Julius Caesar — Act 5, Scene 4

original text and modern English, side by side

Another part of the field · Brutus, Cato, Lucilius, First Soldier, Second Soldier, Antony

In the thick of the second battle, young Cato shouts his own name as a challenge to the enemy and is killed. Lucilius protects Brutus by claiming to be Brutus himself, and offers a soldier money to kill him on the spot; the soldiers take him prisoner instead. When Antony arrives and sees the deception, he refuses to punish Lucilius, orders him treated well, and sends men to find out whether Brutus is alive or dead.

Alarum. Enter fighting soldiers of both armies; then Brutus, Messala, young Cato, Lucilius, Flavius and others.

Brutus

Yet, countrymen, O, yet hold up your heads!

Hold your heads up, countrymen, hold them up!

Cato

What bastard doth not?

What man born to a real father wouldn't?

Who will go with me?

Who's coming with me?

I will proclaim my name about the field.

I'll shout my name across this field.

I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

I am the son of Marcus Cato!

A foe to tyrants, and my country’s friend.

An enemy of tyrants and a friend to my country.

I am the son of Marcus Cato, ho!

I am the son of Marcus Cato!

Charges the enemy.

Lucilius

And I am Brutus, Marcus Brutus, I;

And I am Brutus — Marcus Brutus, that's me.

Brutus, my country’s friend;

Brutus, my country's friend.

know me for Brutus!

Know me for Brutus!

Exit, charging the enemy. Cato is overpowered, and falls.

Lucilius

O young and noble Cato, art thou down?

Young, noble Cato, are you down?

Why, now thou diest as bravely as Titinius,

And mayst be honour’d, being Cato’s son.

Well, you die as bravely as Titinius did, and you deserve honour, being Cato's son.

First Soldier

Yield, or thou diest.

Surrender or die.

Lucilius

Only I yield to die:

I surrender only in order to die.

There is so much that thou wilt kill me straight;

Here's enough money to make you kill me on the spot —

Offering money

Lucilius

Kill Brutus, and be honour’d in his death.

— kill Brutus, and win honour by his death.

First Soldier

We must not.

We can't.

A noble prisoner!

This is a noble prisoner.

Second Soldier

Room, ho!

Make way!

Tell Antony, Brutus is ta’en.

Tell Antony that Brutus is captured.

First Soldier

I’ll tell the news.

I'll take the news.

Here comes the General.

Here comes the general now.

Enter Antony.

First Soldier

Brutus is ta’en, Brutus is ta’en, my lord.

Brutus is captured, my lord, Brutus is captured.

Antony

Where is he?

Lucilius

Safe, Antony;

Safe, Antony.

Brutus is safe enough.

Brutus is quite safe.

I dare assure thee that no enemy

Shall ever take alive the noble Brutus.

The gods defend him from so great a shame!

I can promise you that no enemy will ever take noble Brutus alive — the gods protect him from that kind of humiliation.

When you do find him, or alive or dead,

He will be found like Brutus, like himself.

Whenever you find him, alive or dead, you'll find him behaving like Brutus, like himself.

Antony

This is not Brutus, friend; but, I assure you,

A prize no less in worth.

This isn't Brutus, friend, but I assure you he's just as valuable a catch.

Keep this man safe,

Give him all kindness.

Keep this man safe and treat him well.

I had rather have

Such men my friends than enemies.

I'd rather have men like him as friends than as enemies.

Go on,

And see whether Brutus be alive or dead;

And bring us word unto Octavius’ tent

How everything is chanc’d.

Go on, find out whether Brutus is alive or dead, and bring us word at Octavius's tent about how it all turned out.

Exeunt.

Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 4 summary

Who appears in this scene

Brutus, Cato, Lucilius, First Soldier, Second Soldier, Antony — Another part of the field.

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About this translation: the original text follows the public-domain Project Gutenberg Globe edition; the modern English translation was written in-house for Polytranslator and is reviewed on an ongoing basis (last revised August 2026). Free to print and photocopy for classroom use. Cite as: “Julius Caesar, Act 5, Scene 4. Polytranslator side-by-side translation, polytranslator.com/shakespeare/julius-caesar/act-5-scene-4.”

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