"Ellen Schoeters is a member of Actorama + where actors can upload a monologue or scene performance for peer review. What do you think of Ellen Schoeters's performance?"
(0 votes)
| Character | Timon?Apemantus??? | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene type / Who are | Friends, Scheming, Scolding somebody | |
| Type | Dramatic | |
| Period | 17th Century | |
| Genre | Tragedy, Drama | |
| Description | Timon and Apemantus insult each other and curse humankind | |
| Location | ACT IV, Scene 3 | |
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. There he is visited by several men, among which Apemantus, his old grumpy friend.
In this scene Apemantus remarks that Timon brought this onto himself by trusting a bunch of double faced friends. The two characters argue, then they both curse Athens and humanity but end up insulting each other again.
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. There he is visited by several men, among which Apemantus, his old grumpy friend.
In this scene Apemantus remarks that Timon brought this onto himself by trusting a bunch of double faced friends. The two characters argue, then they both curse Athens and humanity but end up insulting each other again.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
|---|
| [Woods and cave, near seashore.] APEMANTUS I was directed hither: men report Thou dost affect my manners, and dost use them. TIMON 'Tis, then, because thou dost not keep a dog, Whom I would imitate: consumption catch thee! APEMANTUS This is in thee a nature but infected; A poor unmanly melancholy sprung From change of fortune. Why this spade? this place? This slave-like habit? and these looks of care? Thy flatterers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft; Hug their diseased perfumes, and have forgot That ever Timon was. Shame not these woods, By putting on the cunning of a carper. Be thou a flatterer now, and seek to thrive By that which has undone thee: hinge thy knee, And let his very breath, whom thou'lt observe, Blow off thy cap; praise his most vicious strain, And call it excellent: thou wast told thus; Thou gavest thine ears like tapsters that bid welcome To knaves and all approachers: 'tis most just That thou turn rascal; hadst thou wealth again, Rascals should have 't. Do not assume my likeness. TIMON Were I like thee, I'ld throw away myself. APEMANTUS Thou hast cast away thyself, being like thyself; A madman so long, now a fool. What, think'st That the bleak air, thy boisterous chamberlain, Will put thy shirt on warm? will these moss'd trees, That have outlived the eagle, page thy heels, And skip where thou point'st out? will the cold brook, Candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste, To cure thy o'er-night's surfeit? Call the creatures Whose naked natures live in an the spite Of wreakful heaven, whose bare unhoused trunks, To the conflicting elements exposed, Answer mere nature; bid them flatter thee; O, thou shalt find-- TIMON A fool of thee: depart. APEMANTUS I love thee better now than e'er I did. TIMON I hate thee worse. APEMANTUS Why? TIMON Thou flatter'st misery. APEMANTUS I flatter not; but say thou art a caitiff. TIMON Why dost thou seek me out? APEMANTUS To vex thee. TIMON Always a villain's office or a fool's. Dost please thyself in't? APEMANTUS Ay. TIMON What! a knave too? APEMANTUS If thou didst put this sour-cold habit on To castigate thy pride, 'twere well: but thou Dost it enforcedly; thou'ldst courtier be again, Wert thou not beggar. Willing misery Outlives encertain pomp, is crown'd before: The one is filling still, never complete; The other, at high wish: best state, contentless, Hath a distracted and most wretched being, Worse than the worst, content. Thou shouldst desire to die, being miserable. TIMON Not by his breath that is more miserable. Thou art a slave, whom Fortune's tender arm With favour never clasp'd; but bred a dog. Hadst thou, like us from our first swath, proceeded The sweet degrees that this brief world affords To such as may the passive drugs of it Freely command, thou wouldst have plunged thyself In general riot; melted down thy youth In different beds of lust; and never learn'd The icy precepts of respect, but follow'd The sugar'd game before thee. But myself, Who had the world as my confectionary, The mouths, the tongues, the eyes and hearts of men At duty, more than I could frame employment, That numberless upon me stuck as leaves Do on the oak, hive with one winter's brush Fell from their boughs and left me open, bare For every storm that blows: I, to bear this, That never knew but better, is some burden: Thy nature did commence in sufferance, time Hath made thee hard in't. Why shouldst thou hate men? They never flatter'd thee: what hast thou given? If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag, Must be thy subject, who in spite put stuff To some she beggar and compounded thee Poor rogue hereditary. Hence, be gone! If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, Thou hadst been a knave and flatterer. APEMANTUS Art thou proud yet? TIMON Ay, that I am not thee. APEMANTUS I, that I was No prodigal. TIMON I, that I am one now: Were all the wealth I have shut up in thee, I'ld give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone. That the whole life of Athens were in this! Thus would I eat it. [Eating a root] APEMANTUS Here; I will mend thy feast. Offering him a root TIMON First mend my company, take away thyself. APEMANTUS So I shall mend mine own, by the lack of thine. TIMON 'Tis not well mended so, it is but botch'd; if not, I would it were. APEMANTUS What wouldst thou have to Athens? TIMON Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt, Tell them there I have gold; look, so I have. APEMANTUS Here is no use for gold. TIMON The best and truest; For here it sleeps, and does no hired harm. APEMANTUS Where liest o' nights, Timon? TIMON Under that's above me. Where feed'st thou o' days, Apemantus? APEMANTUS Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it. TIMON Would poison were obedient and knew my mind! APEMANTUS Where wouldst thou send it? TIMON To sauce thy dishes. APEMANTUS The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends: when thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity; in thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary. There's a medlar for thee, eat it. TIMON On what I hate I feed not. APEMANTUS Dost hate a medlar? TIMON Ay, though it look like thee. APEMANTUS An thou hadst hated meddlers sooner, thou shouldst have loved thyself better now. What man didst thou ever know unthrift that was beloved after his means? TIMON Who, without those means thou talkest of, didst thou ever know beloved? APEMANTUS Myself. TIMON I understand thee; thou hadst some means to keep a dog. APEMANTUS What things in the world canst thou nearest compare to thy flatterers? TIMON Women nearest; but men, men are the things themselves. What wouldst thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power? APEMANTUS Give it the beasts, to be rid of the men. TIMON Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts? APEMANTUS Ay, Timon. TIMON A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee t' attain to! If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee; if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat three: if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when peradventure thou wert accused by the ass: if thou wert the ass, thy dulness would torment thee, and still thou livedst but as a breakfast to the wolf: if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee, and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner: wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury: wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse: wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard: wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life: all thy safety were remotion and thy defence absence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? and what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation! APEMANTUS If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou mightst have hit upon it here: the commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts. TIMON How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city? APEMANTUS Yonder comes a poet and a painter: the plague of company light upon thee! I will fear to catch it and give way: when I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again. TIMON When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog than Apemantus. APEMANTUS Thou art the cap of all the fools alive. TIMON Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon! APEMANTUS A plague on thee! thou art too bad to curse. TIMON All villains that do stand by thee are pure. APEMANTUS There is no leprosy but what thou speak'st. TIMON If I name thee. I'll beat thee, but I should infect my hands. APEMANTUS I would my tongue could rot them off! TIMON Away, thou issue of a mangy dog! Choler does kill me that thou art alive; I swound to see thee. APEMANTUS Would thou wouldst burst! TIMON Away, Thou tedious rogue! I am sorry I shall lose A stone by thee. [Throws a stone at him] APEMANTUS Beast! TIMON Slave! APEMANTUS Toad! TIMON Rogue, rogue, rogue! I am sick of this false world, and will love nought But even the mere necessities upon 't. Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave; Lie where the light foam the sea may beat Thy grave-stone daily: make thine epitaph, That death in me at others' lives may laugh. [To the gold] O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce 'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars! Thou ever young, fresh, loved and delicate wooer, Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible god, That solder'st close impossibilities, And makest them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue, To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts! Think, thy slave man rebels, and by thy virtue Set them into confounding odds, that beasts May have the world in empire! APEMANTUS Would 'twere so! But not till I am dead. I'll say thou'st gold: Thou wilt be throng'd to shortly. TIMON Throng'd to! APEMANTUS Ay. TIMON Thy back, I prithee. APEMANTUS Live, and love thy misery. TIMON Long live so, and so die. [Exit APEMANTUS] |
