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in this form and with this addition, in French, Notre tres cher

fils Henri, Roi d'Angleterre, Heritier de France; and thus in

Latin, Praeclarissimus filius noster Henricus, Rex Angliae et

Haeres Franciae.

FRENCH KING.

Nor this I have not, brother, so denied

But our request shall make me let it pass.

KING HENRY.

I pray you, then, in love and dear alliance,

Let that one article rank with the rest;

And thereupon give me your daughter.

FRENCH KING.

Take her, fair son, and from her blood raise up

Issue to me; that the contending kingdoms

Of France and England, whose very shores look pale

With envy of each other's happiness,

May cease their hatred; and this dear conjunction

Plant neighbourhood and Christian-like accord

In their sweet bosoms, that never war advance

His bleeding sword 'twixt England and fair France.

LORDS.

Amen!

KING HENRY.

Now, welcome, Kate; and bear me witness all,

That here I kiss her as my sovereign queen. [Floulish]

QUEEN ISABEL.

God, the best maker of all marriages,

Combine your hearts in one, your realms in one!

As man and wife, being two, are one in love,

So be there 'twixt your kingdoms such a spousal

That never may ill office or fell jealousy,

Which troubles oft the bed of blessed marriage,

Thrust in between the paction of these kingdoms,

To make divorce of their incorporate league;

That English may as French, French Englishmen,

Receive each other. God speak this Amen!

ALL.

Amen!

KING HENRY.

Prepare we for our marriage; on which day,

My Lord of Burgundy, we'll take your oath,

And all the peers', for surety of our leagues.

Then shall I swear to Kate, and you to me,

And may our oaths well kept and prosp'rous be!

Sennet. Exeunt

EPILOGUE

Enter CHORUS

CHORUS.

Thus far, with rough and all-unable pen,

Our bending author hath pursu'd the story,

In little room confining mighty men,

Mangling by starts the full course of their glory.

Small time, but, in that small, most greatly lived

This star of England. Fortune made his sword;

By which the world's best garden he achieved,

And of it left his son imperial lord.

Henry the Sixth, in infant bands crown'd king

Of France and England, did this king succeed;

Whose state so many had the managing

That they lost France and made his England bleed;

Which oft our stage hath shown; and, for their sake,

In your fair minds let this acceptance take. Exit

JULIUS CAESAR

Most likely written in 1599, this famous Roman play portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against Caesar, his assassination and the defeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi. In spite of the play’s title, Caesar is not the central character, appearing in only three scenes, and then he is killed at the beginning of the third act. The protagonist of the play is Marcus Brutus, whose struggle between the conflicting demands of honour, patriotism, and friendship is the play’s central psychological drama.

Some believe the play reflects the general anxiety over succession of leadership of England at the time of composition. Queen Elizabeth, a strong ruler, was elderly and had refused to name a successor, leading to worries that a civil war similar to that of Rome in the play might break out after her death.

The 1623 First Folio title page of the play

CONTENTS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

ACT I. SCENE I. Rome. A street.

SCENE II. A public place.

SCENE III. A street. Thunder and lightning.

ACT II. SCENE I.

SCENE II. Caesar's house. Thunder and lightning.

SCENE III. A street near the Capitol.

SCENE IV. Another part of the same street, before the house of Brutus.

ACT III. SCENE I. Rome. Before the Capitol; the Senate sitting above. A crowd of people, among them Artemidorus and the Soothsayer.

SCENE II. The Forum.

SCENE III. A street.

ACT IV. SCENE I. A house in Rome. Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, seated at a table.

SCENE II. Camp near Sardis. Before Brutus' tent. Drum.

SCENE III. Brutus' tent.

ACT V. SCENE I. The plains of Philippi.

SCENE II. The field of battle.

SCENE III.