Enter DECIUS DECIUS enters. Here’s Decius Brutus. He shall tell them so. Here’s Decius Brutus. He’ll tell them so. DECIUS DECIUS Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar. Hail, Caesar! Good morning, worthy Caesar. I’ve come to take you to the senate house. I come to fetch you to the senate house. CAESAR CAESAR 60 And you are come in very happy time And you’ve come at a good time, so you can convey my greetings to the senators and tell them To bear my greeting to the senators I won’t come today. It wouldn’t be true to say that Ican’t come, and even less true to say that I And tell them that I will not come today. don’tdare come. I simply won’t come today. Tell them so, Decius. “Cannot” is false, and that I dare not, falser. I will not come today. Tell them so, Decius. CALPHURNIA CALPHURNIA 65 Say he is sick. Say he’s sick. CAESAR CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie? Would I send a lie? Have I accomplished so much in battle, but now I’m afraid to tell some old men Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far the truth? To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? Act 2, Scene 2, Page 4 Original Text Modern Text Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come. Decius, go tell them that Caesar won’t come. DECIUS DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause, Most mighty Caesar, give me some reason, so I 70 won’t be laughed at when I tell them so. Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so. CAESAR CAESAR The cause is in my will. I will not come. The reason is that it’s what I want. I’m not coming. That’s enough for the senate. But for your private That is enough to satisfy the senate. satisfaction, because I love you, I’ll tell you. Calphurnia, my wife, is keeping me at home. Last 75 But for your private satisfaction, night, she dreamed she saw a statue of me with a hundred holes in it, like a fountain with pure
Enter DECIUS DECIUS enters. Here’s Decius Brutus. He shall tell them so. Here’s Decius Brutus. He’ll tell them so. DECIUS Caesar, all hail! Good morrow, worthy Caesar. I come to fetch you to the senate house. DECIUS Hail, Caesar! Good morning, worthy Caesar. I’ve come to take you to the senate house. 60 CAESAR And you are come in very happy time To bear my greeting to the senators And tell them that I will not come today. “Cannot” is false, and that I dare not, falser. I will not come today. Tell them so, Decius. CAESAR And you’ve come at a good time, so you can convey my greetings to the senators and tell them I won’t come today. It wouldn’t be true to say that Ican’t come, and even less true to say that I don’tdare come. I simply won’t come today. Tell them so, Decius. 65 CALPHURNIA Say he is sick. CALPHURNIA Say he’s sick. CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretched mine arm so far To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? CAESAR Would I send a lie? Have I accomplished so much in battle, but now I’m afraid to tell some old men the truth? Act 2, Scene 2, Page 4 Original Text Modern Text Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come. Decius, go tell them that Caesar won’t come. 70 DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause, Lest I be laughed at when I tell them so. DECIUS Most mighty Caesar, give me some reason, so I won’t be laughed at when I tell them so. 75 CAESAR The cause is in my will. I will not come. That is enough to satisfy the senate. But for your private satisfaction, CAESAR The reason is that it’s what I want. I’m not coming. That’s enough for the senate. But for your private satisfaction, because I love you, I’ll tell you. Calphurnia, my wife, is keeping me at home. Last night, she dreamed she saw a statue of me with a hundred holes in it, like a fountain with pure