PART II.

Great confusion follows the death of Cæsar. The voice of one of the conspirators is heard shouting,

"Liberty! freedom!-tyranny is dead!"

The senators flee to their homes. Men, women, and children run about the streets in wild fear and amazement. Brutus and Cassius now set themselves to allay the excitement, and to satisfy the people that there were reasons of state for putting Cæsar to death. With this view they go to the Forum to address the citizens.

Meantime Mark Antony, as the chief friend and ally of Cæsar, requests permission of the conspirators to produce Cæsar's body in the market-place, and "to speak in the order of his funeral."

Cassius objects to granting Antony this privilege, lest his words should "move "the people; but Brutus overcomes this by proposing that he should himself speak first, and "show the reason of our Cæsar's death." The scene opens with the Roman populace clamoring to know this

reason.

CITIZENS. We will be satisfied; let us be satisfied. BRUTUS. Then follow me, and give me audience,1 friends.

Cassius, go you into the other street,

And part the numbers.3—

Those that will hear me speak, let 'em stay here; Those that will follow Cassius, go with him;

1 audience. See Glossary.

2 Cassius. Parse.

8 part the numbers, divide the assemblage.

And public reasons shall be rendered

Of Cæsar's death.

FIRST CITIZEN. I will hear Brutus speak.

SECOND CITIZEN. I will hear Cassius; and compare

their reasons,

When severally we hear them rendered.

[CASSIUS withdraws with some of the citizens. BRUTUS goes into the rostrum.]

THIRD CITIZEN. The noble Brutus is ascended: silence! BRUTUS. Be patient till the last.

Romans,1 countrymen, and lovers! hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear; believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe; censure me2 in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say that Brutus' love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Cæsar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves, than that Cæsar were dead, to live all free men? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honor for his valor;

1 Romans, etc. What kind of sentence grammatically?

2 censure me, judge me.
3 ambitious. See Glossary.

and death for

4 There is, followed by a plural or by several subjects, is common in Shakespeare and the writers of

his age.

his ambition. Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak; for him have I1 offended. Who is here so rude 2 that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so vile that will not love his country? If any, speak ; for him have I offended. I pause for a reply.

ALL. None, Brutus, none.

BRUTUS. Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar than you shall do to Brutus. The question of his death is enrolled in the Capitol; his glory not extenuated wherein he was worthy, nor his offenses enforced 5 for which he suffered death.

Enter ANTONY and others with CESAR's body.

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony: who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as which of you shall not? With this I depart, — that, as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself when it shall please country to need my death.

ALL. Live, Brutus! live, live!

my

FIRST CITIZEN. Bring him with triumph home unto his house.

SECOND CITIZEN. Give him a statue with his ancestors.

1 him have I. Which order of| words? (See Defs. 13, 14.)

2 rude, barbarous.

8 enrolled, formally recorded, registered, in the Capitol, where the chronicles (fasti) of the consulships were preserved.

4 extenuated. Give a synonym. 5 enforced, exaggerated. "Extenuated" and "enforced" are antithetical terms.

6 my best lover. Explain.

7 when it shall please, etc. What kind of clause?

THIRD CITIZEN. Let him be Cæsar.

FOURTH CITIZEN.

Shall be crowned in Brutus.

Cæsar's better parts

FIRST CITIZEN. We'll bring him to his house with shouts and clamors.

BRUTUS. My countrymen,

SECOND CITIZEN.

Peace, silence! Brutus speaks.

FIRST CITIZEN. Peace, ho!

BRUTUS. Good countrymen, let me depart alone, And for my sake stay here with Antony.

Do grace1 to Cæsar's corpse,2 and grace his speech
Tending to Cæsar's glories, which Mark Antony,
By our permission, is allowed to make.

I do entreat you, not a man depart,3
Save I alone, till Antony have spoke.5

[He retires.

FIRST CITIZEN. Stay, ho! and let us hear Mark An

tony. THIRD CITIZEN. Let him go up into the public chair;6 We'll hear him.- Noble Antony, go up.

ANTONY. For Brutus' sake, I am beholding to you.

[Goes up.

FOURTH CITIZEN. What does he say of Brutus?
He says, for Brutus' sake,

THIRD CITIZEN.

He finds himself beholding to us all.

1 do grace, show respect.

2 corpse. See Glossary.

3 depart. What is the mood? 4 save I alone is a nominative absolute or independent = I alone saved or excepted.

6 the public chair, the rostrum (or, as Shakespeare calls it, the "pulpit") from which Brutus had spoken.

7 I am beholding to you: that is, I am indebted to you. The mod

5 spoke. Give the modern form ern form of "beholding" is beof this participle.

holden.

FOURTH CITIZEN. 'Twere best he speak no harm of

Brutus here.

FIRST CITIZEN. This Cæsar was a tyrant.

THIRD CITIZEN.

Nay, that's certain:

We're blessed that Rome is rid of him.

SECOND CITIZEN. Peace! let us hear what Antony can

say.

ANTONY. You gentle Romans

CITIZENS.

Peace, ho! let us hear him.

ANTONY. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your

ears: 1

2

I come to bury Cæsar, not to praise him.

The evil that men do lives after them,

The good is oft interréd with their bones;
So let it be with Cæsar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Cæsar was ambitious.
If it were so, it was a grievous fault
And grievously hath Cæsar answered it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,-
For Brutus is an honorable man;5

4

So are they all, all honorable men,-
Come I to speak in Cæsar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;

1 lend me your ears. What is the figure? (Def. 8.) Express in plain terms.

=

Antony re

5 honorable man. peats this phrase again and again with consummate skill till he

2 I come, etc. Point out the an- makes it plain that he is sneering

tithesis.

8 interréd. See Glossary.

4 answered. How had Cæsar "answered or atoned for it?

at Brutus and his friends. This is the figure called irony, -saying a thing, but meaning the opposite.