SCENE IV. Athens. A room in MARK ANTONY's house. Antony and Cleopatra  Shakespeare homepage  |  Antony and Cleopatra  | Act 3, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Athens. A room in MARK ANTONY's house. 

 Enter MARK ANTONY and OCTAVIA  MARK ANTONY  Nay, nay, Octavia, not only that,-- 

 That were excusable, that, and thousands more 

 Of semblable import,--but he hath waged 

 New wars 'gainst Pompey; made his will, and read it 

 To public ear: 

 Spoke scantly of me: when perforce he could not 

 But pay me terms of honour, cold and sickly 

 He vented them; most narrow measure lent me: 

 When the best hint was given him, he not took't, 

 Or did it from his teeth. 

 OCTAVIA  O my good lord, 

 Believe not all; or, if you must believe, 

 Stomach not all. 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. 

 MARK ANTONY  Gentle Octavia, 

 Let your best love draw to that point, which seeks 

 Best to preserve it: if I lose mine honour, 

 I lose myself: better I were not yours 

 Than yours so branchless. But, as you requested, 

 Yourself shall go between 's: the mean time, lady, 

 I'll raise the preparation of a war 

 Shall stain your brother: make your soonest haste; 

 So your desires are yours. 

 OCTAVIA  Thanks to my lord. 

 The Jove of power make me most weak, most weak, 

 Your reconciler! Wars 'twixt you twain would be 

 As if the world should cleave, and that slain men 

 Should solder up the rift. 

 MARK ANTONY  When it appears to you where this begins, 

 Turn your displeasure that way: for our faults 

 Can never be so equal, that your love 

 Can equally move with them. Provide your going; 

 Choose your own company, and command what cost 

 Your heart has mind to. 



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