Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

OCTAVIA

in Antony and Cleopatra — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayAntony and Cleopatra
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1607
Decade1620s
GenreTragedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Speech prefix(es)Octa. | Octaui. | Oct.
Words234
Characters1225
Typicality0.44 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.35
BritDrama no.1517
ClusterCluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

All which time, before the Gods my knee shall bow my ptayers to them for you. My Noble Brother. Sir look well to my Husbands house: and — I'll tell you in your ear. Hail Caesar, and my L hail most deer Caesar. You have not called me so, nor have you cause. Good my Lord, To come thus was I not constrained, but did it On my freewill. My Lord Mark Anthony, Hearing that you prepared for War, acquainted My grieved ear withal: whereon I begged His pardon for return. Do not say so, my Lord. My Lord, in Athens. Aye me most wretched, That have my heart parted betwixt two Friends, That does afflict each other. Is it so sir? O my good Lord, Believe not all, or if you must believe, Stomach not all. A more unhappy Lady, If this division chance, never stood between Praying for both parts: The good Gods will mock me presently, When I shall pray: O bless my Lord, and Husband, Undo that prayer, by crying out as loud, O bless my Brother. Husband win, win Brother, Prays, and destroys the prayer, no midway betwixt these extremes at all. Thanks to my Lord, The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, You reconciler: Wars betwixt you twain would be, As if the world should cleave, and that slain men Should soader up the Rift.

Plot summary

Plot — Antony and Cleopatra
Antony dallies with Cleopatra in Egypt while the Roman world collapses into faction. His wife and brother make war on Caesar, and Pompey takes advantage of his absence to foment a sea war with the state and avenge his murdered father. At first Antony ignores Caesar’s messages, but his wife’s death draws him back to Rome, where he and Caesar are reconciled; to seal the league, Antony marries Caesar’s sister, Octavia. A soothsayer, who has told the fortunes of members of Cleopatra’s court, warns him that, although he is a better man than Caesar, Caesar will always prove the more successful of the two. Antony, Caesar, and Lepidus meet Pompey with an army, but war is averted. Lepidus gets egregiously drunk at the feast on Pompey’s galley to celebrate the treaty. Pompey refuses his ally Menas’ dishonourable proposal to kill the triumvirate and make him master of the world. Antony’s lieutenant Ventidius defeats the Parthians in battle, but is cautious about taking too much of the credit for himself. Meanwhile, news of Antony’s marriage reaches Cleopatra; she does not take it well. Antony leaves Rome with his new wife, but absence breeds suspicion between him and Caesar. Caesar breaks the truce with Pompey and deposes Lepidus on a pretext. Antony, in turn, sends Octavia home and returns to Egypt, where he creates Cleopatra queen of several dominions. War between east and west follows. Antony perversely chooses to fight by sea, and Cleopatra insists on being present at the battle. They are routed when Cleopatra flees and Antony follows her. Antony’s followers begin to defect to Caesar, but Enobarbus remains loyal. Caesar attempts to divide the lovers by offering Cleopatra security if she will banish or kill Antony. Antony has the messenger whipped for over-familiarity with Cleopatra, and determines to fight to the bitter end. Enobarbus decides finally to go over to Caesar, but leaves behind his treasure; Antony sends it after him, and the guilt-stricken Enobarbus dies. Antony defeats Caesar in a land battle, but loses the next day at sea. Spurned by Antony, Cleopatra takes refuge in her monument and sends him false news of her death. He stabs himself and is pulled up, dying, to join Cleopatra in the monument. Caesar hopes to display Cleopatra in his triumph at Rome, but she frustrates him by smuggling an asp past her guard and committing suicide.