Act Four
Scene Two
Sub-Scene One
Et tu, Brute
“Give me your pardon, sir. I
have done you wrong, but pardon’s as you are a gentleman.” Mark quoted Hamlet’s
words towards Laertes. “Caesar is no gentleman. I will not accept his pardon.”
“Pardon me, boss. What did
you say?” Enobarbus was with Mark in the library. They were there with the Queen.
“I was just talking. Caesar
would not fight me in single combat.” Mark asked Enobarbus. “Why not? He may
say, Et tu, Brute, when I shoot him. And I will say, I told you I would do it.”
Enobarbus kept his silence.
To him, Mark Antony was defeated or deranged, but his loyalty to Mark Antony
was still there.
“Caesar estimates that,
being twenty times better off than you, his forces outnumber yours twenty to
one.”
“He thinks. He is still
young. I will fight by land and by sea. Either I will come out alive, or I will
restore my ruined reputation by dying honourably in battle. Will you fight
bravely?” Mark looked at Enobarbus.
“Bravery, yes. Honourably, I
am not sure, but I will strike and cry." Enobarbus smiled. His honour was
long discarded when he shot the others in the back. It was dishonourable to do
so by the conduct of war, but he felt that his survival was more of a concern.
He shot men, women, and even children. Not everybody was brave enough to shoot
a child, but he was.
“Well said. Come on! Call my
household servants. Ask them to bring food and drinks.” Mark called out. Four
servants appeared, carrying food and drinks. They set it up at the available
table.
“Let us be generous with the
food at tonight's meal.” Mark invited the servants to the table. He greeted
each of them personally.
“Give me your hand. You have
been very honest. I liked honest people. You have served me
well, and you have had kings for your companions.” Mark smiled.
“Why is Antony acting like
this?” The Queen whispered to Enobarbus.
“It is one of his odd quirks
that shows he is upset.” Enobarbus whispered back. “He sometimes shoots them in
the head.”
“Well, my good fellows, wait
on me at dinner tonight. Do not skimp when you pour my wine, and treat me
as reverently as you did when my empire was also my servant, like you, and
obeyed my commands.” Mark told the servants.
“What does he mean?” The Queen
whispered towards Enobarbus.
“He means to make his
servants weep.” Enobarbus sighed
“Take care of me tonight. It
may be the last time you do so. It may be that you will not see me anymore, or
if you do, that you will see only my disfigured ghost.”
“Perhaps tomorrow you will
serve another master. I look upon you as if I were saying goodbye.”
“My honest friends, I am not
turning you away. Rather, I will stay with you until death, like a master who
is attached to your faithful service. Take care of me tonight; I ask no more,
and may the gods bless you for it!”
Those words of Mark denied
the servants from enjoying their feast. They began to weep, fearing death was
upon them.
“Boss, what do you mean,
sir, upsetting them like this? Look, they weep, and I, like an ass, have
watery eyes too. For shame, do not make us as emotional as women.”
“Ha, ha, ha! Et tu, Brute...
That was what Julius said when he was about to die. His friends killed him.” Mark
smiled. “Curse me if I meant to say that! May the gods bless the men for
weeping! My tender-hearted friends, I did not mean to make you so upset. I
spoke to comfort all of you. I am not Julius Caesar. I will not be killed by
friends. Old friends and now enemies, perhaps, but never the lot of you.”
“I asked you to keep the
night bright by burning torches. You should know, my dear friends, that I have
high hopes for tomorrow, and I will lead you to a battlefield where I expect to
live victoriously rather than die honourably.”
“Boss, I am a servant. Not a
hitman.” One of the servants said,
“Oh, yes, you are right. You
cannot hold a gun as well as you do with a jug. Never mind; I will find others.
Drink up, friends. We will leave you here and go our own way to supper. Come
on, and drink away your cares.” Mark, too, to leave the chamber.
“I guess we are going to
leave then.” The Queen looked at Enobarbus.
“Et tu, Brute...” Enobarbus
smiled.
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