Timon of Athens

Roles

• Timon
• Flavius

About this piece

Flavius finds Timon in the cave and offers to serve him in the wilderness

Summary

Timon is a generous wealthy man in Athens who enjoys sharing his wealth with his friends without expecting anything in return. In the first scene of the play we are introduced to him when a poet, a painter and a jeweler arrive to his house, hoping to sell their goods and services, knowing of his generous nature. He buys from them and then negotiates to pay for the release of a friend who is in jail because of his debts, Ventidius. After throwing a feast for his friends and giving them several gifts, various people wonder how he can manage not to run out of money. When three creditors send their servants to collect from Timon, Flavius, Timon's servant, tells his master that he is in debt and has no money left. Timon sends his three servants to ask his friends for a loan but his three friends refuse to lend him any money. Timon's house is soon surrounded by servants of his creditors. Timon decides to hold a last dinner party and invite all his friends. At the party he serves them boiling water and stones, curses them and leaves Athens to live in the wilderness, in a cave. Out in the wilderness, by chance, Timon finds a cache of gold. In the cave he is visited by several men, among which Alcibiades, another man banished from Athens, and Apemantus, his old grumpy friend. At the end of the scene his servant Flavius arrives. Flavius pities his master and cries. Timon is moved and starts to believe not all of humanity is bad. When Flavius offers to serve him in the wilderness, Timon gives him gold.

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