Julius Caesar: Act 5, Scene 5 Translation

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

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Brutus, Dardanus, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius. BRUTUS Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock. He sits down. CLITUS Statilius showed the torchlight, but, my lord, He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain. BRUTUS Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word; It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. 5 He whispers to Clitus. CLITUS What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world. BRUTUS Peace, then, no words. CLITUS I’ll rather kill myself.	Elsewhere in the field, Brutus stops and asks his remaining friends to rest on a rock. He calls Clitus aside and asks him to do something in a whisper. Clitus declines to do the mystery deed, saying he'd rather kill himself.
BRUTUS Hark thee, Dardanus. He whispers to Dardanus. DARDANUS Shall I do such a deed? 10 CLITUS O Dardanus! DARDANUS O Clitus!	The process is repeated with Dardanius, and both Dadanius and Clitus react strongly.
Dardanus and Clitus step aside. CLITUS What ill request did Brutus make to thee? DARDANUS To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates. CLITUS Now is that noble vessel full of grief, 15 That it runs over even at his eyes.	The two men, Clitus and Dardanius, reveal to each other that Brutus has asked them to kill him. While they share the news, Brutus tears up a little bit.
BRUTUS Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word. VOLUMNIUS What says my lord? BRUTUS Why this, Volumnius: The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me 20 Two several times by night—at Sardis once And this last night here in Philippi fields. I know my hour is come. VOLUMNIUS Not so, my lord. BRUTUS Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius. 25 Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes. Our enemies have beat us to the pit. Low alarums. It is more worthy to leap in ourselves Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius, Thou know’st that we two went to school together; 30 Even for that our love of old, I prithee, Hold thou my sword hilts whilst I run on it. VOLUMNIUS That’s not an office for a friend, my lord. Alarum continues.	Next, Brutus calls over Volumnius. (Gee, we wonder what he wants...) Brutus tells Volumnius that Caesar's ghost has appeared to him twice, once at night and once again in the fields of Philippi. Brutus knows his hour has come and he would rather leap into the pit than loiter around and wait for his enemies to push him in. He asks Volumnius to hold his sword while Brutus runs at it. He says Volumnius should do it since they were old friends from school. Volumnius points out that this is the very reason he can't do it.
Alarum continues. CLITUS Fly, fly, my lord! There is no tarrying here. BRUTUS Farewell to you—and you—and you, Volumnius.— 35 Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep. Farewell to thee, too, Strato.—Countrymen, My heart doth joy that yet in all my life I found no man but he was true to me. I shall have glory by this losing day 40 More than Octavius and Mark Antony By this vile conquest shall attain unto. So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue Hath almost ended his life’s history. Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest, 45 That have but labored to attain this hour. Alarum. Cry within “Fly, fly, fly!” CLITUS Fly, my lord, fly!	Alarms continue to sound, and Clitus urges everyone to get away before the enemy arrives. Brutus speaks to his men valiantly. He says that even though he has lost to Antony and Octavius, he will find more glory in this day than either of them can hope to achieve through their vile conquest of Rome.
BRUTUS Hence. I will follow. All exit but Brutus and Strato. I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord. Thou art a fellow of a good respect; 50 Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it. Hold, then, my sword, and turn away thy face While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato? STRATO Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord. BRUTUS Farewell, good Strato. 55 Brutus runs on his sword. Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will. He dies.	As the alarums continuet, Brutus tells everyone to flee and promises to follow after everyone else has left. The only man left with Brutus now is Strato, who's slept through all the speeches and sadness. Strato has woken up just in time to be asked to hold Brutus' sword while he runs into it. Strato thinks this is a good idea and asks only to shake hands with Brutus before doing the deed. Brutus' final words assure that what he does now is twice as pure as what he did to Caesar, who is avenged by this act.
Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius, and the army. OCTAVIUS What man is that? MESSALA My master’s man.—Strato, where is thy master? STRATO Free from the bondage you are in, Messala. 60 The conquerors can but make a fire of him, For Brutus only overcame himself, And no man else hath honor by his death.	Antony, Octavius, and their armies, along with the captive Lucilius and Messala, now approach the site of Brutus' death. Messala asks Strato where their master is, and Strato says that Brutus is free.
LUCILIUS So Brutus should be found.—I thank thee, Brutus, That thou hast proved Lucilius’ saying true. 65 OCTAVIUS All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.— Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me? STRATO Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you. OCTAVIUS Do so, good Messala. MESSALA How died my master, Strato? 70 STRATO I held the sword, and he did run on it. MESSALA Octavius, then take him to follow thee, That did the latest service to my master.	Lucilius thinks it's appropriate that Brutus took his own life to ensure his freedom and honor, since it proves that what he said before is true. There's a bit of a conference, and Octavius will entertain all the men who nobly served Brutus.
ANTONY This was the noblest Roman of them all. All the conspirators save only he 75 Did that they did in envy of great Caesar. He only in a general honest thought And common good to all made one of them. His life was gentle and the elements So mixed in him that nature might stand up 80 And say to all the world “This was a man.”	Brutus' enemies are a lot friendlier to him now that he's dead. Antony declares Brutus the "noblest Roman" of them all, as he alone among the conspirators killed Caesar not out of envy but out of concern and care for the public good.
OCTAVIUS According to his virtue, let us use him With all respect and rites of burial. Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie, Most like a soldier, ordered honorably. 85 So call the field to rest, and let’s away To part the glories of this happy day. They all exit.	Octavius says Brutus will be buried as an honorable soldier, and his body will stay in Octavius' tent for the night. After that, they agree it's time to celebrate their victory. (Psst! If you want to know what happens to Antony, read Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.)