ICSE Class 10 English Drama Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Summary, Theme, Explanation along with difficult word meanings
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ICSE Class 10 Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5
By William Shakespeare
In Act 5, Scene 5 of Julius Caesar, Brutus is on a battlefield after being defeated. He asks his soldiers to help him die, but they refuse. Finally, his loyal attendant Strato agrees to hold his sword for him. Brutus takes his own life with it. Afterwards, Antony and Octavius arrive and honor Brutus, calling him the ‘noblest Roman of them all’, and promise to give him a proper burial.
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Summary
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Summary in Hindi
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Theme
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Explanation
Related:
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Question Answers
- Julius Caesar Act 5, Scene 5 Character Sketch
- ICSE Class 10 English Lesson Notes
Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 5 Summary
The final scene of Julius Caesar takes place after the battle of Philippi, where Brutus and his forces have been defeated by the armies of Octavius and Mark Antony.
Brutus, with the few remaining friends Dardanus, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius rests on a rock, acknowledging their defeat. When Clitus confirms that their comrade Statilius has been killed or captured, Brutus begins to whisper to his friends, asking them to perform the ultimate service, which is to kill him so he may avoid capture.
First, he whispers to Clitus, who is horrified and refuses, exclaiming, ‘No, not for all the world’, preferring to kill himself instead of his lord. Brutus then whispers the same request to Dardanus, who also refuses, and the two friends step aside, discussing their master’s intense grief.
Brutus next turns to Volumnius, reminding him they were schoolmates. Brutus explains that the ghost of Caesar has appeared to him twice (at Sardis and now at Philippi), confirming that his ‘hour is come’. He argues it is more honorable to ‘leap in ourselves’ than wait for the enemy to capture them. He begs Volumnius to hold his sword’s hilt so he can run upon it. Volumnius, however, refuses, saying, ‘That’s not an office for a friend, my lord’.
As the sounds of the approaching enemy intensify, Clitus urges Brutus to fly, but Brutus accepts his fate. He bids an affectionate farewell to all his friends, expressing joy that throughout his life, he has found every man he knew to be true to him. He believes he will gain more glory in defeat than Octavius and Antony will gain in their ‘vile conquest’. After his friends exit to flee, Brutus asks Strato, who had fallen asleep, to stay.
Brutus praises Strato as a man of honor and, making his final request, asks him to hold his sword while he runs upon it. Strato agrees to hold the sword but asks to shake his lord’s hand first as a final goodbye. Brutus accepts his fate with dignity and runs onto his own sword. With his dying breath, he addresses Caesar’s ghost: ‘Caesar, now be still. I killed not thee with half so good a will’.
Shortly after Brutus’s death, Antony, Octavius, Messala, and Lucilius enter with the army. Messala and Octavius question Strato about his master. Strato answers proudly that Brutus is ‘Free from the bondage you are in’, having only overcome himself. He reveals that he held the sword for Brutus’s self-slaughter.
Mark Antony then delivers a famous speech about Brutus, declaring him the ‘noblest Roman of them all’. Antony states that all the other conspirators acted out of ‘envy of great Caesar’, but Brutus acted only from ‘general honest thought / And common good to all’. He honors Brutus as a man whose ‘life was gentle’ and in whom all the elements were so perfectly mixed that Nature itself could proclaim, ‘This was a man’.
Octavius agrees to honor Brutus’s virtue by giving him full military burial rites. He orders that Brutus’s body be kept in his own tent for the night. Octavius then declares the end of the war, and they all exit to ‘part the glories of this happy day’, bringing the play to a close.
Summary of Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 5 in Hindi
जूलियस सीज़र का अंतिम दृश्य फिलिप्पी की लड़ाई के बाद होता है, जहाँ ब्रूटस और उसकी सेनाओं को ऑक्टेवियस और मार्क एंटनी की सेनाओं ने हराया था।
ब्रूटस, कुछ शेष दोस्तों के साथ डार्डनस, क्लिटस, स्ट्रैटो और वॉलुमनियस अपनी हार स्वीकार करते हुए एक चट्टान पर आराम करते हैं। जब क्लिटस पुष्टि करता है कि उनके कॉमरेड स्टेटिलियस को मार दिया गया है या पकड़ लिया गया है, तो ब्रूटस अपने दोस्तों को फुसफुसाकर अंतिम सेवा करने के लिए कहता है, जो उसे मारने के लिए है ताकि वह पकड़ने से बच सके।
सबसे पहले, वह क्लिटस को फुसफुसाता है, जो भयभीत हो जाता है और इनकार कर देता है, ‘नहीं, पूरी दुनिया के लिए नहीं’, अपने स्वामी के बजाय खुद को मारने को प्राथमिकता देता है। ब्रूटस तब डार्डनस को वही अनुरोध करता है, जो भी मना कर देता है, और दोनों दोस्त अपने मालिक के तीव्र दुःख पर चर्चा करते हुए अलग हो जाते हैं।
ब्रूटस अगली बार वॉलुमनियस की ओर मुड़ता है, उसे याद दिलाता है कि वे स्कूल के साथी थे। ब्रूटस बताता है कि कैसर का भूत उसे दो बार (सार्डिस में और अब फिलिप्पी में) दिखाई दिया है जो पुष्टि करता है कि उसका ‘समय आ गया है’। उनका तर्क है कि दुश्मन द्वारा उन्हें पकड़ने की प्रतीक्षा करने की तुलना में ‘खुद में छलांग लगाना’ अधिक सम्मानजनक है। वह वॉलुमनियस से अपनी तलवार पकड़ने की विनती करता है ताकि वह उस पर दौड़ सके। वोल्युमिनियस, हालांकि, यह कहते हुए मना कर देता है, ‘यह एक दोस्त के लिए कार्यालय नहीं है, मेरे स्वामी’।
जैसे-जैसे दुश्मन की आवाजें बढ़ती हैं, क्लिटस ब्रूटस से उड़ान भरने का आग्रह करता है, लेकिन ब्रूटस अपने भाग्य को स्वीकार करता है। वह अपने सभी दोस्तों को स्नेहपूर्ण विदाई देता है, खुशी व्यक्त करते हुए कि अपने पूरे जीवन में, उसने हर उस व्यक्ति को पाया है जिसे वह जानता था कि वह उसके प्रति सच्चा है। उनका मानना है कि वह ऑक्टेवियस की तुलना में हार में अधिक गौरव प्राप्त करेंगे और एंटनी को उनकी ‘नीच विजय’ में लाभ होगा। उसके दोस्तों के भागने के लिए बाहर निकलने के बाद, ब्रूटस ने स्ट्रैटो को रहने के लिए कहा, जो सो गया था।
ब्रूटस एक सम्मानित व्यक्ति के रूप में स्ट्रैटो की प्रशंसा करता है और अपना अंतिम अनुरोध करते हुए उसे अपनी तलवार पकड़ने के लिए कहता है जब वह उस पर दौड़ता है। स्ट्रैटो तलवार पकड़ने के लिए सहमत हो जाता है लेकिन अंतिम विदाई के रूप में पहले अपने स्वामी से हाथ मिलाने के लिए कहता है। ब्रूटस अपने भाग्य को गरिमा के साथ स्वीकार करता है और अपनी ही तलवार से भागता है। अपनी मरती हुई सांस के साथ, वह कैसर के भूत को संबोधित करता हैः ‘कैसर, अब शांत रहो। मैंने इतनी अच्छी वसीयत से तुम्हें नहीं मारा।
ब्रूटस की मृत्यु के कुछ ही समय बाद, एंटनी, ऑक्टेवियस, मेसाला और लुसिलियस सेना के साथ प्रवेश करते हैं। मेसाला और ऑक्टेवियस स्ट्रैटो से उसके स्वामी के बारे में सवाल करते हैं। स्ट्रैटो गर्व से जवाब देता है कि ब्रूटस ‘उस बंधन से मुक्त है जिसमें आप हैं’, केवल खुद पर काबू पाने के बाद। वह बताता है कि उसके पास ब्रूटस की आत्म-हत्या के लिए तलवार थी।
मार्क एंटनी तब ब्रूटस के बारे में एक प्रसिद्ध भाषण देते हैं, जिसमें उन्हें ‘उन सभी में सबसे महान रोमन’ घोषित किया जाता है। एंटनी का कहना है कि अन्य सभी षड्यंत्रकारियों ने ‘महान सीज़र की ईर्ष्या’ से काम किया, लेकिन ब्रूटस ने केवल ‘सामान्य ईमानदार विचार/और सभी के लिए सामान्य भलाई’ से काम किया। वह ब्रूटस को एक ऐसे व्यक्ति के रूप में सम्मानित करता है जिसका ‘जीवन सौम्य था’ और जिसमें सभी तत्व इतने पूरी तरह से मिश्रित थे कि प्रकृति स्वयं घोषणा कर सकती थी, ‘यह एक आदमी था’।
ऑक्टेवियस ब्रूटस को पूर्ण सैन्य दफन संस्कार देकर उसके गुण का सम्मान करने के लिए सहमत होता है। वह आदेश देता है कि ब्रूटस के शरीर को रात के लिए उसके अपने तम्बू में रखा जाए। ऑक्टेवियस तब युद्ध के अंत की घोषणा करता है, और वे सभी ‘इस खुशी के दिन की महिमा को साझा करने’ के लिए बाहर निकलते हैं, जिससे नाटक समाप्त हो जाता है।
Theme of Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 5
Honorable Defeat and Suicide
The core of the scene is the exploration of honorable defeat and suicide, a central tenet of Roman Stoicism and military code. Having lost the final battle and seen his forces defeated, Brutus recognizes that his fate is sealed. He deems capture by his political rivals, Octavius and Antony, a far greater dishonor than self-execution. His motivation is not merely despair, but a desire to control his own end and maintain his moral agency, enclosed in his belief that it is ‘more worthy to leap in ourselves / Than tarry till they push us’. Brutus’s final act ensures that his dignity remains intact, preserving the integrity of his ideals even as his cause collapses.
Unwavering Loyalty and Friendship
A significant emotional theme is the depth of unwavering loyalty and friendship Brutus commands, despite his failure as a leader. When Brutus requests Clitus, Dardanus, and Volumnius to assist him in his suicide, they are horrified, demonstrating their profound love and respect by prioritizing his life over his wishes. This refusal highlights their devotion. Ultimately, Brutus takes comfort in the fact that, in all his life, he ‘found no man but he was true to me’. Strato’s eventual agreement to hold the sword, framed as a final, respectful service for his master, reinforces the idea that Brutus’s genuine nobility inspired extraordinary personal faithfulness.
The Power of Revenge and Retribution
The theme of retribution and revenge for Julius Caesar’s murder reaches its final conclusion in this scene. Brutus acknowledges that his downfall is the result of supernatural justice, referencing the two appearances of Caesar’s ghost as proof that his ‘hour is come’. His last, critical words, ‘Caesar, now be still. / I killed not thee with half so good a will’, serve as a direct address to Caesar’s avenging spirit. Brutus implicitly admits that the murder he committed was an act of necessity, while his own death is an act of genuine commitment, finally appeasing the forces of vengeance and bringing an end to the cycle of violence.
Glorification of Virtue and Nobility
Perhaps the most enduring theme of the scene is the glorification of Brutus’s virtue and nobility, delivered through the mouth of his conqueror, Mark Antony. Antony’s famous eulogy elevates Brutus above all the other conspirators, whom he dismisses as motivated by envy. He states unequivocally that Brutus was ‘the noblest Roman of them all’, acting purely out of ‘a general honest thought / And common good to all’. This generous final assessment that Nature itself might proclaim, ‘This was a man’, provides the play’s final moral commentary, cementing Brutus’s legacy as a man of great character despite his tragic flaw in judgment.
Resolution and The New Order
This scene offers resolution and the establishment of a new order under Octavius. With Brutus dead, the civil strife initiated by Caesar’s assassination is definitively over. Octavius, as the clear victor, demonstrates his rise to true leadership by choosing statesmanship over cruelty. His order that Brutus be given a full and respectful burial, ‘according to his virtue’, and that his loyal followers be taken into service, signifies a transition from the chaos of war to the beginning of a stable, unified regime. This ending signals the peace and closure necessary for Rome to move forward under its new, emerging ruler.
Setting of the Scene
The setting for Act 5, Scene 5 of Julius Caesar is the field of battle near Philippi in Macedonia, immediately following the final defeat of the armies led by Brutus and Cassius. Specifically, the action takes place near a rock or some other raised feature where Brutus and his last remaining loyal friends have sought temporary refuge. This location is not a formal campsite but a desperate, exposed position, emphasizing the sudden and total collapse of the conspirators’ cause.
The scene’s atmosphere is defined by its proximity to the fighting, which is underscored by frequent, ominous sound effects. The stage directions include ‘Low alarums’, ‘Alarum continues’, and a fearful ‘Cry within ‘Fly, fly, fly!’’These sounds establish a sense of immediate danger and impending capture, creating a claustrophobic pressure on Brutus. The setting acts as a final, inescapable trap, where the sounds of the approaching enemy constantly urge the remaining men to flee, reinforcing the idea that their time and space for freedom have run out.
Finally, the setting transforms from a temporary hiding spot into a site of tragic execution and reconciliation. It is on this barren ground, under the shadow of defeat, that Brutus commits suicide. After Brutus’s death, the triumphant entrance of Antony, Octavius, and their army physically changes the nature of the setting. The battleground becomes a place of political resolution and reverence, as Octavius promises to give Brutus honorable burial rites right there, ‘Within my tent’, marking the end of the civil war and the beginning of a new order.
Julius Caesar Act 5 Scene 5 Explanation
Play
Enter Brutus, Dardanus, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius.
BRUTUS
Come, poor remains of friends, rest on this rock.
He sits down.
CLITUS
Statilius showed the torchlight, but, my lord,
He came not back. He is or ta’en or slain.
BRUTUS
Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word;
It is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus.
He whispers to Clitus.
CLITUS
What, I, my lord? No, not for all the world.
BRUTUS
Peace, then, no words.
CLITUS I’ll rather kill myself.
BRUTUS
Hark thee, Dardanus.He whispers to Dardanus.
DARDANUS Shall I do such a deed?
CLITUS O Dardanus!
DARDANUS O Clitus!
Dardanus and Clitus step aside.
CLITUS
What ill request did Brutus make to thee?
DARDANUS
To kill him, Clitus. Look, he meditates.
CLITUS
Now is that noble vessel full of grief,
That it runs over even at his eyes.
Word Meanings
remains: survivors; the few people left.
ta’en: captured; taken prisoner.
slain: killed.
Hark thee: listen to me.
deed in fashion: an action that is common or prevalent
ill request: a bad, harmful, or unwelcome request.
meditates: thinks deeply or ponders.
noble vessel: a metaphorical reference to Brutus, meaning a body or person containing great virtue.
runs over: overflows.
Explanation of the above dialogues—Brutus entered with the few surviving friends Dardanus, Clitus, Strato, and Volumnius, and told the poor remains of friends to come and rest on the rock. He then sat down. Clitus reported that Statilius had shown the torchlight, but the man had not returned. Clitus inferred that Statilius was either captured or killed. Brutus told Clitus to sit down, observing that killing was the word and that it was a fashionable deed. He then whispered something to Clitus. Clitus replied in horror, asking if Brutus expected that of him, and saying he would not do such a thing for all the world. Brutus then commanded silence. Clitus declared that he would rather kill himself. Brutus then whispered to Dardanus. Dardanus asked if he should do such a deed. Clitus cried out Dardanus’s name, and Dardanus cried out Clitus’s name. Dardanus and Clitus then stepped aside. Clitus asked what terrible request Brutus had made of Dardanus. Dardanus revealed that Brutus had asked him to kill him i.e. Brutus, noting that Brutus was meditating. Clitus sorrowfully observed that the noble man i.e. Brutus was now so full of grief that it was running over in tears from his eyes.This opening exchange immediately establishes the atmosphere of absolute despair and defeat that follows the Battle of Philippi. Brutus, the noble hero, is shown at his lowest point, utterly resigned to his fate. The core tension is Brutus’s quest for an honorable death. His attempt to convince his men to kill him underscores the Roman concept of suicide over capture as the ultimate way to preserve honor. Clitus’s line, ‘Now is that noble vessel full of grief’, employs a beautiful metaphor comparing Brutus’s noble body and spirit to a vessel overflowing with sorrow, effectively summarizing the immense emotional pressure that drives Brutus toward self-destruction.
Play
BRUTUS
Come hither, good Volumnius. List a word.
VOLUMNIUS
What says my lord?
BRUTUS Why this, Volumnius:
The ghost of Caesar hath appeared to me
Two several times by night—at Sardis once
And this last night here in Philippi fields.
I know my hour is come.
VOLUMNIUS
Not so, my lord.
BRUTUS
Nay, I am sure it is, Volumnius.
Thou seest the world, Volumnius, how it goes.
Our enemies have beat us to the pit.Low alarums.
It is more worthy to leap in ourselves
Than tarry till they push us. Good Volumnius,
Thou know’st that we two went to school together;
Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
Hold thou my sword hilts whilst I run on it.
VOLUMNIUS
That’s not an office for a friend, my lord.
Word Meanings
Several: separate, distinct, or different
Hath: an archaic form of the verb ‘to have’.
Thyself: archaic form of ‘you or yourself’ Thou seest: archaic form of the verb ‘you see’
Pit: a metaphor for a grave, death, or complete, inescapable ruin.
Tarried: waited or delayed.
Prithee: an archaic expression ‘I pray thee’
Hilts: the handle or grip of a sword.
Office: a duty, task, or function required of a person
Explanation of the above dialogues—Brutus asked the good Volumnius to come to him and hear a word. Volumnius inquired what his lord was saying. Brutus then informed Volumnius that the ghost of Caesar had appeared to him two separate times during the night, once at Sardis and again that last night there in the Philippi fields, and stated that he knew his hour had come. Volumnius gently disagreed, saying that it was not so. Brutus insisted that he was sure it was true, reminding Volumnius that he saw how the world went and how their enemies had completely beaten them to the pit. Brutus argued that it was more honorable for them to leap into the pit themselves than to delay until their enemies pushed them. He then pleaded with Volumnius, reminding him that the two of them had gone to school together and asked that for the sake of their old love, Volumnius should hold his sword hilts while Brutus ran onto it. Volumnius refused, gently declaring that such an act was not a service for a friend to perform for his lord. The scene’s tension is built upon Brutus’s certainty that his fate is sealed, a conviction rooted in the supernatural appearance of Caesar’s ghost, a sign that the revenge for the assassination is complete. He justifies his suicidal request with a practical philosophy: death by one’s own hand is more dignified than capture, embodying the rigid Roman code of honor. Brutus’s appeal to Volumnius’s friendship, specifically recalling their school days, reveals his vulnerability and desperation. The low alarums serve as a constant reminder that time is rapidly running out, intensifying the tragic weight of Brutus’s final decision.
Play
Alarum continues.
CLITUS
Fly, fly, my lord! There is no tarrying here.
BRUTUS
Farewell to you—and you—and you, Volumnius.—
Strato, thou hast been all this while asleep.
Farewell to thee, too, Strato.—Countrymen,
My heart doth joy that yet in all my life
I found no man but he was true to me.
I shall have glory by this losing day
More than Octavius and Mark Antony
By this vile conquest shall attain unto.
So fare you well at once, for Brutus’ tongue
Hath almost ended his life’s history.
Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest,
That have but labored to attain this hour.
Alarum. Cry within “Fly, fly, fly!”
CLITUS
Fly, my lord, fly!
Word Meanings
tarrying: delay; staying or lingering in a place.
doth joy: feels joy or happiness
true to me: loyal and faithful to me; not treacherous.
vile conquest: a shameful, wicked, or dishonorable victory.
attain unto: to achieve or gain
life’s history: the story or narrative of one’s life.
Night hangs upon mine eyes: A poetic metaphor meaning that death or deep sleep (exhaustion) is beginning to overwhelm his vision.
labored to attain this hour: struggled and worked hard to reach this specific moment, referring to the final resolution of his life and death.
Explanation of the above dialogues—The loud alarm continued to sound, and Clitus desperately urged his lord to fly immediately, stressing that there was no possibility of staying in that location. Brutus then began to bid farewell to his friends one by one, addressing Volumnius and the others. He noted that Strato had been asleep for the entire duration and extended his farewell to Strato as well. Addressing his remaining countrymen, Brutus declared that his heart felt joy that throughout his entire life, he had never found a man who had proved disloyal to him. He then proclaimed that he personally would achieve greater glory from this losing day than the dishonorable victory that Octavius and Mark Antony would attain through their vile conquest. Brutus concluded by saying goodbye to them all at once, for his life’s story, told by his tongue, had almost reached its end. He spoke poetically of his exhaustion, stating that night was darkening his vision and that his weary body finally desired the rest it had labored so hard to attain at this final hour. The alarm continued with loud cries from within urging everyone to ‘Fly, fly, fly!’ Clitus again frantically urged his lord to fly. His declaration that he ‘found no man but he was true to me’ is essential. It is his ultimate consolation against his political failure, asserting that while he failed Rome, he succeeded in friendship. Furthermore, his claim that he will have greater ‘glory by this losing day’ than the victors proves that for Brutus, moral and honorable standing transcends political success. This belief system is later confirmed by Antony’s eulogy. The final lines, ‘Night hangs upon mine eyes; my bones would rest’, use the metaphor of night to signify death and exhaustion. Brutus views his suicide not as a defeat, but as a hard-earned rest from the burden of fighting for a lost cause.
Play
BRUTUS Hence. I will follow.
All exit but Brutus and Strato.
I prithee, Strato, stay thou by thy lord.
Thou art a fellow of a good respect;
Thy life hath had some smatch of honor in it.
Hold, then, my sword, and turn away thy face
While I do run upon it. Wilt thou, Strato?
STRATO
Give me your hand first. Fare you well, my lord.
BRUTUS
Farewell, good Strato.
Brutus runs on his sword.
Caesar, now be still.
I killed not thee with half so good a will.He dies.
Word Meanings
Prithee: A contracted form of ‘I pray thee’
Thy: Archaic form of ‘your’
Thou: Archaic form of ‘you’
Art: Archaic form of the verb ‘to be’
Fellow: In this context, it refers to a man; a companion or servant.
Good respect: High or honorable reputation; good standing.
Smatch: A trace, hint, or slight taste of something; an indication of quality.
Wilt: Archaic form of ‘will’
Good will: Willingness; readiness or enthusiasm to perform an action.
Explanation of the above dialogues—Brutus told everyone else to go, saying he would follow them. Then, everyone left the stage except for Brutus and Strato. Brutus earnestly requested Strato to stay with him, calling him a man of good reputation and noting that Strato’s life contained a hint of honor. He then asked Strato to hold his sword and look away while Brutus ran onto it, asking if Strato would agree. Strato replied by asking Brutus to give him his hand first and bade his master farewell. Brutus returned the farewell, calling Strato good. As Brutus ran upon the sword, he addressed Caesar’s spirit, telling him to be at peace now, and confessed that he did not kill Caesar with nearly as much willingness as he killed himself. Brutus then died. Brutus turns to the lowest of his attendants, Strato, appealing not to friendship, but to Strato’s ‘smatch of honor’. Strato’s measured response, demanding a final handshake, elevates the act from a mere service to a solemn, mutual rite of farewell, reaffirming the loyalty Brutus inspired. Brutus’s final line, ‘Caesar, now be still; / I kill’d not thee with half so good a will’, portrayed the theme of retribution. Brutus finds more peace and sincerity in his self-sacrifice, which is an act for his own honor than he ever found in the assassination, which is an act he committed reluctantly for Rome. This proves his status as a tragic hero who was defeated not by malice, but by an idealistic error.
Play
Alarum. Retreat. Enter Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius, and the army.
OCTAVIUS
What man is that?
MESSALA
My master’s man.—Strato, where is thy master?
STRATO
Free from the bondage you are in, Messala.
The conquerors can but make a fire of him,
For Brutus only overcame himself,
And no man else hath honor by his death.
LUCILIUS
So Brutus should be found.—I thank thee, Brutus,
That thou hast proved Lucilius’ saying true.
OCTAVIUS
All that served Brutus, I will entertain them.—
Fellow, wilt thou bestow thy time with me?
STRATO
Ay, if Messala will prefer me to you.
OCTAVIUS
Do so, good Messala.
MESSALA How died my master, Strato?
STRATO
I held the sword, and he did run on it.
MESSALA
Octavius, then take him to follow thee,
That did the latest service to my master.
Word Meanings
Alarum: A trumpet call or signal for soldiers to take arms or attack; a sudden, noisy sign of danger.
Retreat: A signal for a military force to withdraw; the act of moving away from the enemy.
Bondage: The state of being bound or enslaved; here, Strato implies the moral or political confinement of the victors.
Conquerors: The victors of the battle; here, Octavius and Antony’s forces.
Overcame: Gained victory or mastery over; conquered.
Hath: (Archaic) Has.
Proved: Demonstrated the truth or existence of something.
Entertain: To take into one’s service; to employ or hire.
Bestow thy time: To spend or give your time; to work for.
Prefer: To recommend or present someone for an office or position.
Latest: Most recent or final.
Service: An act of helping or doing work for someone.
Explanation of the above dialogues—The stage direction indicates that an alarm sounded, followed by a retreat, and then Antony, Octavius, Messala, Lucilius, and the army entered. Octavius asked who the man lying there was. Messala replied that it was his master’s man and asked Strato where his master was. Strato responded that his master was free from the bondage that they (the victors) were currently in. Strato added that the conquerors could only make a fire of Brutus, because Brutus alone had conquered himself, and no one else gained honor from his death. Lucilius commented that Brutus should indeed be found that way, thanking Brutus for having proved Lucilius’s earlier statement true. Octavius then declared that he would employ all those who had served Brutus. He asked Strato if he would spend his time serving him. Strato replied that he would, provided Messala would recommend him to Octavius. Octavius told Messala to do so. Messala then asked Strato how his master had died. Strato answered that he had held the sword and Brutus had run upon it. Messala then urged Octavius to take Strato into his service, as Strato had performed the latest and most important service to his master. Strato’s speech is a powerful testament to Brutus’s moral victory. By saying Brutus is ‘Free from the bondage you are in’, Strato asserts that Brutus achieved a spiritual freedom through suicide that the victors, still bound by political struggle and ambition, have not. The line ‘Brutus only overcame himself, / And no man else hath honor by his death’ elevates the act of suicide from mere defeat to a supreme act of self-mastery and honor, setting up Antony’s later eulogy. Octavius’ decision to employ all who served Brutus is a shrewd political move. It secures the peace, avoids further bloodshed, and incorporates skilled, loyal men into his own service, signaling an end to the destructive civil war.Strato’s admission, ‘I held the sword, and he did run on it’, is a simple but profound description of the ultimate act of loyalty. Messala recognizes this, recommending Strato based on his ‘latest service’, which validates Strato’s honor and secures his future, effectively rewarding the virtue Brutus inspired.
Play
ANTONY
This was the noblest Roman of them all.
All the conspirators save only he
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar.
He only in a general honest thought
And common good to all made one of them.
His life was gentle and the elements
So mixed in him that nature might stand up
And say to all the world “This was a man.”
OCTAVIUS
According to his virtue, let us use him
With all respect and rites of burial.
Within my tent his bones tonight shall lie,
Most like a soldier, ordered honorably.
So call the field to rest, and let’s away
To part the glories of this happy day.
They all exit.
Word Meanings
Noblest: having or showing fine personal qualities or high moral principles; most honorable.
Conspirators: people who take part in a secret plan to do something illegal or harmful.
Envy: a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.
General honest thought: a sincere, selfless intention based on principle rather than personal gain.
Common good: the benefit or interests of all the people in a society
Gentle: of a kind, mild, and tender temperament or disposition.
Elements so mixed: a reference to the Elizabethan belief that personality was determined by a balance of the four humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile). ‘So mixed’ means perfectly balanced, creating ideal character.
Virtue: behavior showing high moral standards.
Rites of burial: the formal religious or ceremonial acts that are performed when burying the dead.
Ordered honorably: arranged or treated with respect and dignity, befitting a person of rank.
Part the glories: to share or divide the successes and honors gained from the victory.
Explanation of the above dialogues—Antony declared that Brutus was the noblest Roman of them all. He asserted that all the conspirators, with the single exception of Brutus, had acted out of envy of the great Caesar. Antony emphasized that Brutus alone had joined the conspiracy driven by an honest thought and a desire for the common good of everyone. He concluded by praising Brutus’s gentle life, saying that his fundamental nature (the elements) was so perfectly balanced that Nature itself could proudly announce to the world, ‘This was a man’. Octavius then stated that, in accordance with Brutus’s virtue, they should treat him with all respect and give him the proper rites of burial. He announced that Brutus’s body would lie within his own tent that night, honored just like a soldier. Octavius then gave the final command to call the army to rest and suggested they leave to divide the glories gained from that happy day. After this, they all exited the scene. Antony’s eulogy for Brutus is arguably the most critical moment, as it grants Brutus a moral victory despite his military defeat. Antony’s words function to absolve Brutus in the eyes of history and the audience. By distinguishing Brutus’s motive which is the common good for Rome, from that of the other conspirators which is envy, Antony elevates Brutus from a common traitor to a tragic idealist. The famous line about Brutus being so ‘mix’d’ that “Nature might stand up / And say to all the world ‘This was a man’” confirms Brutus as the noblest Roman ideal, whose virtue was complete and undeniable. By ordering an honorable burial, Octavius not only respects Antony’s judgment but also makes a shrewd political move. This act of magnanimity signals the end of the civil war’s vengeance and establishes Octavius, the future Augustus Caesar, as a stable, merciful, and respectful leader, the foundation of the new Roman empire.
Conclusion
In Act 5, Scene 5 of Julius Caesar, Brutus is on a battlefield after being defeated. He asks his soldiers to help him die, but they refuse. Finally, his loyal attendant Strato agrees to hold his sword for him. Brutus takes his own life with it. Afterwards, Antony and Octavius arrive and honor Brutus, calling him the ‘noblest Roman of them all’, and promise to give him a proper burial. Students can take help from this post to understand Act 5, Scene 5 and also learn the difficult word meanings to get a better grasp of Julius Caesar. This post includes a summary of Julius Caesar, which will help students of ICSE class 10, to get a quick recap of the play.