Julius Caesar: Act 5, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 4 of Julius Caesar from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Alarum. Enter Brutus, Messala, Cato, Lucilius, and Flavius. BRUTUS Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads! Brutus, Messala, and Flavius exit. CATO What bastard doth not? Who will go with me? I will proclaim my name about the field. I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho! A foe to tyrants and my country’s friend. 5 I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho! Enter Soldiers and fight.	Everyone goes out onto the battlefield in a blaze of glory. Young Cato runs around shouting his name as a challenge to anyone who stands for tyranny and against the Roman Republic.
LUCILIUS And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I! Brutus, my country’s friend! Know me for Brutus. Cato is killed. O young and noble Cato, art thou down? Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius 10 And mayst be honored, being Cato’s son. FIRST SOLDIER, seizing Lucilius Yield, or thou diest. LUCILIUS Only I yield to die. There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight. Offering money. Kill Brutus and be honored in his death. 15	Lucilius is running around pretending to be Brutus. Some enemy soldiers unceremoniously kill Young Cato. They're ready to kill Lucilius too, but he says he's Brutus, and they should be honored to kill him.
FIRST SOLDIER We must not. A noble prisoner! Enter Antony. SECOND SOLDIER Room, ho! Tell Antony Brutus is ta’en. FIRST SOLDIER I’ll tell the news. Here comes the General.— Brutus is ta’en, Brutus is ta’en, my lord.	The soldiers take him prisoner and are excited to show off their catch to Antony. (They really believe he's Brutus.)

ANTONY This is not Brutus, friend, but I assure you, A prize no less in worth. Keep this man safe. Give him all kindness. I had rather have Such men my friends than enemies. Go on, 30 And see whe’er Brutus be alive or dead, And bring us word unto Octavius’ tent How everything is chanced. They exit in different directions.	Antony tells his overeager soldiers that this guy isn't Brutus, but he's no less worth capturing. He orders the soldiers to keep Lucilius safe and to be kind to him, as he'd rather have such men for friends than enemies. Antony then sends some folks off to find out whether Brutus is alive or dead. He goes to Octavius' tent to hear news of how things are going.