Julius Caesar (33 page)

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Pompey’s basis
the pedestal of Pompey’s statue

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along
stretched out

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knot
group

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grace
honor (by following)

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Soft
wait a moment

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honest
honorable

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feared
felt reverence and awe for

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vouchsafe
permit, grant

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be resolved
learn

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Thorough
through

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untrod state
unprecedented state of affairs

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faith
loyalty, constancy

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satisfied
informed, reassured, convinced

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untouched
unharmed

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presently
immediately

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well to
as a good

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wish
hope

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mind
feeling, presentiment

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fears
doubts, mistrusts

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still … purpose
always proves horribly accurate

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shrewdly
astutely/seriously/dangerously

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spoils
plunder of war

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measure
extent, quantity

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be let blood
i.e. killed (literally, “bled” as a doctor’s patient was)

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rank
diseased/swollen

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purpled
blood-red

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reek
steam (with hot blood)

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Live
were I to live

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apt
ready, prepared

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mean
manner

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cut off
killed

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choice
best, most worthy

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master
leading

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see you but
you only see

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pitiful
full of pity, merciful

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pity pity
i.e. our pity for Rome drove out pity for Caesar

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leaden
dull, blunt, i.e. benign

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in … malice
though strongly hostile to Caesar/though strong with the power to harm

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Of brothers’ temper
with brotherly temperament

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receive
admit, embrace

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kind
gentle, well-meaning/brotherly, natural

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voice
vote

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disposing
distribution

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dignities
offices of state, formal roles

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multitude
common people

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deliver you
inform you of

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cause
reason (plays on the sense of “grounds for legal action”)

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proceeded
taken action (plays on the sense of “taken legal action”)

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render
give

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credit
credibility/reputation

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slipp’ry
perhaps also literally, due to Caesar’s blood

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conceit
think of

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dearer
more acutely

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Most noble
addressed to Caesar’s spirit

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become
befit, suit

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close
come to an agreement, unite

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bayed
hunted by dogs until cornered

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hart
male deer; puns on “heart”

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Signed in
marked with

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spoil
slaughter, (blood of your) mangled body

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Lethe
the river of Hades, the classical underworld, which induced forgetfulness; here refers to Caesar’s death/oblivion

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this
i.e. this hart, Caesar

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The enemies
even the enemies

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cold modesty
sober moderation

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compact
agreement

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pricked
marked down

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on
proceed

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Therefore
for that reason (i.e. to be counted as a friend)

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Or else
otherwise

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good regard
just consideration

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Produce
bring forth

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order
ceremony

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protest
declare

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leave
permission, consent

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true rites
proper funeral rites

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fall
befall, happen

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About
i.e. in

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tide of times
course of history

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costly
dear, precious

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cumber
overwhelm, destroy/trouble, burden

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in use
commonplace, customary

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objects
sights

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quartered with
cut to pieces by

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custom of
constant exposure to

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fell
cruel, fierce

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ranging
roving, roaming

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Ate
Greek goddess of discord and vengeance

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confines
regions

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havoc
war cry signaling merciless slaughter

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let slip
unleash

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That
so that

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foul
wicked/stinking

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With
i.e. along with

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carrion men
rotting carcasses/corrupt men

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groaning
crying out

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big
swollen (with grief)

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Passion
grief, strong emotion

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seven leagues
twenty-one miles

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Post
ride quickly

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Hie hence
hurry away

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try
test

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issue
outcome (of the deed)

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which
results of which

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discourse
relate

3.2
Location: the Roman Forum

²
give me audience
listen to me

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part the numbers
divide the crowd

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public
given in /files/12/50/92/f125092/public/concerning the public

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renderèd
given

¹¹
severally
separately

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last
end (of my speech)

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lovers
friends

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cause
grounds for action/explanation/subject of concern

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for
because of

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Censure
judge

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senses
minds, wits

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rude
uncivilized

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vile
lowly, contemptible

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question of
considerations behind

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enrolled
officially recorded

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extenuated
lessened, minimized

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enforced
exaggerated, emphasized

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place … commonwealth
i.e. his rights as a free man in the Roman republic

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triumph
pomp, ceremony

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SECOND PLEBEIAN
not the same man who left earlier to hear Cassius

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parts
qualities

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crowned
literally crowned/rewarded/surpassed

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grace
listen courteously to

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Do grace to
honor, respect

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Tending
relating

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public chair
pulpit, platform for public orations

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beholding
obliged, indebted

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interrèd
buried

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answered
paid for

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leave
permission

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general coffers
public treasury

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masters
sirs

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worse
i.e. worse tyrant

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dear abide it
suffer grievously for it

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But
only

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stood against
resisted, fought against

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poor
humble

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closet
cabinet

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dip … blood
i.e. as if Caesar were a martyr

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napkins
handkerchiefs

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issue
children

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meet
fit

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o’ershot myself
gone further than I intended

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from
back from

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hearse
coffin or stand on which the body rests

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far
further

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mantle
cloak

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Nervii
Belgian tribe of warriors defeated by Caesar

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rent
tear, slash

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As
as if it were

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unkindly
cruelly/unnaturally

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angel
favorite, dearest friend/protective spirit

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flourished
triumphed/prospered/brandished (its sword)

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dint
impression, mark

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gracious
virtuous/blessed

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vesture
clothing

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marred
spoiled, stained

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with
by

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About!
Get moving!

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private griefs
personal grievances

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orator
eloquent speaker, master of rhetoric

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plain blunt
plain-speaking and forthright

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wit
intelligence

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Action
gestures (used by a skilled orator to reinforce his words)

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right on
directly, truthfully

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Brutus
i.e. a skilled orator

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ruffle up
incite, enrage

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Wherein
for what

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several
individual