Revenge! Let's go after them! Seek! Burn! Set fire! Kill!
Slay! Leave no traitors alive!
ANTONY
Stay,
countrymen.
ANTONY
Wait, countrymen.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
200
Peace there! Hear the noble Antony.
FIRST PLEBEIAN
Quiet there! Listen to the noble Antony.
SECOND PLEBEIAN
We'll hear him. We'll follow him. We'll
die with him.
SECOND PLEBEIAN
We'll listen to him, we'll follow him,
we'll die with him.
ANTONY
Good friends, sweet friends! Let me not stir you up
To such a sudden flood of mutiny.
They that have done this deed are honorable.
205
What private griefs they have, alas, I know not,
That made them do it. They are wise and honorable,
And will, no doubt, with reasons answer you.
I come not, friends, to steal away your hearts.
I am no orator, as Brutus is,
210
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man
That love my friend. And that they know full well
That gave me public leave to speak of him.
For I have neither wit nor words nor worth,
Action nor utterance nor the power of speech,
215
To stir men's blood. I only speak right on.
I tell you that which you yourselves do know,
Show you sweet Caesar's wounds, poor poor dumb mouths,
And bid them speak for me. But were I Brutus,
And Brutus Antony, there were an Antony
220
Would ruffle up your spirits and put a tongue
In every wound of Caesar that should move
The stones of Rome to rise and mutiny.
ANTONY
Good friends, sweet friends, don't let me stir you up to
such a sudden mutiny. Those who have done this deed are honorable. I
don't know what private grudges they had that made them do
it. They're wise and honorable, and will no doubt give you
reasons for it. I haven't come to steal your loyalty,
friends. I'm no orator, as Brutus is. I'm only, as
you know, a plain, blunt man who loved his friend, and the men who
let me speak know this well. I have neither cleverness nor
rhetorical skill nor the authority nor gesture nor eloquence nor the
power of speech to stir men up. I just speak directly. I tell you
what you already know. I show you sweet Caesar's
wounds—poor, speechless mouths!—and make
them speak for me. But if I were Brutus and Brutus were me, then
I'd stir you up, and install in each of Caesar's
wounds the kind of voice that could convince even stones to rise up
and mutiny.
