed to be afraid and
tremble when the mightiest gods send such dreadful signs to warn and shock us.
CASSIUS
60
You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life
That should be in a Roman you do want,
Or else you use not. You look pale, and gaze,
And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder
To see the strange impatience of the heavens.
65
But if you would consider the true cause
Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,
Why old men fool and children calculate,
Why all these things change from their ordinance
70
Their natures and preformèd faculties
To monstrous quality— why, you shall find
That heaven hath infused them with these spirits
To make them instruments of fear and warning
Unto some monstrous state.
75
Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
Most like this dreadful night,
That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
As doth the lion in the Capitol—
A man no mightier than thyself or me
80
In personal action, yet prodigious grown,
And fearful as these strange eruptions are.
You are dull, Casca. And you lack the sparks of liveliness that a Roman should have
—or else you just don’t show them. You look pale, you stare, and you give yourself
over to fear and wonder at the strange uproar in the heavens. But if you think
about the true cause of all these fires, all these floating ghosts; or the reason
why birds and animals are acting differently from how they normally behave; why old
men, fools, and children make prophecies; why all these things have transformed
from their natural qualities and become monstrous, then you’d see that heaven put
such evil spirits in them so as to give a terrifying warning of an unnatural
government that is coming. Right now, Casca, I could name a man who’s just like
this dreadful night. He thunders, shoots lightning, opens up graves, and roars just
like the lion in the Capitol. He is a man no mightier in his abilities than you or
me. Yet he has grown as tremendous and frightening as tonight’s shocking sights.
CASCA
'Tis Caesar that you mean. Is it not, Cassius?
It’s Caesar you’re talking about. Isn’t it, Cassius?
CASSIUS
Let it be who it is. For Romans now
Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors,
85
But—woe the while!—our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are governed with our mothers' spirits.
Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.
Don’t worry about who it is. Romans today may have the same strong bodies as our
ancestors. But—curse this time!—we don’t have the will of our fathers. It's like we
have inherited only the spirits of our mothers instead. Our willingness to be
enslaved shows that we are weak, like women.
CASCA
Indeed, they say the senators tomorrow
Mean to establish Caesar as a king,
90
And he shall wear his crown by sea and land
In every place save here in Italy.
Indeed, they say that the senators plan to make Caesar a king tomorrow. And he’ll
wear his crown at sea and on land everywhere except here in Italy.
CASSIUS
I know where I will wear this dagger then.
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong.
95
Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat.
Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,
Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron
Can be retentive to the strength of spirit.
But life, being weary of these worldly bars,
100
Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
If I know this, know all the world besides,
That part of tyranny that I do bear
I can shake off at pleasure.
I know where I’ll wear this dagger if that happens. I’ll free myself from slavery
by killing myself. Oh, you gods, through suicide you make weak become strong.
Through suicide, you gods, you can defeat tyrants. No stony tower, no brass walls,
no airless dungeon, no iron chains can imprison a strong spirit. Though held by
such prisons, life never loses the power to destroy itself. I know—and may all the
world know—that I can overthrow the tyranny I currently suffer I whenever I want by
killing myself.
Thunder sounds again.
CASCA
So can I.
105
So every bondman in his own hand bears
The power to cancel his captivity.
So can I. Every imprisoned man holds in his own hand the ability to escape his
captivity.
CASSIUS
And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep.
110
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
115
So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,
Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this
Before a willing bondman. Then I know
My answer must be made. But I am armed,
And dangers are to me indifferent.
So then how can Caesar have become a tyrant? Poor man! I know he wouldn’t be a wolf
if he didn't see that the Romans were such sheep. He would not be a lion if the
Romans weren’t deer. Someone who wants to make a big fire quickly starts with
little twigs. Rome is trash—just rubbish and garbage to be burned—when it allows
itself to light up the ambitions of a thing as worthless as Caesar. But, oh, grief!
What have you made me say? I might be saying this to someone who wants to be a
slave, and then I'll have to face the consequences of my words. But I’m armed, and
danger is unimportant to me.
CASCA
120
You speak to Casca, and to such a man
That is no fleering telltale. Hold, my hand.
Be factious for redress of all these griefs,
And I will set this foot of mine as far
As who goes farthest.
You’re speaking to Casca, not some smirking tattletale. Take my hand. If you’re
forming a faction that will right all of these wrongs, I’ll go just as far as the
one of you who will go the farthest.
CASSIUS
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There’s a bargain made.
Now know you, Casca, I have moved already
Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
To undergo with me an enterprise
Of honorable-dangerous consequence.
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And I do know by this they stay for me
In Pompey’s porch. For now, this fearful night,
There is no stir or walking in the streets,
And the complexion of the element
In favor’s like the work we have in hand,
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Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
You’ve got a deal. Now you should know, Casca, that I’ve already persuaded some of
the noblest Romans to join me in an effort that is at once honorable and dangerous.
And I know that by now they’re waiting for me in the lobby of Pompey’s theater,
because no one is out walking in the streets right now. And the sky is as bloody,
fiery, and terrible as the work we are planning to do.
CINNA enters.
CASCA
Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.
Hide for a bit—someone is rushing toward us.
CASSIUS
'Tis Cinna. I do know him by his gait.
He is a friend. —Cinna, where haste you so?
It’s Cinna. I recognize him by the way he walks. He is a friend.[To CINNA] Cinna,
where are you rushing to?
CINNA
To find out you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?
To find you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?
CASSIUS
140
No, it is Casca, one incorporate
To our attempts. Am I not stayed for, Cinna?
No, it’s Casca, who is an ally in our efforts. Are the others waiting for me,
Cinna?
CINNA
I am glad on ’t. What a fearful night is this!
There’s two or three of us have seen strange sights.
I’m glad to hear it. What a frightening night this is! There are two or three of us
who have seen strange sights.
CASSIUS
Am I not stayed for? Tell me.
Are the others waiting for me? Tell me.
CINNA
145
Yes, you are.
O Cassius, if you could
But win the noble Brutus to our party—
Yes, they are. Oh, Cassius, if you could just persuade noble Brutus to join us—
CASSIUS
Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper,
And look you lay it in the praetor’s chair
150
Where Brutus may but find it. And throw this
In at his window. Set this up with wax
Upon old Brutus' statue. All this done,
Repair to Pompey’s porch, where you shall find us.
Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?
Don’t worry. Good Cinna, take this paper and put it in the judge’s chair where
Brutus sits so he will find it. And throw this one in through his window. Attach
this one with wax to the statue of Brutus’ ancestor, Old Brutus. When all this is
done, return to the lobby of Pompey’s theater, where you will find us. Are Decius
Brutus and Trebonius there?
CINNA
155
All but Metellus Cimber, and he’s gone
To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie,
And so bestow these papers as you bade me.
Everyone but Metellus Cimber, and he’s gone to look for you at your house. Well,
I’ll get going, and do what you've asked me to do with these papers.
CASSIUS
That done, repair to Pompey’s theatre.
When you’re done, return to Pompey’s theater.
CINNA exits.
CASSIUS
Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day
160
See Brutus at his house. Three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire
Upon the next encounter yields him ours.
Come on, Casca. Before the daylight comes, you and I will go see Brutus at his
house. He is already three-quarters on our side, and this next meeting will bring
him to us completely.
CASCA
Oh, he sits high in all the people’s hearts,
And that which would appear offense in us,
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His countenance, like richest alchemy,
Will change to virtue and to worthiness.
Oh, he is loved and admired by the people. Just like an alchemist who transforms
lead into gold, Brutus’ natural nobility would make actions look virtuous and good
that would look bad if we did them alone.
CASSIUS
Him and his worth and our great need of him
You have right well conceited. Let us go,
For it is after midnight, and ere day
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We will awake him and be sure of him.
You’re completely right about both Brutus’ nobility and our need for him. Let’s go,
because it’s already after midnight, and before it’s day we must wake him and make
sure he’s with us.
They exit.