Day: November 28, 2016

Act 5 scene 5: Elsewhere in the field, Brutus stops and asks his remaining friends to rest on a rock.He calls Clitus aside and asks him to do something in a whisper. Clitus declines to do the mystery deed, saying he’d rather kill himself.The process is repeated with Dardanius. The two men, Clitus and Dardanius, reveal to each other that Brutus has asked them to kill him.They share the news while Brutus tears up a little bit.Brutus calls Volumnius over now and tells him that Caesar’s ghost has appeared to him twice, once at night and once again in the fields of Philippi. Brutus knows his hour has come and he would rather leap into the pit than loiter around and wait for his enemies to push him in.He asks Volumnius to kill him, since they were old friends from school. Volumnius points out that this is the very reason he can’t do it.Just then the alarums call to arms are sounding, so Clitus urges everyone to get away before the enemy arrives.Brutus speaks to his men valiantly. He says that even though he has lost to Antony and Octavius, he will find more glory in this day than either of them can hope to achieve through their vile conquest of Rome. As the alarums continue to sound out, Brutus tells everyone to flee and promises to follow after everyone else has left.The only man left with Brutus now is Strato, who’s slept through all the speeches and sadness. Strato has woken up just in time to be asked to hold Brutus’s sword while he runs into it. Strato thinks this is a good idea and asks only to shake hands with Brutus before doing the deed.Brutus’ final words assure that what he does now is twice as pure as what he did to Caesar, who is avenged by this act: Caesar, now be still, I kill’d not thee with half so good a will.Antony, Octavius, and their armies, along with the captive Lucilius and Messala, now approach the site of Brutus’s death.Messala asks Strato where their master is, and Strato says that Brutus is free.Only Brutus overcame Brutus, Strato says, and Brutus himself is the only one who gained honor in his death.There’s a bit of a conference, and Octavius will entertain all the men who nobly served Brutus.

Act 5 scene 4:

Everyone goes out onto the battlefield in a blaze of glory. Young Cato runs around shouting his name as a challenge to anyone who stands for tyranny and against the Roman Republic.Lucilius is running around pretending to be Brutus.Some enemy soldiers unceremoniously kill Young Cato. They’re ready to kill Lucilius too, but he says he’s Brutus, and they should be honored to kill him.The soldiers take him prisoner and are excited to show off their catch to Antony. They really believe he’s Brutus.The captive Lucilius tells Antony that no one will ever take Brutus alive. Lucilius promises that when Antony finds Brutus, whether alive or dead, he’ll still be Brutus, with the same noble character and unchanged by these events.Antony tells his overeager soldiers that this guy isn’t Brutus, but he’s no less worth capturing. Antony orders the soldiers to keep Lucilius safe and to be kind to him, as he’d rather have such men for friends than enemies.Antony then sends some folks off to find out whether Brutus is alive or dead. He goes to Octavius’s tent to hear news of how things are going.

Act 5 scene 3:

When Cassius’s standard bearer the guy who carries his battle flag tried to run away, Cassius killed him and took up the flag himself. This guy is merciless!Titinius doesn’t comment on this behavior but points out that Brutus came down on Octavius’s army too early. Though they were initially weaker, Octavius’s men now appear to be overtaking Brutus’s, and Antony is enclosing Cassius’s. The situation is looking pretty dire for Cassius and Brutus.Pindarus comes to Cassius and Titinius with the news that Antony has invaded Cassius’s tents. He tries to get Cassius to run away, but Cassius is distracted by a set of troops in the distance.Cassius sends Titinius off on horseback to see whether the troops are friends or enemies. He also sends Pindarus higher up the hill to watch and report on Titinius’s progress.Cassius notes to himself that his birthday is a good day to die, his life having come full circle.Cassius is resigned to his fate, but he still fights on. Pindarus reports on Titinius play by play. A horde of horsemen has surrounded Titinius. Now they’ve overtaken him. And now they’re shouting with joy. It looks like the worst has happened.Cassius calls for Pindarus to stop watching. He laments that he’s such a coward to have sent his best friend Titinius to his death. Pindarus returns to Cassius’s side, and Cassius speaks to him.