JULIUS CAESAR
A line-by-line translation
Act 1, Scene 1
Original Translation
Flavius and Murellus enter on one side of the Flavius and Murellus enter on one side
stage, as do a Carpanter, a Cobbler of the stage. A Carpanter, a Cobbler,
, and some other commoners from the other and some other commoners enter from
end of the stage. the other end of the stage.
Flavius Flavius
Hence! Home, you idle creatures get you Go away! Go home, you lazy creatures. Go
home! Is this a holiday? What, know you not, home! Is today a holiday? Don't you know
Being mechanical, you ought not walk Upon that, as working-class men, you shouldn’t
a laboring day without the sign walk around on a workday without wearing
5 Of your profession? —Speak, what trade art your work clothes?
thou? [To Carpanter] Tell me, what’s your
profession?
First Citizen First Citizen
Why, sir, a carpenter. Why, I’m a carpenter, sir.
Murellus Murellus
Where is thy leather apron and thy rule? Where are your leather apron and ruler? Why
What dost thou with thy best apparel on?— are you wearing your finest clothes?
You, sir, what trade are you? [To Cobbler] And you, sir, what’s your
job?
Second Citizen Second Citizen
10 Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am Truly, sir, in respect of a fine workman, I am
but, as you would say, a cobbler. but, asyou would say, a cobbler.
Murellus
Murellus But what’s your trade? Answer me
But what trade art thou? Answer me directly. straightforwardly.
Second Citizen Second Citizen
A trade, sir that I hope I may use with a safe I work a trade, sir, that I hope I can practice
conscience, which is, indeed, sir, a mender of with a clear conscience. I am a mender of
15 bad soles. worn soles.
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Second Citizen Second Citizen
A trade, sir, that I hope I may use with a safe I work a trade, sir, that I hope I can practice
conscience, which is, indeed, sir, a mender of with a clear conscience. I am a mender of
bad soles. worn soles.
Murellus Murellus
What trade, thou knave? Thou naughty knave, What trade, fool? You good-for-nothing fool,
what trade? what trade?
Second Citizen Second Citizen
Nay, I beseech you, sir, be not out with me. Yet, Sir, I beg you, don’t be angry. Yet, if your
if you be out, sir, I can mend you. soles are worn out, I can mend you.
Murellus Murellus
What mean’st thou by that? “Mend” me, thou What do you mean by that? “Mend” me, you
saucy20fellow? rude man?
Second Citizen Second Citizen
Why, sir, cobble you. Well, cobble you, sir.
Flavius Flavius
Thou art a cobbler, art thou? You’re a cobbler, are you?
Second Citizen Second Citizen
Truly, sir, all that I live by is with the awl. I Yes, sir, I make my living through use of an
meddle with no trades man’s matters nor awl. I don’t meddle in politics or in the
women’s matters, but withal I am indeed, sir, a affairs of women. I’m just a surgeon for old
surgeon to old shoes. When they are in great shoes. When they’re in bad shape, I fix
danger, I recover them. As proper men as ever them. The most noble men who have ever
trod upon neat’s leather have gone upon my walked on leather have walked on my
handiwork. handiwork.
Flavius Flavius
But wherefore art not in thy shop today? Why But why aren’t you in your shop today? Why
dost thou lead these men about the streets? are you leading these men through the streets?
Second Citizen Second Citizen
Truly, sir, to wear out their shoes to get myself Well, sir, to wear out their shoes and get
into more work. But indeed, sir, we make myself more work. But actually, sir, we took
holiday to see Caesar and to rejoice in his the day off to see Caesar and celebrate
triumph. his triumph.
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Murellus Murellus
Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he Why celebrate it? What foreign lands has he
home? conquered for Rome to rule? What foreign
What tributaries follow him to Rome To grace in princes are chained to his chariot wheels and
captive bonds his chariot wheels? You blocks, will earn Rome ransom money? You
you stones, you worse than sense less things, O blockheads, you unfeeling men, you worse
you hard hearts, you cruèl men of Rome, Knew than stupid things! Oh, you with hard hearts,
you not Pompey? Many a time and oft you cruel men of Rome! didn’t you
Have you climbed up to walls and battle ments, know Pompey? Many a time you climbed up
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney tops, on walls and battlements, towers and
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat windows—yes, even chimney tops, with your
The livelong day with patient expectation babies in your arms—and sat there all day just
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome; waiting to see great Pompey ride through the
And when you saw his chariot but appear, Have streets of Rome. And when you saw his
you not made an universal shout That Tiber chariot, didn’t all of you shout all at once so
trembled underneath her banks To hear the loudly that the Tiber River shook from the
replication of your sounds sound echoing within its banks? And now you
Made in her concave shores? And do you now put on your finest clothes? And now you
put on your best attire? And do you now cull out choose to celebrate a holiday? And now you
a holiday? And do you now strew flowers in his toss flowers in the path of the man who comes
way That comes in triumph over Pompey’s in triumph having defeated Pompey’s sons?
blood? Be gone! Run to your houses, fall upon Get out of here! Run to your houses, fall on
your knees, Pray to the gods to intermit the your knees, and pray to the gods to spare you
plague That needs must light on this ingratitude. from the terrible punishment that is certain to
come down upon you for such ingratitude.
Flavius Flavius
Go, go, good countrymen, and for this fault, Go, go, good countrymen. And to atone for
Assemble all the poor men of this error in judgment, gather together all the
your sort , poor men like you. Lead them to
Draw them to Tiber banks, and lowest stream Do weep your tears Into the water till it
kiss the most exalted shores of all. overflows.
[Exeunt Citizens] The CARPENTER, COBBLER, and all of the
commoners exit.
Flavius Flavius
See whether their basest metal be not moved. That should move even these coarse and
They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. unrefined men. They’re leaving, and feel so
Go you down that way towards the Capitol. This guilty they can’t speak. You go that way
way will I: disrobe the images. towards the Capitol, and I’ll go this
If you do find them decked with ceremonies.
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way. Undress any statues you see that have
been decorated in honor of Caesar.
Flavius Flavius
See whether their basest metal be not moved. That should move even these coarse and
They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness. unrefined men. They’re leaving, and feel so
Go you down that way towards the Capitol. This guilty they can’t speak. You go that way
way will I: disrobe the images. towards the Capitol, and I’ll go this
If you do find them decked with ceremonies. way. Undress any statues you see that have
been decorated in honor of Caesar.
Murellus Murellus
May we do so? You know it is the feast of Can we do that? You know it’s the feast
Lupercal. of Lupercal
.
Flavius Flavius
It is no matter. Let no images Be hung with It doesn’t matter. None of the statues should
Caesar’s trophies. I’ll aboutAnd drive away the be decorated in honor to Caesar. I’ll make
vulgar from the streets.So do you too, where you sure the commoners get off the streets, and
perceive them thick. you do the same wherever you see a bunch of
These growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s them together. If we can pluck the feathers of
wing Caesar’s growing support among the
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch, Who else commoners now, he’ll have to fly at a normal
would soar above the view of men And keep us height. If we don’t, he’ll soar to such heights
all in servile fearfulness. of power that all of us will live in fear and be
his servants.
[Exeunt] They exit in different directions.
Summary and Analysis
Summary: Act I, scene i
QAA
Two tribunes, Flavius and Murellus, enter a Roman street, along with various commoners. Flavius
and Murellus derisively order the commoners to return home and get back to work: “What, know
you not, / Being mechanical, you ought not walk / Upon a labouring day without the sign / Of
your profession?” (I.i.2–5). Murellus engages a cobbler in a lengthy inquiry about his profession;
misinterpreting the cobbler’s punning replies, Murellus quickly grows angry with him. Flavius
interjects to ask why the cobbler is not in his shop working. The cobbler explains that he is taking
a holiday from work in order to observe the triumph (a lavish parade celebrating military
victory)—he wants to watch Caesar’s procession through the city, which will include the captives
won in a recent battle against his archrival Pompey.
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