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Julius Caesar :   Act 1, Scene 3

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	Thunder and lightning. Enter [from opposite sides]
	CASCA [with his sword drawn] and CICERO.
	CICERO
	Good even, Casca: brought you Caesar home?	brought attended, escorted
	Why are you breathless? and why stare you so?
	CASCA
	Are not you moved, when all the sway of earth	sway realm, order
	Shakes like a thing unfirm? O Cicero,
1.3.5	I have seen tempests, when the scolding winds
	Have riv'd the knotty oaks, and I have seen	riv'd split
	The ambitious ocean swell and rage and foam,
	To be exalted with the threatening clouds:	exalted with raised to the height of
	But never till to-night, never till now,
1.3.10	Did I go through a tempest dropping fire.	dropping fire >>>
	Either there is a civil strife in heaven,	civil strife civil war, i.e., a war among the gods
	Or else the world, too saucy with the gods,	saucy insolent, disrespectful
	Incenses them to send destruction.	Incenses incites, provokes
	CICERO
	Why, saw you any thing more wonderful?	any thing more wonderful anything else that was
		amazing
	CASCA
1.3.15	A common slave—you know him well by sight—
	Held up his left hand, which did flame and burn
	Like twenty torches join'd, and yet his hand,
	Not sensible of fire, remain'd unscorch'd.	Not sensible of fire not feeling the fire
	Besides—I ha' not since put up my sword—	I ha' not since put up my sword I have not since
1.3.20	Against the Capitol I met a lion,	then sheathed my sword | Against opposite or near
	Who glaz'd upon me, and went surly by,	glaz'd upon stared at, glared at
	Without annoying me: and there were drawn	annoying harming, threatening
	Upon a heap a hundred ghastly women,	drawn / Upon a heap huddled together
	Transformed with their fear; who swore they saw	ghastly ashen, looking like ghosts
1.3.25	Men all in fire walk up and down the streets.
	And yesterday the bird of night did sit	the bird of night the screech owl (which is a bird of
	Even at noon-day upon the market-place,	evil omen)
	Hooting and shrieking. When these prodigies	prodigies abnormalities, wonders
	Do so conjointly meet, let not men say	Do so conjointly meet happen all at once
1.3.30	"These are their reasons; they are natural";	These this and that
	For, I believe, they are portentous things
	Unto the climate that they point upon.	climate region (in this case, Rome)
	CICERO
	Indeed, it is a strange-disposed time:
	But men may construe things after their fashion,	construe interpret | after their fashion in their own
1.3.35	Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.	way | Clean from the purpose entirely opposite to
	Comes Caesar to the Capitol to-morrow?	the actual meaning
	CASCA
	He doth; for he did bid Antonius
	Send word to you he would be there to-morrow.
	CICERO
	Good night then, Casca: this disturbed sky
1.3.40	Is not to walk in.
	CASCA
	Farewell, Cicero.
	Exit CICERO.
	Enter CASSIUS [unbraced].	unbraced with his jacket open >>>
	CASSIUS
	Who's there?
	CASCA
	A Roman.
	CASSIUS
	Casca, by your voice.
	CASCA
	Your ear is good. Cassius, what night is this!	what night what a night
	CASSIUS
	A very pleasing night to honest men.
	CASCA
	Who ever knew the heavens menace so?
	CASSIUS
1.3.45	Those that have known the earth so full of faults.
	For my part, I have walk'd about the streets,
	Submitting me unto the perilous night,
	And, thus unbraced, Casca, as you see,	unbraced with his jacket open
	Have bared my bosom to the thunder-stone;	thunder-stone thunder bolt
1.3.50	And when the cross blue lightning seem'd to open	cross forked, jagged
	The breast of heaven, I did present myself
	Even in the aim and very flash of it.	Even exactly
	CASCA
	But wherefore did you so much tempt the heavens?
	It is the part of men to fear and tremble,	part appropriate role
1.3.55	When the most mighty gods by tokens send	by tokens as signs, omens
	Such dreadful heralds to astonish us.	dreadful heralds i.e., the thunder and lightning
		astonish stun, dismay
	CASSIUS
	You are dull, Casca, and those sparks of life	dull lifeless
	That should be in a Roman you do want,	want lack
	Or else you use not. You look pale and gaze	you use not i.e., you do not show the "sparks of life"
1.3.60	And put on fear and cast yourself in wonder,	put on fear and cast yourself in wonder >>>
	To see the strange impatience of the heavens:
	But if you would consider the true cause
	Why all these fires, why all these gliding ghosts,
	Why birds and beasts from quality and kind,	from quality and kind contrary to their true natures
1.3.65	Why old men, fools, and children calculate,	old men i.e., foolish old men | calculate prophesy
	Why all these things change from their ordinance	from their ordinance away from their usual nature
	Their natures and preformed faculties	preformed faculties innate functions
	To monstrous quality,—why, you shall find	monstrous quality unnatural state or appearance
	That heaven hath infused them with these spirits,	spirits notions, impulses, also specters
1.3.70	To make them instruments of fear and warning	instruments . . . state means to make people afraid of
	Unto some monstrous state.	the advent of an unnatural government
	Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man
	Most like this dreadful night,
	That thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars
1.3.75	As doth the lion in the Capitol—
	A man no mightier than thyself or me
	In personal action, yet prodigious grown	prodigious ominous, portentous
	And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.	fearful terrifying | eruptions astounding sights,
		wild ideas
	CASCA
	'Tis Caesar that you mean; is it not, Cassius?
	CASSIUS
1.3.80	Let it be who it is: for Romans now
	Have thews and limbs like to their ancestors;	thews sinews, muscles | like to their ancestors as their
	But, woe the while! our fathers' minds are dead,	ancestors did | woe the while! alas for these times!
	And we are govern'd with our mothers' spirits;
	Our yoke and sufferance show us womanish.	yoke and sufferance burden and the willingness to
		endure the burden
	CASCA
1.3.85	Indeed, they say the senators tomorrow
	Mean to establish Caesar as a king;
	And he shall wear his crown by sea and land,
	In every place, save here in Italy.
	CASSIUS
	I know where I will wear this dagger then;	where I will wear this dagger He will wear it in his
1.3.90	Cassius from bondage will deliver Cassius:	chest, his heart. He means that he can always escape
	Therein, ye gods, you make the weak most strong;	tyranny by killing himself.
	Therein, ye gods, you tyrants do defeat:
	Nor stony tower, nor walls of beaten brass,	Nor not, neither
	Nor airless dungeon, nor strong links of iron,
1.3.95	Can be retentive to the strength of spirit;	Can be retentive to can imprison
	But life, being weary of these worldly bars,	bars prison bars, burdens
	Never lacks power to dismiss itself.
	If I know this, know all the world besides,	know all the world besides i.e., let everyone else in
	That part of tyranny that I do bear	the world know
1.3.100	I can shake off at pleasure.
	Thunder still.
	CASCA
	So can I:
	So every bondman in his own hand bears	bondman slave
	The power to cancel his captivity.
	CASSIUS
	And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
	Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf,
1.3.105	But that he sees the Romans are but sheep:	But that except for the fact that | but sheep merely
	He were no lion, were not Romans hinds.	sheep | hinds female deer, also lowly servants
	Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
	Begin it with weak straws: what trash is Rome,	trash, offal garbage, also tinder >>>
	What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
1.3.110	For the base matter to illuminate
	So vile a thing as Caesar! But, O grief,	vile worthless | grief The grief to which Cassius
	Where hast thou led me? I perhaps speak this	speaks is his own grief for the degradation of Rome.
	Before a willing bondman; then I know	willing bondman voluntary slave
	My answer must be made. But I am arm'd,	My answer must be made i.e., I will have to face up
1.3.115	And dangers are to me indifferent.	to the consequences | arm'd prepared >>>
		indifferent unimportant
	CASCA
	You speak to Casca, and to such a man
	That is no fleering tell-tale. Hold, my hand:	no fleering tell-tale i.e., not a tattling suck-up
	Be factious for redress of all these griefs,	Hold i.e., enough said | my hand He's offering his
	And I will set this foot of mine as far	hand as a sign of his sincerity. | Be factious i.e., if you
1.3.120	As who goes farthest.	form a faction (a political movement)
		I . . . farthest i.e., I will do as much as anyone.
	CASSIUS
	There's a bargain made.	There's by this (They grip or shake hands.)
	Now know you, Casca, I have moved already	moved persuaded, incited
	Some certain of the noblest-minded Romans
	To undergo with me an enterprise
	Of honourable-dangerous consequence;	consequence importance, character
1.3.125	And I do know, by this they stay for me	by this they stay for me by now they're waiting for me
	In Pompey's porch: for now, this fearful night,	Pompey's porch portico of Pompey's theater >>>
	There is no stir or walking in the streets;
	And the complexion of the element	complexion of the element nature of the sky
	In favour's like the work we have in hand,	In favour's in appearance is
1.3.130	Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
	Enter CINNA.
	CASCA
	Stand close awhile, for here comes one in haste.	close concealed
	CASSIUS
	'Tis Cinna; I do know him by his gait;
	He is a friend. Cinna, where haste you so?
	CINNA
	To find out you. Who's that? Metellus Cimber?
	CASSIUS
1.3.135	No, it is Casca; one incorporate	incorporate / To our attempts a party to our
	To our attempts. Am I not stay'd for, Cinna?	enterprise | stayed for waited for
	CINNA
	I am glad on 't. What a fearful night is this!	glad on 't glad of it (He's glad that Casca has joined
	There's two or three of us have seen strange sights.	the conspiracy.)
	CASSIUS
	Am I not stay'd for? tell me.
	CINNA
	Yes, you are.
1.3.140	O Cassius, if you could
	But win the noble Brutus to our party—
	CASSIUS
	Be you content: good Cinna, take this paper,	Be you content i.e., don't worry | paper letter
	And look you lay it in the praetor's chair,	praetor high-ranking magistrate | chair official seat
	Where Brutus may but find it; and throw this	may but find it can't help but find it | this Another
1.3.145	In at his window; set this up with wax	letter. | this A third letter. | set . . . up with wax We
	Upon old Brutus' statue: all this done,	would use a Post-it. | old Brutus >>>
	Repair to Pompey's porch, where you shall find us.	Repair to proceed to
	Is Decius Brutus and Trebonius there?
	CINNA
	All but Metellus Cimber; and he's gone
1.3.150	To seek you at your house. Well, I will hie,	hie hurry
	And so bestow these papers as you bade me.	so . . . me place these letters exactly where you told
		me to
	CASSIUS
	That done, repair to Pompey's theatre.	repair to proceed to
	Exit CINNA
	Come, Casca, you and I will yet ere day	ere day before dawn
	See Brutus at his house: three parts of him	three parts three-quarters
1.3.155	Is ours already, and the man entire	the man . . . yields him ours i.e., the next time we talk
	Upon the next encounter yields him ours.	to him, Brutus will give himself up entirely to our
		conspiracy
	CASCA
	O, he sits high in all the people's hearts:
	And that which would appear offence in us,	would appear offence in us would look like a crime
	His countenance, like richest alchemy,	if we did it | countenance approval, trustworthy
1.3.160	Will change to virtue and to worthiness.	appearance | alchemy the supposed science of trans-
		muting any other metal into gold
	CASSIUS
	Him and his worth and our great need of him
	You have right well conceited. Let us go,	conceited understood
	For it is after midnight; and ere day	ere day before dawn
	We will awake him and be sure of him.	be sure of him make sure we have him on our side
	Exeunt

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