OCTAVIUS

nephew of Julius Caesar who after Caesar's death becomes a triumvir in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In that play he allies himself with Antony against Brutus and Cassius. In Antony and Cleopatra, however, he is presented as a contrast to Antony. Where Antony remains in thrall to his passion, Octavius Caesar thinks of little but his career. Where Antony is shown as generous and noble, even in his weakness, Octavius is portrayed as shrewd, cold, pragmatic, and opportunistic.