The first Shakespeare play I read was Romeo and Juliet with my older sister when I was 14. This sparked my interest and for the next several years I read a few more plays and watched many a Kenneth Branagh adaptation. When my sister graduated from high school I continued to read Shakespeare's plays after convincing my younger brother to read with me. Julius Caesar was one of the plays he and I read together. To this day on every March 15 my brother calls me up and greets me with "Beware the ides of March..." said in an eerie tone. And so, in honor of today being March 15 and in memory of all the fun we had reading together, I give you:
The Life and Death of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
Act 1, Scene 2. A public place.
Flourish. Enter CAESAR; ANTONY, for the course; CALPURNIA, PORTIA, DECIUS BRUTUS, CICERO, BRUTUS, CASSIUS, and CASCA; a great crowd following, among them a Soothsayer
CAESAR: Calpurnia!
CASCA: Peace, ho! Caesar speaks.
CAESAR: Calpurnia!
CALPURNIA: Here, my lord.
CAESAR: Stand you directly in Antonius' way,When he doth run his course. Antonius!
ANTONY: Caesar, my lord?
CAESAR: Forget not, in your speed, Antonius, To touch Calpurnia; for our elders say, The barren, touched in this holy chase, Shake off their sterile curse.
ANTONY: I shall remember: When Caesar says 'do this,' it is perform'd.
CAESAR: Set on; and leave no ceremony out.
Flourish
SOOTHSAYER: Caesar!
CAESAR: Ha! who calls?
CASCA: Bid every noise be still: peace yet again!
CAESAR: Who is it in the press that calls on me? I hear a tongue, shriller than all the music, Cry 'Caesar!' Speak; Caesar is turn'd to hear.
SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: What man is that?
BRUTUS: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: Set him before me; let me see his face.
CASSIUS: Fellow, come from the throng; look upon Caesar.
CAESAR: What say'st thou to me now? speak once again.
SOOTHSAYER: Beware the ides of March.
CAESAR: He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass.
Sennet. Exeunt all except BRUTUS and CASSIUS
2 comments:
Julius Caesar is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays! A salute to March 15 from me, as well! :D
My daughter's birthday is March 15, and we always tease her with this, which she hates! It's probably for this reason that she doesn't like Shakespeare - oh my, what have we done?
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