Speeches (Lines) for Cassius
in "Julius Caesar"
Total: 140

1

I,2,107

Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.

2

I,2,112

Will you go see the order of the course?

3

I,2,114

I pray you, do.

4

I,2,119

Brutus, I do observe you now of late:
I have not from your eyes that gentleness
And show of love as I was wont to have:
You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand
Over your friend that loves you.

5

I,2,136

Then, Brutus, I have much mistook your passion;
By means whereof this breast of mine hath buried
Thoughts of great value, worthy cogitations.
Tell me, good Brutus, can you see your face?

6

I,2,142

'Tis just:
And it is very much lamented, Brutus,
That you have no such mirrors as will turn
Your hidden worthiness into your eye,
That you might see your shadow. I have heard,
Where many of the best respect in Rome,
Except immortal Caesar, speaking of Brutus
And groaning underneath this age's yoke,
Have wish'd that noble Brutus had his eyes.

7

I,2,154

Therefore, good Brutus, be prepared to hear:
And since you know you cannot see yourself
So well as by reflection, I, your glass,
Will modestly discover to yourself
That of yourself which you yet know not of.
And be not jealous on me, gentle Brutus:
Were I a common laugher, or did use
To stale with ordinary oaths my love
To every new protester; if you know
That I do fawn on men and hug them hard
And after scandal them, or if you know
That I profess myself in banqueting
To all the rout, then hold me dangerous.

8

I,2,170

Ay, do you fear it?
Then must I think you would not have it so.

9

I,2,180

I know that virtue to be in you, Brutus,
As well as I do know your outward favour.
Well, honour is the subject of my story.
I cannot tell what you and other men
Think of this life; but, for my single self,
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself.
I was born free as Caesar; so were you:
We both have fed as well, and we can both
Endure the winter's cold as well as he:
For once, upon a raw and gusty day,
The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores,
Caesar said to me 'Darest thou, Cassius, now
Leap in with me into this angry flood,
And swim to yonder point?' Upon the word,
Accoutred as I was, I plunged in
And bade him follow; so indeed he did.
The torrent roar'd, and we did buffet it
With lusty sinews, throwing it aside
And stemming it with hearts of controversy;
But ere we could arrive the point proposed,
Caesar cried 'Help me, Cassius, or I sink!'
I, as Aeneas, our great ancestor,
Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder
The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber
Did I the tired Caesar. And this man
Is now become a god, and Cassius is
A wretched creature and must bend his body,
If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.
He had a fever when he was in Spain,
And when the fit was on him, I did mark
How he did shake: 'tis true, this god did shake;
His coward lips did from their colour fly,
And that same eye whose bend doth awe the world
Did lose his lustre: I did hear him groan:
Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans
Mark him and write his speeches in their books,
Alas, it cried 'Give me some drink, Tintinius,'
As a sick girl. Ye gods, it doth amaze me
A man of such a feeble temper should
So get the start of the majestic world
And bear the palm alone.

10

I,2,226

Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus, and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves.
Men at some time are masters of their fates:
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that 'Caesar'?
Why should that name be sounded more than yours?
Write them together, yours is as fair a name;
Sound them, it doth become the mouth as well;
Weigh them, it is as heavy; conjure with 'em,
Brutus will start a spirit as soon as Caesar.
Now, in the names of all the gods at once,
Upon what meat doth this our Caesar feed,
That he is grown so great? Age, thou art shamed!
Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods!
When went there by an age, since the great flood,
But it was famed with more than with one man?
When could they say till now, that talk'd of Rome,
That her wide walls encompass'd but one man?
Now is it Rome indeed and room enough,
When there is in it but one only man.
O, you and I have heard our fathers say,
There was a Brutus once that would have brook'd
The eternal devil to keep his state in Rome
As easily as a king.

11

I,2,267

I am glad that my weak words
Have struck but thus much show of fire from Brutus.

12

I,2,270

As they pass by, pluck Casca by the sleeve;
And he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
What hath proceeded worthy note to-day.

13

I,2,281

Casca will tell us what the matter is.

14

I,2,318

They shouted thrice: what was the last cry for?

15

I,2,324

Who offered him the crown?

16

I,2,344

But, soft, I pray you: what, did Caesar swound?

17

I,2,348

No, Caesar hath it not; but you and I,
And honest Casca, we have the falling sickness.

18

I,2,371

Did Cicero say any thing?

19

I,2,373

To what effect?

20

I,2,382

Will you sup with me to-night, Casca?

21

I,2,384

Will you dine with me to-morrow?

22

I,2,387

Good: I will expect you.

23

I,2,392

So is he now in execution
Of any bold or noble enterprise,
However he puts on this tardy form.
This rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words
With better appetite.

24

I,2,402

I will do so: till then, think of the world.
[Exit BRUTUS]
Well, Brutus, thou art noble; yet, I see,
Thy honourable metal may be wrought
From that it is disposed: therefore it is meet
That noble minds keep ever with their likes;
For who so firm that cannot be seduced?
Caesar doth bear me hard; but he loves Brutus:
If I were Brutus now and he were Cassius,
He should not humour me. I will this night,
In several hands, in at his windows throw,
As if they came from several citizens,
Writings all tending to the great opinion
That Rome holds of his name; wherein obscurely
Caesar's ambition shall be glanced at:
And after this let Caesar seat him sure;
For we will shake him, or worse days endure.

25

I,3,465

Who's there?

26

I,3,467

Casca, by your voice.

27

I,3,469

A very pleasing night to honest men.

28

I,3,471

Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
Submitting me unto the perilous night,
And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,
Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone;
And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open
The breast of heaven, I did present myself
Even in the aim and very flash of it.

29

I,3,483

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:
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
Their natures and preformed 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.
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
In personal action, yet prodigious grown
And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

30

I,3,506

Let it be who it is: for Romans now
Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors;
But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,
And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;
Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.

31

I,3,515

I know where I will wear this dagger then;
Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:
Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;
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,
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.

32

I,3,531

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:
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
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 arm'd,
And dangers are to me indifferent.

33

I,3,549

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 honourable-dangerous consequence;
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 favour's like the work we have in hand,
Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.

34

I,3,561

'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait;
He is a friend.
[Enter CINNA]
Cinna, where haste you so?

35

I,3,566

No, it is Casca; one incorporate
To our attempts. Am I not stay'd for, Cinna?

36

I,3,570

Am I not stay'd for? tell me.

37

I,3,574

Be you content: good Cinna, take this paper,
And look you lay it in the praetor's chair,
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?

38

I,3,584

That done, repair to Pompey's theatre.
[Exit CINNA]
Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day
See Brutus at his house: three parts of him
Is ours already, and the man entire
Upon the next encounter yields him ours.

39

I,3,594

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
We will awake him and be sure of him.

40

II,1,701

I think we are too bold upon your rest:
Good morrow, Brutus; do we trouble you?

41

II,1,705

Yes, every man of them, and no man here
But honours you; and every one doth wish
You had but that opinion of yourself
Which every noble Roman bears of you.
This is Trebonius.

42

II,1,711

This, Decius Brutus.

43

II,1,713

This, Casca; this, Cinna; and this, Metellus Cimber.

44

II,1,717

Shall I entreat a word?

45

II,1,731

And let us swear our resolution.

46

II,1,759

But what of Cicero? shall we sound him?
I think he will stand very strong with us.

47

II,1,772

Then leave him out.

48

II,1,775

Decius, well urged: I think it is not meet,
Mark Antony, so well beloved of Caesar,
Should outlive Caesar: we shall find of him
A shrewd contriver; and, you know, his means,
If he improve them, may well stretch so far
As to annoy us all: which to prevent,
Let Antony and Caesar fall together.

49

II,1,804

Yet I fear him;
For in the ingrafted love he bears to Caesar—

50

II,1,815

The clock hath stricken three.

51

II,1,817

But it is doubtful yet,
Whether Caesar will come forth to-day, or no;
For he is superstitious grown of late,
Quite from the main opinion he held once
Of fantasy, of dreams and ceremonies:
It may be, these apparent prodigies,
The unaccustom'd terror of this night,
And the persuasion of his augurers,
May hold him from the Capitol to-day.

52

II,1,836

Nay, we will all of us be there to fetch him.

53

II,1,845

The morning comes upon 's: we'll leave you, Brutus.
And, friends, disperse yourselves; but all remember
What you have said, and show yourselves true Romans.

54

III,1,1207

What, urge you your petitions in the street?
Come to the Capitol.
[CAESAR goes up to the Senate-House, the rest
following]

55

III,1,1212

What enterprise, Popilius?

56

III,1,1216

He wish'd to-day our enterprise might thrive.
I fear our purpose is discovered.

57

III,1,1219

Casca, be sudden, for we fear prevention.
Brutus, what shall be done? If this be known,
Cassius or Caesar never shall turn back,
For I will slay myself.

58

III,1,1226

Trebonius knows his time; for, look you, Brutus.
He draws Mark Antony out of the way.

59

III,1,1260

Pardon, Caesar; Caesar, pardon:
As low as to thy foot doth Cassius fall,
To beg enfranchisement for Publius Cimber.

60

III,1,1263

I could be well moved, if I were as you:
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me:
But I am constant as the northern star,
Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality
There is no fellow in the firmament.
The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks,
They are all fire and every one doth shine,
But there's but one in all doth hold his place:
So in the world; 'tis furnish'd well with men,
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;
Yet in the number I do know but one
That unassailable holds on his rank,
Unshaked of motion: and that I am he,
Let me a little show it, even in this;
That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,
And constant do remain to keep him so.

61

III,1,1290

Some to the common pulpits, and cry out
'Liberty, freedom, and enfranchisement!'

62

III,1,1303

And leave us, Publius; lest that the people,
Rushing on us, should do your age some mischief.

63

III,1,1308

Where is Antony?

64

III,1,1315

Why, he that cuts off twenty years of life
Cuts off so many years of fearing death.

65

III,1,1325

Stoop, then, and wash. How many ages hence
Shall this our lofty scene be acted over
In states unborn and accents yet unknown!

66

III,1,1331

So oft as that shall be,
So often shall the knot of us be call'd
The men that gave their country liberty.

67

III,1,1335

Ay, every man away:
Brutus shall lead; and we will grace his heels
With the most boldest and best hearts of Rome.

68

III,1,1363

I wish we may: but yet have I a mind
That fears him much; and my misgiving still
Falls shrewdly to the purpose.

69

III,1,1398

Your voice shall be as strong as any man's
In the disposing of new dignities.

70

III,1,1433

Mark Antony,—

71

III,1,1437

I blame you not for praising Caesar so;
But what compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be prick'd in number of our friends;
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?

72

III,1,1456

Brutus, a word with you.
[Aside to BRUTUS]
You know not what you do: do not consent
That Antony speak in his funeral:
Know you how much the people may be moved
By that which he will utter?

73

III,1,1470

I know not what may fall; I like it not.

74

IV,2,1954

Stand, ho!

75

IV,2,1959

Most noble brother, you have done me wrong.

76

IV,2,1962

Brutus, this sober form of yours hides wrongs;
And when you do them—

77

IV,2,1971

Pindarus,
Bid our commanders lead their charges off
A little from this ground.

78

IV,3,1979

That you have wrong'd me doth appear in this:
You have condemn'd and noted Lucius Pella
For taking bribes here of the Sardians;
Wherein my letters, praying on his side,
Because I knew the man, were slighted off.

79

IV,3,1985

In such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his comment.

80

IV,3,1991

I an itching palm!
You know that you are Brutus that speak this,
Or, by the gods, this speech were else your last.

81

IV,3,1996

Chastisement!

82

IV,3,2008

Brutus, bay not me;
I'll not endure it: you forget yourself,
To hedge me in; I am a soldier, I,
Older in practise, abler than yourself
To make conditions.

83

IV,3,2014

I am.

84

IV,3,2016

Urge me no more, I shall forget myself;
Have mind upon your health, tempt me no further.

85

IV,3,2019

Is't possible?

86

IV,3,2023

O ye gods, ye gods! must I endure all this?

87

IV,3,2033

Is it come to this?

88

IV,3,2038

You wrong me every way; you wrong me, Brutus;
I said, an elder soldier, not a better:
Did I say 'better'?

89

IV,3,2042

When Caesar lived, he durst not thus have moved me.

90

IV,3,2044

I durst not!

91

IV,3,2046

What, durst not tempt him!

92

IV,3,2048

Do not presume too much upon my love;
I may do that I shall be sorry for.

93

IV,3,2068

I denied you not.

94

IV,3,2070

I did not: he was but a fool that brought
My answer back. Brutus hath rived my heart:
A friend should bear his friend's infirmities,
But Brutus makes mine greater than they are.

95

IV,3,2075

You love me not.

96

IV,3,2077

A friendly eye could never see such faults.

97

IV,3,2080

Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come,
Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius,
For Cassius is aweary of the world;
Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother;
Cheque'd like a bondman; all his faults observed,
Set in a note-book, learn'd, and conn'd by rote,
To cast into my teeth. O, I could weep
My spirit from mine eyes! There is my dagger,
And here my naked breast; within, a heart
Dearer than Plutus' mine, richer than gold:
If that thou be'st a Roman, take it forth;
I, that denied thee gold, will give my heart:
Strike, as thou didst at Caesar; for, I know,
When thou didst hate him worst, thou lovedst him better
Than ever thou lovedst Cassius.

98

IV,3,2102

Hath Cassius lived
To be but mirth and laughter to his Brutus,
When grief, and blood ill-temper'd, vexeth him?

99

IV,3,2106

Do you confess so much? Give me your hand.

100

IV,3,2108

O Brutus!

101

IV,3,2110

Have not you love enough to bear with me,
When that rash humour which my mother gave me
Makes me forgetful?

102

IV,3,2122

How now! what's the matter?

103

IV,3,2126

Ha, ha! how vilely doth this cynic rhyme!

104

IV,3,2128

Bear with him, Brutus; 'tis his fashion.

105

IV,3,2132

Away, away, be gone.

106

IV,3,2136

And come yourselves, and bring Messala with you
Immediately to us.

107

IV,3,2141

I did not think you could have been so angry.

108

IV,3,2143

Of your philosophy you make no use,
If you give place to accidental evils.

109

IV,3,2146

Ha! Portia!

110

IV,3,2148

How 'scaped I killing when I cross'd you so?
O insupportable and touching loss!
Upon what sickness?

111

IV,3,2156

And died so?

112

IV,3,2158

O ye immortal gods!

113

IV,3,2162

My heart is thirsty for that noble pledge.
Fill, Lucius, till the wine o'erswell the cup;
I cannot drink too much of Brutus' love.

114

IV,3,2171

Portia, art thou gone?

115

IV,3,2185

Cicero one!

116

IV,3,2202

I have as much of this in art as you,
But yet my nature could not bear it so.

117

IV,3,2206

I do not think it good.

118

IV,3,2208

This it is:
'Tis better that the enemy seek us:
So shall he waste his means, weary his soldiers,
Doing himself offence; whilst we, lying still,
Are full of rest, defense, and nimbleness.

119

IV,3,2223

Hear me, good brother.

120

IV,3,2236

Then, with your will, go on;
We'll along ourselves, and meet them at Philippi.

121

IV,3,2242

No more. Good night:
Early to-morrow will we rise, and hence.

122

IV,3,2251

O my dear brother!
This was an ill beginning of the night:
Never come such division 'tween our souls!
Let it not, Brutus.

123

IV,3,2256

Good night, my lord.

124

V,1,2371

Stand fast, Tintinius: we must out and talk.

125

V,1,2382

Antony,
The posture of your blows are yet unknown;
But for your words, they rob the Hybla bees,
And leave them honeyless.

126

V,1,2396

Flatterers! Now, Brutus, thank yourself:
This tongue had not offended so to-day,
If Cassius might have ruled.

127

V,1,2412

A peevish schoolboy, worthless of such honour,
Join'd with a masker and a reveller!

128

V,1,2420

Why, now, blow wind, swell billow and swim bark!
The storm is up, and all is on the hazard.

129

V,1,2425

Messala!

130

V,1,2427

Messala,
This is my birth-day; as this very day
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
Upon one battle all our liberties.
You know that I held Epicurus strong
And his opinion: now I change my mind,
And partly credit things that do presage.
Coming from Sardis, on our former ensign
Two mighty eagles fell, and there they perch'd,
Gorging and feeding from our soldiers' hands;
Who to Philippi here consorted us:
This morning are they fled away and gone;
And in their steads do ravens, crows and kites,
Fly o'er our heads and downward look on us,
As we were sickly prey: their shadows seem
A canopy most fatal, under which
Our army lies, ready to give up the ghost.

131

V,1,2447

I but believe it partly;
For I am fresh of spirit and resolved
To meet all perils very constantly.

132

V,1,2451

Now, most noble Brutus,
The gods to-day stand friendly, that we may,
Lovers in peace, lead on our days to age!
But since the affairs of men rest still incertain,
Let's reason with the worst that may befall.
If we do lose this battle, then is this
The very last time we shall speak together:
What are you then determined to do?

133

V,1,2467

Then, if we lose this battle,
You are contented to be led in triumph
Thorough the streets of Rome?

134

V,1,2479

For ever, and for ever, farewell, Brutus!
If we do meet again, we'll smile indeed;
If not, 'tis true this parting was well made.

135

V,3,2497

O, look, Tintinius, 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.

136

V,3,2509

This hill is far enough. Look, look, Tintinius;
Are those my tents where I perceive the fire?

137

V,3,2512

Tintinius, 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.

138

V,3,2519

Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
My sight was ever thick; regard Tintinius,
And tell me what thou notest about the field.
[PINDARUS ascends the hill]
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?

139

V,3,2527

What news?

140

V,3,2535

Come down, behold no more.
O, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend ta'en before my face!
[PINDARUS descends]
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.
[PINDARUS stabs him]
Caesar, thou art revenged,
Even with the sword that kill'd thee.