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I have not slept one wink.

      — Cymbeline, Act III Scene 4

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KEYWORD: were

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# Result number

Work The work is either a play, poem, or sonnet. The sonnets are treated as single work with 154 parts.

Character Indicates who said the line. If it's a play or sonnet, the character name is "Poet."

Line Shows where the line falls within the work.

The numbering is not keyed to any copyrighted numbering system found in a volume of collected works (Arden, Oxford, etc.) The numbering starts at the beginning of the work, and does not restart for each scene.

Text The line's full text, with keywords highlighted within it, unless highlighting has been disabled by the user.

1

Antony and Cleopatra
[I, 2]

Charmian

134

Well, if you were but an inch of fortune better than
I, where would you choose it?

2

Antony and Cleopatra
[I, 2]

Domitius Enobarus

231

Under a compelling occasion, let women die; it were
pity to cast them away for nothing; though, between
them and a great cause, they should be esteemed
nothing. Cleopatra, catching but the least noise of
this, dies instantly; I have seen her die twenty
times upon far poorer moment: I do think there is
mettle in death, which commits some loving act upon
her, she hath such a celerity in dying.

3

Antony and Cleopatra
[I, 2]

Domitius Enobarus

256

Why, sir, give the gods a thankful sacrifice. When
it pleaseth their deities to take the wife of a man
from him, it shows to man the tailors of the earth;
comforting therein, that when old robes are worn
out, there are members to make new. If there were
no more women but Fulvia, then had you indeed a cut,
and the case to be lamented: this grief is crowned
with consolation; your old smock brings forth a new
petticoat: and indeed the tears live in an onion
that should water this sorrow.

4

Antony and Cleopatra
[I, 3]

Cleopatra

345

I would I had thy inches; thou shouldst know
There were a heart in Egypt.

5

Antony and Cleopatra
[I, 4]

Octavius

468

I should have known no less.
It hath been taught us from the primal state,
That he which is was wish'd until he were;
And the ebb'd man, ne'er loved till ne'er worth love,
Comes dear'd by being lack'd. This common body,
Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream,
Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide,
To rot itself with motion.

6

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Domitius Enobarus

684

I shall entreat him
To answer like himself: if Caesar move him,
Let Antony look over Caesar's head
And speak as loud as Mars. By Jupiter,
Were I the wearer of Antonius' beard,
I would not shave't to-day.

7

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Antony

715

'Tis spoken well.
Were we before our armies, and to fight.
I should do thus.

8

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Octavius

739

You may be pleased to catch at mine intent
By what did here befal me. Your wife and brother
Made wars upon me; and their contestation
Was theme for you, you were the word of war.

9

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Mecaenas

806

If it might please you, to enforce no further
The griefs between ye: to forget them quite
Were to remember that the present need
Speaks to atone you.

10

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Octavius

830

Say not so, Agrippa:
If Cleopatra heard you, your reproof
Were well deserved of rashness.

11

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 2]

Domitius Enobarus

914

I will tell you.
The barge she sat in, like a burnish'd throne,
Burn'd on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were love-sick with them; the oars were silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water which they beat to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes. For her own person,
It beggar'd all description: she did lie
In her pavilion—cloth-of-gold of tissue—
O'er-picturing that Venus where we see
The fancy outwork nature: on each side her
Stood pretty dimpled boys, like smiling Cupids,
With divers-colour'd fans, whose wind did seem
To glow the delicate cheeks which they did cool,
And what they undid did.

12

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 5]

Cleopatra

1174

O, I would thou didst,
So half my Egypt were submerged and made
A cistern for scaled snakes! Go, get thee hence:
Hadst thou Narcissus in thy face, to me
Thou wouldst appear most ugly. He is married?

13

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 6]

Pompey

1260

Know, then,
I came before you here a man prepared
To take this offer: but Mark Antony
Put me to some impatience: though I lose
The praise of it by telling, you must know,
When Caesar and your brother were at blows,
Your mother came to Sicily and did find
Her welcome friendly.

14

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 6]

Domitius Enobarus

1350

If I were bound to divine of this unity, I would
not prophesy so.

15

Antony and Cleopatra
[II, 7]

Menas

1485

The third part, then, is drunk: would it were all,
That it might go on wheels!

16

Antony and Cleopatra
[III, 1]

(stage directions)

1545

[Enter VENTIDIUS as it were in triumph, with SILIUS,]
and other Romans, Officers, and Soldiers; the dead
body of PACORUS borne before him]

17

Antony and Cleopatra
[III, 2]

Domitius Enobarus

1656

[Aside to AGRIPPA] He were the worse for that,
were he a horse;
So is he, being a man.

18

Antony and Cleopatra
[III, 4]

Antony

1752

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.

19

Antony and Cleopatra
[III, 4]

Antony

1773

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.

20

Antony and Cleopatra
[III, 6]

Octavius

1822

Contemning Rome, he has done all this, and more,
In Alexandria: here's the manner of 't:
I' the market-place, on a tribunal silver'd,
Cleopatra and himself in chairs of gold
Were publicly enthroned: at the feet sat
Caesarion, whom they call my father's son,
And all the unlawful issue that their lust
Since then hath made between them. Unto her
He gave the stablishment of Egypt; made her
Of lower Syria, Cyprus, Lydia,
Absolute queen.

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