Thunder and lightning Enter Julius
CAESAR in his nightgown
Thunder and lightning. CAESAR enters in
his nightgown.
CAESAR
Nor heaven nor earth have been at peace tonight.
Thrice hath Calphurnia in her sleep cried out,
“Help, ho! They murder
Caesar!”—Who's within?
CAESAR
Neither the sky nor the earth have been quiet tonight. Calphurnia
cried out three times in her sleep, “Help, someone!
They're murdering Caesar!” Who's
there?
Enter a SERVANT
A SERVANT
enters.
SERVANT
My lord.
SERVANT
My lord?
CAESAR
5
Go bid the priests do present sacrifice
And bring me their opinions of success.
CAESAR
Go tell the priests to perform a sacrifice immediately, and bring
me their interpretation of the results.
SERVANT
I will, my lord.
SERVANT
I will, my lord.
Exit SERVANT
The SERVANT
exits.
Enter CALPHURNIA
CALPHURNIA
enters.
CALPHURNIA
What mean you, Caesar? Think you to walk forth?
You shall not stir out of your house today.
CALPHURNIA
What are you doing, Caesar? Are you planning to go out?
You're not leaving the house today.
CAESAR
10
Caesar shall forth. The things that threatened me
Ne'er looked but on my back. When they shall see
The face of Caesar, they are vanishèd.
CAESAR
I will go out. The things that threaten me have only seen my back.
When they see the face of Caesar, they will vanish.
CALPHURNIA
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
15
Besides the things that we have heard and seen,
Recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch.
A lioness hath whelpèd in the streets,
And graves have yawned and yielded up their dead.
CALPHURNIA
Caesar, I never believed in omens, but now they frighten me. A
servant told me the night-watchmen saw horrid sights too, but
different ones from what we heard and saw. A lioness gave birth in
the streets, and graves cracked open and thrust out their
dead.
