Inside Shakespeare's mind: Timon of Athens
 Shakespeare had a mind of his own. He loathed unfaithfulness which he
displays in many of his plays. He must have detested and must have
suffered from ingratitude which he bares in Timon of Athens which is his
single-minded cry against it. His open mind was too liberal on many
occasions.
He upbraided many characters while downplaying many. The chosen ones,
he lavished with heroic dressings. Timon is placed upon a pedestal
because of his generosity which Shakespeare fed into his character.
Rigidly faithful to his ideals and ideas, on the way up in the play, he
lets himself down with a few characters.
Let us take a look at Acibiades who is assigned a powerful role who
is outlawed in Athens and who returns to the city, is downplayed to its
ridiculous limit.
Why was he not made the hero he is when the story lacks any apart
from Timon himself. It is a character curiously undeveloped. He is
dished out with two mistresses and who happen to be the only women in
the play. I think it is very boring. Why did he fail to spice up the
tragedy?
A nobleman from Athens, Timon is a very bountiful human being and is
a prey to parasites, false friends who fleece his wealth. Apomantus who
is a professional misanthrope, despises what they do to Timon.
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Timon of Athens who trusted all and
gave his wealth only to learn the frailty of men |
Only his faithful steward, Flavius is concerned and by the time he
realises, Timon has given away all his money. Timon gets only excuses
when he asks his creditors for payment and from those he has helped.
Flavius - (In Timon's house) No care, no stop; so senseless of
expense
That he will neither know how to maintain it.
Nor cease his flow of riot: take no account
How things go from him nor resumes no care
Of what is to continue. Never mind;
Was to be so unwise, to be so kind;
What shall be done? He will not hear, till feel
I must be round with him, now he comes from hunting
Fie, fie, fie, fie ....
Act. 11 Sce. 1
He invites all his so-called ‘friends to a mock banquet though
belated and embittered. He spurns them by throwing luke-warm water upon
their faces. Bringing his wrath upon Athens, he leaves the city for a
cave in the woods by the seashore. He dwells as a misanthrope.
He discovers gold while digging for roots for food.
Some of it he gives to Alcibiades who is an Athenian commander
banished unjustly. He is presently returning to avenge himself on the
city. Much of the treasure goes to his ever faithful Flavius who has
loyally served him.
‘Hate all’ Timon says to him in his exasperation over human frailty.
He has very little faith in giving charity to anyone.
Timon - Look thee, t'is so. Thou singly honest man, here take the
gods out of my misery. Have sent thee treasure.
Go, live rich and happy. But thus condition'd; thou shall build from
men: Hate all; curse all: show charity to none but let the famish'd
flesh slid from the bone, Ere thou relieve the beggars, give the dogs,
what thou deniest to men.
Let prisons swallow ‘em. Debts wither ‘em to nothing; to men like
blasted woods and may diseases lick their false blood and so, farewell
and thrive.
Flavius - O’ let me stay. And comfort you, my master ..... Act. IV
Sce. III
Finally, Timon drives off all other parasites as well as the senators
from Athenia.
After some time, a soldier of Alcibiades discover a tomb by the shore
and fetches Timon's epitaph, ‘Here lie I, Timon who alive all living men
did hate'.
Some of the sources from which the story was derived from were
Plutarch, Painter's The palace of pleasure and Timon.
Much later, Thomas Shadwell approved The history of Timon of Athens
and the Manhater with a bit of love-interest thrown in the guise of
Evandra and Melissa.
Drury Lane fortified the inspirational version with Samuel Phelps
directing as well as acting the role of Timon in 1851.
This was followed with still a different version in 1922 and
thereafter the play was boarded around the world with more recently,
revived and directed by Trevor Nunn in 1991 for the Young Vic.
I cannot recall a film on this tragedy but in Opera, Stephen Oliver
presented an opera with the same name at the ENO in 1992.
Credits
* Timon - The betrayed patron turned misanthrope. Distributed his
money and wealth among so-called ‘friends'. Died disappointed with
humanity except his ever faithful, Falvius. A nobleman from Athens.
* Flavius - Timon's steward, the loyal, honest, understanding human
being who remained with him to the end.
* Lucius - One of Timon's false friends.
* Acibiades - The out-lawed general of Athens. Returns to the city to
avenge.
* Phrynia/Timandra - Mistresses to Acibiades
* Apesmantus - A professional cynic.
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