No Fear Shakespeare

Julius Caesar

William Shakespeare

Get this No Fear to go!

Act 2, Scene 2

Original Text

Modern Text

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?

5
CAESAR
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.

10

CAESAR
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.



15


CALPHURNIA
Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies,
Yet now they fright me. There is one within,
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.

More Help

Watch the Video SparkNote

A quick and easy plot summary of Julius Caesar.

Read the Julius Caesar SparkNote

Summary, analysis, themes, essay topics, and more

Download the iPhone app

Download the No Fear Shakespeare app for iPhone®/iPod touch™ from iTunes

Buy No Fear Julius Caesar at BN.com

Get the No Fear Shakespeare you can hold in your hand at BN.com

EVEN MORE HELP! ↓

Take a Study Break

Green YOUR SCHOOL!

Click here to get involved with dosomething.org!

John Krasinski's BIG MIRACLE

Click to watch the trailer and read exclusive star interviews!

Do you like Anna?

Read Dear Albert... from ANNA's perspective!

BATTLESHIP, the movie

Here's why we're super jazzed about it.