CICERO
“Good even, Casca. Brought you Caesar home?”
Cicero greets Casca in the evening and asks if he accompanied Caesar home.
“Why are you breathless? And why stare you so?”
Cicero notices Casca is out of breath and staring as if something has shocked him.
CASCA
“Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth / Shakes like a thing unfirm?”
Casca asks Cicero if he isn’t shaken by the way the entire earth seems unstable and trembling.
“O Cicero, / I have seen tempests when the scolding winds / Have rived the knotty oaks,”
Casca describes storms so fierce that the strong, gnarled oak trees were split apart by the wind.
“And I have seen / Th’ ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam / To be exalted with the threat’ning clouds;”
He talks about seeing the sea rise violently, as if competing with the stormy clouds.
“But never till tonight, never till now, / Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.”
Casca admits he has never seen a storm like this before, with fire raining from the sky.
“Either there is a civil strife in heaven, / Or else the world, too saucy with the gods, / Incenses them to send destruction.”
He believes either there is a war among the gods in the heavens, or the earth has angered them, causing them to unleash destruction.
CICERO
“Why, saw you anything more wonderful?”
Cicero asks Casca if he has seen anything else strange or astonishing.
CASCA
“A common slave (you know him well by sight) / Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn / Like twenty torches joined;”
Casca says he saw an ordinary slave holding up his left hand, which was on fire, glowing like twenty torches.
“And yet his hand, / Not sensible of fire, remained unscorched.”
Despite the fire, the slave’s hand was unharmed and not burned.
“Besides (I ha’ not since put up my sword), / Against the Capitol I met a lion,”
Casca mentions that he still has his sword drawn because he encountered a lion near the Capitol.
“Who gazed upon me and went surly by / Without annoying me.”
The lion stared at him and walked away without attacking him.
“And there were drawn / Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women, / Transformèd with their fear,”
He saw a group of about a hundred frightened women gathered together.
“Who swore they saw / Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.”
The women claimed to have seen men completely engulfed in flames walking through the streets.
“And yesterday the bird of night did sit / Even at noonday upon the marketplace, / Hooting and shrieking.”
Casca adds that the owl, a bird that is active at night, was in the marketplace at noon, making eerie sounds.
“When these prodigies / Do so conjointly meet, let not men say—”
Casca says that when all these strange and unnatural events happen together, people shouldn’t dismiss them as ordinary.
CASCA
“These are their reasons, they are natural,”
Casca says that some people think all the strange events happening are natural and have logical explanations.
“For I believe they are portentous things / Unto the climate that they point upon.”
Casca believes these events are not natural but are omens, warning of bad things to come for Rome.
CICERO
“Indeed, it is a strange-disposèd time.”
Cicero agrees that it’s a strange and unsettling time.
“But men may construe things after their fashion, / Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.”
He observes that people interpret events in their own way, often twisting the true meaning to fit their beliefs.
“Comes Caesar to the Capitol tomorrow?”
Cicero asks if Caesar is planning to go to the Capitol the next day.
CASCA
“He doth, for he did bid Antonius / Send word to you he would be there tomorrow.”
Casca confirms that Caesar intends to go to the Capitol and has sent Antony to inform Cicero of this.
CICERO
“Good night then, Casca. This disturbèd sky / Is not to walk in.”
Cicero bids Casca good night, saying the stormy sky makes it unsafe to stay outside.
(Cicero exits.)
CASSIUS ENTERS
CASSIUS
“Who’s there?”
Cassius asks who is there.
CASCA
“A Roman.”
Casca replies, identifying himself as a fellow Roman.
CASSIUS
“Casca, by your voice.”
Cassius recognizes Casca by his voice.
CASCA
“Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!”
Casca remarks on how well Cassius recognized him and exclaims about how extraordinary and ominous the night feels.
CASSIUS
“A very pleasing night to honest men.”
Cassius says this night is favorable for those who are honorable, possibly hinting at his own plans.
CASCA
“Who ever knew the heavens menace so?”
Casca questions who has ever seen the heavens behave so threateningly.
CASSIUS
“Those that have known the Earth so full of faults.”
Cassius responds that the heavens act this way when the Earth is filled with corruption and wrongdoing.
“For my part, I have walked about the streets, / Submitting me unto the perilous night,”
Cassius explains that he has been walking in the dangerous storm, exposing himself to its risks.
“And thus unbracèd, Casca, as you see, / Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone;”
He says he has opened his coat and exposed his chest to the storm, including the lightning.
“And when the cross blue lightning seemed to open / The breast of heaven, I did present myself / Even in the aim and very flash of it.”
Cassius stood directly under the lightning as if daring it to strike him, showing his defiance and lack of fear.
CASCA
“But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?”
Casca asks Cassius why he dared to challenge the gods by exposing himself to the storm.
“It is the part of men to fear and tremble / When the most mighty gods by tokens send / Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.”
Casca believes it’s natural for people to be afraid when the gods send such terrifying signs as warnings.
CASSIUS
“You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life / That should be in a Roman you do want, / Or else you use not.”
Cassius accuses Casca of lacking the courage and vitality expected of a Roman, or of not using them properly.
“You look pale, and gaze, / And put on fear, and cast yourself in wonder, / To see the strange impatience of the heavens.”
He criticizes Casca for appearing frightened and amazed by the storm, as though he’s overwhelmed by it.
“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,”
Cassius urges Casca to think about why unnatural events are happening, like fire in the sky, ghosts appearing, and animals acting strangely.
“Why old men, fools, and children calculate, / Why all these things change from their ordinance, / Their natures, and preformèd faculties,”
He points out that even the old, foolish, and young are trying to make sense of the chaos, as the natural order of things has been disrupted.
“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.”
Cassius concludes that the gods have sent these omens to warn the people about a dreadful situation brewing in the state.
CASSIUS
“Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man / Most like this dreadful night,”
Cassius says he could name a man whose character resembles the chaos and fury of this stormy night.
“That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars / As doth the lion in the Capitol;”
He compares this man to the storm’s thunder and lightning, as well as the roaring of a lion, suggesting he is powerful and dangerous.
“A man no mightier than thyself or me / In personal action, yet prodigious grown, / And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.”
This man, though not physically stronger than Cassius or Casca, has become excessively powerful and as frightening as the unnatural signs they’ve seen.
CASCA
“’Tis Caesar that you mean, is it not, Cassius?”
Casca understands that Cassius is talking about Julius Caesar.
CASSIUS
“Let it be who it is.”
Cassius neither confirms nor denies Casca’s assumption, leaving it vague.
“For Romans now / Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors.”
He laments that modern Romans are just as physically strong as their ancestors.
“But, woe the while, our fathers’ minds are dead, / And we are governed with our mothers’ spirits.”
However, he complains that they lack the courage and resolve of their ancestors and are ruled by weakness, which he compares to being feminine (a sexist remark reflective of the time).
“Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.”
Cassius concludes by saying their willingness to endure oppression makes them seem weak and submissive.
CASCA
“Indeed, they say the Senators tomorrow / Mean to establish Caesar as a king,”
Casca shares the rumor that the Senators plan to crown Caesar as king the next day.
“And he shall wear his crown by sea and land / In every place save here in Italy.”
The plan is for Caesar to be recognized as king everywhere except within Italy itself, where the Romans traditionally reject kingship.
CASSIUS
“I know where I will wear this dagger then;”
Cassius declares he would use his dagger on himself rather than live under Caesar’s tyranny.
“Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius.”
He claims that he has the power to free himself from oppression by taking his own life if necessary.
“Therein, you gods, you make the weak most strong; / Therein, you gods, you tyrants do defeat.”
Cassius thanks the gods for giving people the ability to end their own suffering, which makes them stronger than tyrants.
“Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass, / Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,”
No fortress, prison, or chains can imprison a determined spirit.
“Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;”
The spirit is powerful enough to overcome any physical barriers.
“But life, being weary of these worldly bars, / Never lacks power to dismiss itself.”
If life becomes unbearable, one can always choose to escape it through death.
“If I know this, know all the world besides,”
Cassius states that this truth applies universally to everyone.
“That part of tyranny that I do bear / I can shake off at pleasure.”
The oppression he feels can be cast aside whenever he chooses to end his life.
CASCA
“So can I. / So every bondman in his own hand bears / The power to cancel his captivity.”
Casca agrees, emphasizing that every slave or oppressed person holds the power to free themselves through their own will.
CASSIUS
“And why should Caesar be a tyrant, then?”
Cassius questions why Caesar should be allowed to become a tyrant.
“Poor man, I know he would not be a wolf / But that he sees the Romans are but sheep;”
Cassius suggests that Caesar acts like a predator (a wolf) only because the Romans behave submissively, like sheep.
“He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.”
Likewise, Caesar would not be powerful like a lion if the Romans did not act like defenseless deer (hinds).
“Those that with haste will make a mighty fire / Begin it with weak straws.”
Cassius compares Caesar’s rise to a large fire being started with flimsy materials like straw, implying that Caesar’s power is built on weak and cowardly people.
“What trash is Rome, / What rubbish, and what offal when it serves / For the base matter to illuminate / So vile a thing as Caesar!”
He laments that Rome has become so degraded (trash, rubbish, waste) that it supports and elevates someone as unworthy as Caesar.
“But, O grief, / Where hast thou led me?”
Cassius reflects on how his anger has driven him to express these thoughts so openly.
“I perhaps speak this / Before a willing bondman;”
He realizes that he might be speaking in front of someone who is loyal to Caesar and willing to accept servitude.
“Then, I know / My answer must be made.”
If so, he might have to face consequences for his words.
“But I am armed, / And dangers are to me indifferent.”
However, Cassius is prepared for danger and is unafraid of it.
CASCA
“You speak to Casca, and to such a man / That is no fleering telltale. Hold. My hand.”
Casca assures Cassius that he is trustworthy and not the type to gossip or betray. He offers his hand as a sign of commitment.
“Be factious for redress of all these griefs, / And I will set this foot of mine as far / As who goes farthest.”
Casca pledges to join their cause (to address the grievances against Caesar) and promises to go to the same lengths as the most committed member of their group.
CASSIUS
“There’s a bargain made.”
Cassius confirms that they have struck a deal to conspire together.
“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.”
Cassius reveals that he has already persuaded other prominent Romans to join their conspiracy, which is both noble and risky.
“And I do know by this they stay for me / In Pompey’s Porch.”
He explains that the other conspirators are waiting for him at Pompey’s Porch (a meeting place in Rome).
“For now, this fearful night, / There is no stir or walking in the streets;”
Because of the stormy and ominous night, the streets are deserted.
“And the complexion of the element / In favor ’s like the work we have in hand, / Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.”
Cassius compares the violent weather to their plan, suggesting that both are equally destructive and dreadful.
Enter Cinna
CASCA
“Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.”
Casca asks Cassius to stay quiet for a moment as someone approaches quickly.
CASSIUS
“’Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait.”
Cassius recognizes the approaching person as Cinna, based on how he walks.
“He is a friend.—Cinna, where haste you so?”
Cassius greets Cinna and asks where he is going in such a hurry.
CINNA
“To find out you. Who’s that? Metellus Cimber?”
Cinna says he was looking for Cassius. He asks if the other person present is Metellus Cimber (another conspirator).
CASSIUS
“No, it is Casca, one incorporate / To our attempts.”
Cassius clarifies that it is Casca, who has now joined their conspiracy.
“Am I not stayed for, Cinna?”
Cassius asks if the other conspirators are waiting for him.
CINNA
“I am glad on ’t. What a fearful night is this! / There’s two or three of us have seen strange sights.”
Cinna is glad to see Cassius. He comments on the terrifying night and mentions that several of their group have witnessed unusual and ominous events.
CASSIUS
“Am I not stayed for? Tell me.”
Cassius impatiently repeats his question, wanting to confirm that the others are waiting for him.
CINNA
“Yes, you are. O Cassius, if you could / But win the noble Brutus to our party—”
Cinna confirms they are waiting and adds that it would greatly strengthen their cause if Cassius could convince Brutus to join the conspiracy.
CASSIUS
“Be you content. Good Cinna, take this paper, / And look you lay it in the Praetor’s chair, / Where Brutus may but find it;”
Cassius gives Cinna some papers and instructs him to place one on the Praetor’s chair (a seat of authority) so Brutus will find it.
“And throw this / In at his window; set this up with wax / Upon old Brutus’ statue.”
He asks Cinna to throw another paper into Brutus’s window and to attach one to the statue of Brutus’s ancestor, using wax. These are part of Cassius’s plan to manipulate Brutus by making him believe the people want him to act against Caesar.
“All this done, / Repair to Pompey’s Porch, where you shall find us.”
Cassius tells Cinna to meet the rest of the conspirators at Pompey’s Porch after completing these tasks.
“Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?”
Cassius checks if Decius Brutus and Trebonius, two of the conspirators, are already at Pompey’s Porch.
CINNA
“All but Metellus Cimber, and he’s gone / To seek you at your house.”
Cinna confirms that everyone except Metellus Cimber is at the meeting place. Metellus is currently looking for Cassius at his home.
“Well, I will hie / And so bestow these papers as you bade me.”
Cinna agrees to hurry and distribute the papers as Cassius instructed.
CASSIUS
“That done, repair to Pompey’s Theater.”
Cassius reiterates that after delivering the papers, Cinna should meet them at Pompey’s Theater.
Cinna exits.
CASSIUS
“Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day / See Brutus at his house.”
Cassius tells Casca that they should visit Brutus at his house before morning.
“Three parts of him / Is ours already, and the man entire / Upon the next encounter yields him ours.”
Cassius believes they have almost fully convinced Brutus to join their conspiracy. He is confident that after their next meeting, Brutus will completely side with them.
CASCA
“O, he sits high in all the people’s hearts, / And that which would appear offense in us / His countenance, like richest alchemy, / Will change to virtue and to worthiness.”
Casca notes that Brutus is highly respected by the people. Actions that might seem wrong if done by the conspirators will appear noble if Brutus supports them. His reputation will transform their deeds into something honorable, much like alchemy turns base metals into gold.
CASSIUS
“Him and his worth and our great need of him / You have right well conceited.”
Cassius agrees with Casca, affirming that Brutus’s reputation is crucial for their success.
“Let us go, / For it is after midnight, and ere day / We will awake him and be sure of him.”
Cassius suggests they hurry, as it is already past midnight. They plan to wake Brutus early in the morning to secure his commitment.
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