Thunder and lightning. Enter Julius Caesar in his
nightgown.CAESAR Nor heaven nor Earth have been at peace tonight. Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out “Help ho, they murder Caesar!”—Who’s within?Enter a Servant.SERVANT My lord.CAESAR 5 Go bid the priests do present sacrifice, And bring me their opinions of success.SERVANT I will, my lord.He exits.Enter Calphurnia.CALPHURNIA What mean you, Caesar? Think you to walk forth? You shall not stir out of your house today.CAESAR 10 Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me Ne’er looked but on my back. When they shall see The face of Caesar, they are vanishèd.CALPHURNIA Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, Yet now they fright me. There is one within,15 Besides the things that we have heard and seen, Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelpèd in the streets, And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead. Fierce fiery warriors ⌜fought⌝ upon the clouds20 In ranks and squadrons and right form of war, Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol. The noise of battle hurtled in the air, Horses ⌜did⌝ neigh, and dying men did groan,
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And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.25 O Caesar, these things are beyond all use, And I do fear them.CAESAR What can be avoided Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods? Yet Caesar shall go forth, for these predictions30 Are to the world in general as to Caesar.CALPHURNIA When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths;35 The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, Seeing that death, a necessary end, Will come when it will come.Enter a Servant.40 What say the augurers?SERVANT They would not have you to stir forth today. Plucking the entrails of an offering forth, They could not find a heart within the beast.CAESAR The gods do this in shame of cowardice.45 Caesar should be a beast without a heart If he should stay at home today for fear. No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well That Caesar is more dangerous than he. We ⌜are⌝ two lions littered in one day,50 And I the elder and more terrible. And Caesar shall go forth.CALPHURNIA Alas, my lord, Your wisdom is consumed in confidence.
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Do not go forth today. Call it my fear55 That keeps you in the house, and not your own. We’ll send Mark Antony to the Senate House, And he shall say you are not well today. Let me, upon my knee, prevail in this.⌜She kneels.⌝CAESAR Mark Antony shall say I am not well,60 And for thy humor I will stay at home.⌜He lifts her up.⌝Enter Decius. Here’s Decius Brutus; he shall tell them so.DECIUS Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar. I come to fetch you to the Senate House.CAESAR And you are come in very happy time65 To bear my greeting to the Senators And tell them that I will not come today. Cannot is false, and that I dare not, falser. I will not come today. Tell them so, Decius.CALPHURNIA Say he is sick.CAESAR 70 Shall Caesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far, To be afeard to tell graybeards the truth? Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,75 Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so.CAESAR The cause is in my will. I will not come. That is enough to satisfy the Senate. But for your private satisfaction, Because I love you, I will let you know.80 Calphurnia here, my wife, stays me at home.
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She dreamt tonight she saw my statue, Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans Came smiling and did bathe their hands in it.85 And these does she apply for warnings and portents And evils imminent, and on her knee Hath begged that I will stay at home today.DECIUS This dream is all amiss interpreted. It was a vision fair and fortunate.90 Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, In which so many smiling Romans bathed, Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck Reviving blood, and that great men shall press For tinctures, stains, relics, and cognizance.95 This by Calphurnia’s dream is signified.CAESAR And this way have you well expounded it.DECIUS I have, when you have heard what I can say. And know it now: the Senate have concluded To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.100 If you shall send them word you will not come, Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock Apt to be rendered, for someone to say “Break up the Senate till another time, When Caesar’s wife shall meet with better dreams.”105 If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper “Lo, Caesar is afraid”? Pardon me, Caesar, for my dear dear love To your proceeding bids me tell you this, And reason to my love is liable.CAESAR 110 How foolish do your fears seem now, Calphurnia! I am ashamèd I did yield to them. Give me my robe, for I will go.
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Enter Brutus, Ligarius, Metellus, Casca, Trebonius,
Cinna, and Publius. And look where Publius is come to fetch me.PUBLIUS Good morrow, Caesar.CAESAR 115 Welcome, Publius.— What, Brutus, are you stirred so early too?— Good morrow, Casca.—Caius Ligarius, Caesar was ne’er so much your enemy As that same ague which hath made you lean.—120 What is ’t o’clock?BRUTUS Caesar, ’tis strucken eight.CAESAR I thank you for your pains and courtesy.Enter Antony. See, Antony that revels long a-nights Is notwithstanding up.—Good morrow, Antony.ANTONY 125So to most noble Caesar.CAESAR, ⌜to Servant⌝ Bid them prepare within.— I am to blame to be thus waited for.⌜Servant exits.⌝ Now, Cinna.—Now, Metellus.—What, Trebonius, I have an hour’s talk in store for you.130 Remember that you call on me today; Be near me that I may remember you.TREBONIUS Caesar, I will. ⌜Aside.⌝ And so near will I be That your best friends shall wish I had been further.CAESAR Good friends, go in and taste some wine with me,135 And we, like friends, will straightway go together.BRUTUS, ⌜aside⌝ That every like is not the same, O Caesar, The heart of Brutus earns to think upon.They exit.
Julius Caesar: 
