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Fierce fiery warriors fought upon the clouds
20In ranks and squadrons and right form of war,
Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol.
The noise of battle hurtled in the air.
Horses did neigh, and dying men did groan,
And ghosts did shriek and squeal about the streets.
25O Caesar! These things are beyond all use,
And I do fear them.
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Fierce, fiery warriors fought in the clouds in the usual
formations of war—ranks and squadrons—until
the clouds drizzled blood onto the Capitol. The noise of battle
filled the air, and horses neighed, and dying men groaned, and
ghosts shrieked and squealed in the streets. Oh, Caesar! These
things are beyond anything we’ve seen before, and
I’m afraid.
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CAESAR What can be
avoided
Whose end is purposed by the mighty gods?
Yet Caesar shall go forth, for these predictions
Are to the world in general as to Caesar.
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CAESAR How can we avoid what the gods want to happen? But I will go out,
for these bad omens apply to the world in general as much as they do
to me.
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CALPHURNIA
30When beggars die there are no comets seen.
The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.
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CALPHURNIA When beggars die there are no comets in the sky. The heavens only
announce the deaths of princes.
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CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths.
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard,
35It seems to me most strange that men should fear,
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come.
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CAESAR Cowards die many times before their deaths. The brave experience
death only once. Of all the strange things I’ve ever heard,
it seems most strange to me that men fear death, given that death,
which can’t be avoided, will come whenever it wants.
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Enter SERVANT
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The SERVANT
enters.
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What
say the augurers?
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What do the priests say?
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SERVANT They would not have you to stir forth today.
Plucking the entrails of an offering forth,
40They could not find a heart within the beast.
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SERVANT They don’t want you to go out today. They pulled out the
guts of the sacrificed animal and couldn’t find its
heart.
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CAESAR The gods do this in shame of cowardice.
Caesar should be a beast without a heart
If he should stay at home today for fear.
No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well
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CAESAR The gods do this to test my bravery. They’re saying
I’d be an animal without a heart if I stayed home today out
of fear. So, I won’t.
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