Octavia Character Analysis in Antony and Cleopatra

The sister of Octavius. After the death of his wife Fulvia, Antony marries Octavia. She does not seem to realize, though, that he has no intentions of leaving Cleopatra, and is only marrying her as part of a political scheme, an attempt to bring him and Octavius closer together. When Antony and Octavius start to feud, she finds herself torn between obedience to her brother and to her new husband. When she goes to Octavius in Rome, she learns that Antony has left her for Cleopatra, and so stays in Rome with her brother.

Octavia Quotes in Antony and Cleopatra

The Antony and Cleopatra quotes below are all either spoken by Octavia or refer to Octavia. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Love, Pleasure, and Decadence Theme Icon

To hold you in perpetual amity,
To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife; whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men;
Whose virtue and whose general graces speak
That which none else can utter. By this marriage,
All little jealousies, which now seem great,
And all great fears, which now import their dangers,
Would then be nothing: truths would be tales,
Where now half tales be truths: her love to both
Would, each to other and all loves to both,
Draw after her.

Related Characters: (speaker), , ,

Page Number and Citation: 2.2.150-162

Explanation and Analysis:

A more unhappy lady,
If this division chance, ne'er stood between,
Praying for both parts:
The good gods 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
'Twixt these extremes at all.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 3.4.13-21

Explanation and Analysis:

Octavius:
Where is he now?

Octavia:
My lord, in Athens.

Octavius:
No, my most wronged sister; Cleopatra
Hath nodded him to her. He hath given his empire
Up to a whore; who now are levying
The kings o’ the earth for war.

Related Characters: (speaker), (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 3.6.73-78

Explanation and Analysis:

Octavia Character Timeline in Antony and Cleopatra

The timeline below shows where the character Octavia appears in Antony and Cleopatra. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...be silent.” Agrippa speaks up and suggests that, since Fulvia is now dead, Octavius’ sister Octavia could be married to Antony, in order to bind Octavius and Antony together as brothers.... (full context)

...Misena, south of Rome. Before preparing their forces, though, Antony and Octavius go to see Octavia, to conclude the business of the marriage. Lepidus leaves with them. Maecenas, Enobarbus, and Agrippa... (full context)

...his sword," and that after they slept together she bore Caesar a child. Maecenas praises Octavia’s beauty and wisdom, but Enobarbus doubts that Antony will ever really leave Cleopatra. He says... (full context)

Octavius has introduced Octavia to Antony, and Antony tells her that although his business will take him from her... (full context)

The messenger is finally able to deliver his message: Antony has been married to Octavia. Cleopatra is furious, and beats the messenger. She tells him she will give him a... (full context)

...asks if Antony and Cleopatra are married, and Enobarbus says Antony is actually married to Octavia. (full context)

At Octavius’ home in Rome, Enobarbus and Agrippa are discussing Octavia, who is sad to leave Rome and her brother. They discuss Lepidus, and joke about... (full context)

Octavia cries at having to leave her brother. She whispers something in his ear, and Enobarbus... (full context)

Back in Egypt, Cleopatra hears back from the messenger she sent to go see Octavia. The messenger reports on Octavia’s physical appearance, telling Cleopatra that Octavia is shorter than she... (full context)

At Antony’s house in Athens, Antony complains to Octavia that Octavius has “waged / New wars ‘gainst Pompey,” and “spoke scantly” of Antony. Octavia... (full context)

Octavia arrives and Octavius marvels that she came to Rome secretly, without any entourage. She tells... (full context)

Octavia is shocked, and laments that she has her “heart parted betwixt two friends.” Octavius says... (full context)

...all she has held back are “some lady trifles,” which she plans to give to Octavia. She angrily sends Seleucus away. Octavius tells Cleopatra not to worry about the things she... (full context)

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Octavia Character Analysis

Octavia Quotes in Antony and Cleopatra

Octavia Character Timeline in Antony and Cleopatra

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