Toolbox



Textual Analysis

[ Go ]

Shakespeare on Stage
American Shakespeare Center, Return to the Forbidden Planet. To Dec. 1, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 16, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, The Duchess of Malfi. To Jun. 15, 2013.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Twelfth Night. To Jun. 9, 2013.
American Shakespeare Center, Love's Labour's Lost. To Jun. 15, 2013.
More Performances…
‌

Timon of Athens (Folio 1, 1623)

Author: William Shakespeare
Not Peer Reviewed
Timon of Athens.
93
If thou wilt curse; thy Father (that poore ragge)
Must be thy subiect; who in spight put stuffe
1900To some shee-Begger, and compounded thee
Poore Rogue, hereditary. Hence, be gone,
If thou hadst not bene borne the worst of men,
Thou hadst bene a Knaue and Flatterer.
Ape. Art thou proud yet?
1905Tim. I, that I am not thee.
Ape. I, that I was no Prodigall.
Tim. I, that I am one now.
Were all the wealth I haue shut vp in thee,
I'ld giue thee leaue to hang it. Get thee gone:
1910That the whole life of Athens were in this,
Thus would I eate it.
Ape. Heere, I will mend thy Feast.
Tim. First mend thy company, take away thy selfe.
Ape. So I shall mend mine owne, by'th' lacke of thine
1915Tim. 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botcht;
If not, I would it were.
Ape. What would'st thou haue to Athens?
Tim. Thee thither in a whirlewind: if thou wilt,
Tell them there I haue Gold, looke, so I haue.
1920Ape. Heere is no vse for Gold.
Tim. The best, and truest:
For heere it sleepes, and do's no hyred harme.
Ape. Where lyest a nights Timon?
Tim. Vnder that's aboue me.
1925Where feed'st thou a-dayes Apemantus?
Ape. Where my stomacke findes meate, or rather
where I eate it.
Tim. Would poyson were obedient, & knew my mind
Ape. Where would'st thou send it?
1930Tim. To sawce thy dishes.
Ape. The middle of Humanity thou neuer knewest,
but the extremitie of both ends. When thou wast in thy
Gilt, and thy Perfume, they mockt thee for too much
Curiositie: in thy Ragges thou know'st none, but art de-
1935spis'd for the contrary. There's a medler for thee, eate it.
Tim. On what I hate, I feed not.
Ape. Do'st hate a Medler?
Tim. I, though it looke like thee.
Ape. And th'hadst hated Medlers sooner, yu should'st
1940haue loued thy selfe better now. What man didd'st thou
euer know vnthrift, that was beloued after his meanes?
Tim. Who without those meanes thou talk'st of, didst
thou euer know belou'd?
Ape. My selfe.
1945Tim. I vnderstand thee: thou had'st some meanes to
keepe a Dogge.
Apem. What things in the world canst thou neerest
compare to thy Flatterers?
Tim. Women neerest, but men: men are the things
1950themselues. What would'st thou do with the world A-
pemantus, if it lay in thy power?
Ape. Giue it the Beasts, to be rid of the men.
Tim. Would'st thou haue thy selfe fall in the confu-
sion of men, and remaine a Beast with the Beasts.
1955Ape. I Timon.
Tim. A beastly Ambition, which the Goddes graunt
thee t'attaine to. If thou wert the Lyon, the Fox would
beguile thee. if thou wert the Lambe, the Foxe would
eate thee: if thou wert the Fox, the Lion would suspect
1960thee, when peraduenture thou wert accus'd by the Asse:
If thou wert the Asse, thy dulnesse would torment thee;
and still thou liu'dst but as a Breakefast to the Wolfe. If
thou wert the Wolfe, thy greedinesse would afflict thee,
& oft thou should'st hazard thy life for thy dinner. Wert
1965thou the Vnicorne, pride and wrath would confound
thee, and make thine owne selfe the conquest of thy fury.
Wert thou a Beare, thou would'st be kill'd by the Horse:
wert thou a Horse, thou would'st be seaz'd by the Leo-
pard: wert thou a Leopard, thou wert Germane to the
1970Lion, and the spottes of thy Kindred, were Iurors on thy
life. All thy safety were remotion, and thy defence ab-
sence. What Beast could'st thou bee, that were not sub-
iect to a Beast: and what a Beast art thou already, that
seest not thy losse in transformation.
1975Ape. If thou could'st please me
With speaking to me, thou might'st
Haue hit vpon it heere.
The Commonwealth of Athens, is become
A Forrest of Beasts.
1980Tim. How ha's the Asse broke the wall, that thou art
out of the Citie.
Ape. Yonder comes a Poet and a Painter:
The plague of Company light vpon thee:
I will feare to catch it, and giue way.
1985When I know not what else to do,
Ile see thee againe.
Tim. When there is nothing liuing but thee,
Thou shalt be welcome.
I had rather be a Beggers Dogge,
1990Then Apemantus.
Ape. Thou art the Cap
Of all the Fooles aliue.
Tim. Would thou wert cleane enough
To spit vpon.
1995Ape. A plague on thee,
Thou art too bad to curse.
Tim. All Villaines
That do stand by thee, are pure.
Ape. There is no Leprosie,
2000But what thou speak'st.
Tim. If I name thee, Ile beate thee;
But I should infect my hands.
Ape. I would my tongue
Could rot them off.
2005Tim. Away thou issue of a mangie dogge,
Choller does kill me,
That thou art aliue, I swoond to see thee.
Ape. Would thou would'st burst.
Tim. Away thou tedious Rogue, I am sorry I shall
2010lose a stone by thee.
Ape. Beast.
Tim. Slaue.
Ape. Toad.
Tim. Rogue, Rogue, Rogue.
2015I am sicke of this false world, and will loue nought
But euen the meere necessities vpon't:
Then Timon presently prepare thy graue:
Lye where the light Fome of the Sea may beate
Thy graue stone dayly, make thine Epitaph,
2020That death in me, at others liues may laugh.
O thou sweete King-killer, and deare diuorce
Twixt naturall Sunne and fire: thou bright defiler
of Himens purest bed, thou valiant Mars,
Thou euer, yong, fresh, loued, and delicate wooer,
2025Whose blush doth thawe the consecrated Snow
That lyes on Dians lap.
Thou visible God,
That souldrest close Impossibilities,
And mak'st them kisse; that speak'st with euerie Tongue
hh3
To