Act V, Scene 3
[Call to arms sounds. Enter Cassius and Titinius.]
- Cassius.
- Oh, look, Titinius, look, the villains run!
My own people have become their own enemy.
This standard-bearer of mine was turning back;
I killed the coward, and took the flag from him. - Titinius.
- Oh Cassius, Brutus gave the word too early,
And, with an advantage over Octavius,
Took it too eagerly. His soldiers started looting,
While we are surrounded by Antony.
- Pindarus.
- Run further away, my lord, run further away;
Mark Antony is in your tents, my lord;
Therefore run, noble Cassius, run far away. - Cassius.
- This hill is far enough. Look, look, Titinius,
Are those my tents where I see the fire? - Titinius.
- They are, my lord.
- Cassius.
- Titinius, if you are my friend,
Mount your horse, and hide your spurs in him
Until he has brought you up to those troops
And back here again, so that I may rest assured
Whether those troops are friend or foe. - Titinius.
- I will be back here again, as quickly as a thought.
- Cassius.
- Go, Pindarus, get higher on that hill;
My sight was always dim; watch Titinius,
And tell me what you see on the field.
- This is the day I first breathed: time has come round,
And where I began, there I shall end;
My life has run his course. Sirrah, what news? - Pindarus [above].
- Oh my lord!
- Cassius.
- What news?
- Pindarus.
- Titinius is surrounded
With horsemen, that ride quickly toward him,
But he races on. Now they are almost up to him.
Now, Titinius! Now some dismount. Oh, he dismounts too.
He's captured. [Shout.] And listen, they shout for joy. - Cassius.
- Come down, look no more.
Oh, coward that I am, to live so long,
To see my best friend captured in front of my face!
- Come here, sir.
In Parthia I took you prisoner,
And then I made you promise, to save your life,
That whatever I asked you to do,
You would try to do it. Come now, keep your promise;
Now be a freeman, and with this good sword,
That ran through Caesar's bowels, pierce this heart.
Don't wait to answer; here, take the hilts,
And when my face is covered, as it is now,
Guide the sword. [Pindarus stabs him.] Caesar, you have your revenge,
Even with the sword that killed you. - Pindarus.
- So, I am free; but I would not have been,
If I had dared to do what I wanted. Oh Cassius,
Pindarus will run far from this country,
Where a Roman will never notice him. [Exit.]
- Messala.
- It is only an exchange, Titinius; for Octavius
Has been defeated by noble Brutus' army,
Just as Cassius' legions have been by Antony. - Titinius.
- This news will comfort Cassius.
- Messala.
- Where did you leave him?
- Titinius.
- All disconsolate,
With Pindarus his slave, on this hill. - Messala.
- Isn't that he lying on the ground?
- Titinius.
- He does not lie like the living. Oh my heart!
- Messala.
- Is that not he?
- Titinius.
- No, this was he, Messala,
But Cassius is no more. Oh setting sun,
Just as you sink tonight in your red rays,
So in his red blood Cassius' day is set!
The sun of Rome is set. Our day is gone,
Clouds, dews, and dangers come; our deeds are done!
Mistrust of the success of my mission has done this deed. - Messala.
- Mistrust of good success has done this deed.
Oh hateful error, melancholy's child,
Why do you show to the willing thoughts of men
The things that are not? Oh error, quickly conceived,
You never had a fortunate birth,
But killed the mother that gave birth to you! - Titinius.
- What, Pindarus? Where are you, Pindarus?
- Messala.
- Look for him, Titinius, while I go to meet
The noble Brutus, thrusting this report
Into his ears; I may say "thrusting" it;
For piercing steel, and poisoned darts,
Will be as welcome to the ears of Brutus
As news of this sight. - Titinius.
- Hurry, Messala,
And I will look for Pindarus in the meantime.
- Why did you send me out, brave Cassius?
Didn't I meet your friends? and didn't they
Put on my head this wreath of victory,
And ask me to give it to you? Didn't you hear their shouts?
Alas, you have misconstrued everything.
But wait, take this garland on your head;
Your Brutus asked me to give it to you, and I
Will do what he asks. Brutus, come quickly,
And see how I regarded Caius Cassius.
With your permission, gods!--this is a Roman's part.
Come, Cassius' sword, and find Titinius' heart.
[Call to arms sounds. Enter Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Strato, Volumnius, and Lucilius.]
- Brutus.
- Where, where, Messala, does his body lie?
- Messala.
- See over there, and Titinius mourning it.
- Brutus.
- Titinius' face is upward.
- Cato.
- He is dead.
- Brutus.
- Oh Julius Caesar, you are mighty still!
Your spirit walks abroad, and turns our swords
In on our own selves.
- Cato.
- Brave Titinius!
See how he has crowned dead Cassius! - Brutus.
- Are there still two living Romans like these two?
The last of all the Romans, farewell!
It is impossible that Rome will ever
Bring up anyone like you. Friends, I owe more tears
To this dead man than you will see me pay.
I will find time, Cassius; I will find time.
Come then, and send his body to Thasos;
His funerals will not be held in our camp,
In case it would unsettle us. Lucilius, come,
And come, young Cato, let us go to the field,
Labio and Flavio wage our battles on.
It's three o'clock, and, Romans, still before night
We shall tempt fate in a second fight.
