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Act 5, Scene 1 — The woods. Before Timon’s cave
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Enter Poet and Painter.
PAINTER [practical confidence—assessing location]

As I took note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides.

As I've observed the area, it cannot be far from where he lives.

From what I've seen around here, he's got to be living nearby.

based on the area he can't be far away

POET [curious speculation—about rumors of wealth]

What’s to be thought of him? Does the rumour hold for true that he is

so full of gold?

What do you make of him? Is the rumor true that he possesses so much gold?

What do you think about him? Is it true what they're saying—that he's sitting on piles of gold?

what do you think of him do the rumors about his gold actually check out

PAINTER [confirmatory boasting—relaying hearsay]

Certain. Alcibiades reports it; Phrynia and Timandra had gold of him.

He likewise enriched poor straggling soldiers with great quantity. ’Tis

said he gave unto his steward a mighty sum.

Certainly. Alcibiades reports it, and Phrynia and Timandra received gold from him. He has also enriched poor wandering soldiers with great amounts. It is said he gave his steward a mighty sum.

Definitely. Alcibiades says so, and those two women, Phrynia and Timandra, got gold from him. He's been throwing money at poor soldiers too. I heard he gave his steward a huge sum.

alcibiades confirms it the women got gold from him he's been paying soldiers he even gave his steward a fortune

POET [conniving realization—seeing through the test]

Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends?

So this loss of his wealth has been merely a test of his friends?

So you're saying he lost all that money just to see who his real friends were?

so he lost everything to test his friends that was all it was

PAINTER [cynical calculation—manufacturing loyalty for profit]

Nothing else. You shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish

with the highest. Therefore ’tis not amiss we tender our loves to him

in this supposed distress of his. It will show honestly in us and is

very likely to load our purposes with what they travail for, if it be a

just and true report that goes of his having.

Nothing else. You shall see him restored to honor in Athens, flourishing with the greatest men. Therefore it is not unwise for us to offer him our friendship in this apparent distress. It will show well for us and is very likely to load our endeavors with the rewards they seek, if the reports of his wealth are truthful.

Exactly. He'll be back on top in Athens soon enough, running with the most important people. So it's smart for us to show him some love right now while he looks like he's struggling. It'll make us look good and should get us paid back with interest when his wealth returns—if what they're saying about his gold is true.

he'll be on top again soon flourshing with the powerful so let's be nice to him now make ourselves look good reap the rewards when he's rich

POET [pragmatic inquiry—checking readiness]

What have you now to present unto him?

What do you have prepared to present to him?

So what are you bringing to give him?

what gift do you have for timon

PAINTER [small talk shifting to ambition—promises as currency]

Nothing at this time but my visitation; only I will promise him an

excellent piece.

Nothing at present except my visit, but I will promise him an excellent work of art.

Just me showing up for now, but I can promise him I'll create something amazing for him.

just my visit for now but i'll promise him a great painting

POET [matching strategy—agreeing to make promises]

I must serve him so too, tell him of an intent that’s coming toward

him.

I, too, must serve him the same way, and I will tell him of an idea that's coming toward him.

I'll do the same, and I'll tell him about a poem I'm working on for him.

i'll do the same promise him a poem something great

PAINTER [cynical wisdom—deflating the value of action]

Good as the best. Promising is the very air o’ th’ time; it opens the

eyes of expectation. Performance is ever the duller for his act and,

but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is

quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable;

performance is a kind of will or testament which argues a great

sickness in his judgment that makes it.

As good as the finest. Promising is very much the fashion of the age; it opens the eyes of expectation. Performance is always duller than the promise made for it, and except among the common people, the act of delivering is quite obsolete. To promise is most courtly and fashionable, but performance is like a will or testament, which shows a person is gravely ill. A man who performs has already acknowledged failure.

Perfect. Promising is what everyone does these days—it gets people excited. But performing is always disappointing compared to the promise, and except for ordinary people, actually delivering is basically dead. Promising is fashionable and courtly, but performing is like making a will—it means you're dying. You perform and you've basically admitted you're a failure.

promises are fashionable they get people excited delivering is disappointing only common people actually do it performance is a death wish

Enter Timon from his cave.
[_Aside_.] Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is
TIMON [self-satisfied completion—finishing a thought]

thyself.

Yourself.

You.

you yourself

POET [creative plotting—disguising intent as satire]

I am thinking what I shall say I have provided for him. It must be a

personating of himself, a satire against the softness of prosperity,

with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and

opulency.

I'm thinking about what I will say I have created for him. It must be a portrait of himself, a satire against the softness that comes with good fortune, with a revelation of all the infinite flatteries that follow wealth and power.

I'm trying to figure out what I'll tell him I made for him. It needs to be a picture of himself, a satire on how prosperity makes you soft, and it should expose all the endless flattery that follows money and power.

a self-portrait a satire against his own softness revealing all the flattery that money brings

[_Aside_.] Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own work? Wilt
TIMON [accusing with generosity—offering gold as insult]

thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee.

Will you whip your own faults in other men? Go ahead, I have gold for you.

Are you going to point out other people's flaws instead of your own? Sure, go ahead. Here, I'll give you gold for it.

judge others for your own sins here take gold for that

POET ≋ verse [urgent calculation—seizing opportunity]

Nay, let’s seek him.

Then do we sin against our own estate

When we may profit meet and come too late.

No, let's find him instead. We wrong our own interests when we can profit and we arrive too late.

No, let's go find him. We're hurting ourselves if we can make money and we show up too slow.

let's find him now we're losing money by showing up late

PAINTER ≋ verse [assenting pragmatism—poetic agreement]

True.

When the day serves, before black-cornered night,

Find what thou want’st by free and offered light.

Come.

True. When daylight offers a chance, before dark arrives, find what you need in the light that's freely given. Come.

That's right. When the sun is still up, before night falls, find what you want in the free light. Let's go.

when the day is bright use the free light before night comes let's go

[_Aside_.] I’ll meet you at the turn. What a god’s gold,
TIMON ≋ verse [raging blasphemy—cursing wealth itself]

That he is worshipped in a baser temple

Than where swine feed!

’Tis thou that rigg’st the bark and plough’st the foam,

Settlest admired reverence in a slave.

To thee be worship, and thy saints for aye

Be crowned with plagues, that thee alone obey!

Fit I meet them.

That he is worshipped in a lower temple than where pigs are fed! You are the one who rigs the ship and plows the ocean, who places revered authority in a slave. To you be worship, and may your saints forever be crowned with plagues—you alone deserve their obedience! Let me meet them.

He's worshipped in a worse place than where pigs eat! You're the one who controls the ship and plows the sea, putting power in slaves' hands. You deserve worship, and your saints should be crowned with plagues—only you deserve obedience! Let me find them.

he's worshipped lower than pigs you control the ship and ocean you put authority in slaves you deserve plagues not worship

[_He comes forward._]
POET [flattering greeting—beginning the con]

Hail, worthy Timon!

Hail, worthy Timon!

Greetings, the great Timon!

hail noble timon

PAINTER [nostalgic flattery—invoking past status]

Our late noble master!

Our former noble master!

Our great master from before!

our great master from better days

TIMON [bitter disbelief—recognizing the impossible]

Have I once lived to see two honest men?

Have I lived to see two honest men?

I've actually found two honest men?

two honest men actually exist

POET ≋ verse [emotional outrage—confronting ingratitude]

Sir,

Having often of your open bounty tasted,

Hearing you were retired, your friends fall’n off,

Whose thankless natures—O abhorred spirits!

Not all the whips of heaven are large enough—

What, to you,

Whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence

To their whole being? I am rapt and cannot cover

The monstrous bulk of this ingratitude

With any size of words.

Sir, having often tasted your generous bounty, hearing you had withdrawn and your friends had fallen away—those thankless spirits! Not all the whips in heaven are enough—what could be worse, when you, with your star-like nobility, gave life and light to their entire existence? I am overcome with emotion and cannot adequately describe the monstrous scale of this ingratitude with any words.

Sir, I've enjoyed your generosity many times, and hearing that you've disappeared and your friends abandoned you—those ungrateful people! Heaven's whole arsenal of punishment isn't enough—how could they do this to you, when your star-like greatness gave life and energy to everything they had? I'm too stunned to even speak—no words can capture how massive this betrayal is.

i've tasted your bounty heard your friends all left those thankless spirits your star-like nobility gave them everything their betrayal is monstrous

TIMON ≋ verse [contemptuous honesty—turning words as weapons]

Let it go naked. Men may see’t the better.

You that are honest, by being what you are,

Make them best seen and known.

Let it be spoken aloud. Men may see it better that way. You who are honest, by being what you are, make the betrayal clearly visible and known.

Say it out loud. That way people can see it clearer. You honest people, just by existing, show everyone else how corrupt they really are.

speak it naked and raw let people see it honest men expose the corruption

PAINTER ≋ verse [bonding flattery—shared experience of generosity]

He and myself

Have travailed in the great shower of your gifts,

And sweetly felt it.

He and I have traveled through the great rain of your gifts and felt it sweetly.

Both of us have been showered with your gifts and felt how good they were.

we've traveled through your great shower of gifts felt them sweetly

TIMON [testing affirmation—checking their honesty]

Ay, you are honest men.

You are honest men.

You're honest people.

you're honest

PAINTER [formulaic offering—professional generosity]

We are hither come to offer you our service.

We are here to offer you our service.

We came here to help you, whatever you need.

we're here to serve you

TIMON ≋ verse [contemptuous challenge—exposing their greed]

Most honest men! Why, how shall I requite you?

Can you eat roots and drink cold water? No?

Most honest men! But how shall I repay you? Can you eat roots and drink cold water? Not if you won't accept such simple payment.

You're so honest! But how can I pay you back? Can you eat roots and drink water? I bet not—that's too plain for you.

how can i repay you with roots and water no? thought not

BOTH [willing servility—accepting his terms]

What we can do we’ll do, to do you service.

We will do whatever we can to serve you.

Whatever we can do, we'll do it to help you.

whatever we can do we'll do for you

TIMON ≋ verse [mocking repetition—hammering home their dishonesty]

Ye’re honest men. Ye’ve heard that I have gold,

I am sure you have. Speak truth, you’re honest men.

You are honest men. You have heard that I have gold, I am sure you have. Speak truth, you are honest men.

You're honest men. You've heard I have gold—I know you have. Tell the truth, you're honest men.

you're honest you heard i have gold tell the truth

PAINTER ≋ verse [defensive denial—being tested for honesty]

So it is said, my noble lord; but therefore

Came not my friend nor I.

Yes, so it is said, my noble lord, but that is not why my friend and I came.

Sure, that's what people say, my lord, but that's not why we came here.

yes so they say but we didn't come for your gold

TIMON ≋ verse [cruel praise—mocking artistic skill with false admiration]

Good honest men! [_To Painter_.] Thou draw’st a counterfeit

Best in all Athens. Thou’rt indeed the best,

Thou counterfeit’st most lively.

Good honest man! You draw a false image well, the very best in Athens. You are the finest artist, counterfeiting most skillfully.

Good honest man! You're the best at drawing fake pictures in all of Athens. You're really good at counterfeiting.

you're the best counterfeiter in all of athens at faking everything

PAINTER [uncertain deference—accepting the ambiguous praise]

So so, my lord.

Just so, my lord.

Yes, my lord.

yes my lord

TIMON ≋ verse [backhanded accusation—disguised as compliment]

E’en so, sir, as I say. [_To the Poet_.] And for thy fiction,

Why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth

That thou art even natural in thine art.

But for all this, my honest-natured friends,

I must needs say you have a little fault.

Marry, ’tis not monstrous in you, neither wish I

You take much pains to mend.

Yes, sir, exactly as I say. And as for your poetry, your verse overflows with such beautiful and refined material that you are completely natural in your craft. But for all this, my honest-natured friends, I must tell you that you have a small fault. Though I will not say it is monstrous in you, I also do not wish you to take great pains to mend it.

Yes, sir, that's exactly what I mean. And your poetry is full of such beautiful, polished stuff that you seem completely natural at it. But listen, you honest friends, you've got a little problem. It's not terrible, and I don't want you to kill yourselves trying to fix it.

your verse is polished beautiful and refined but you have a fault don't worry about it

BOTH ≋ verse [eagerness to hear criticism—bait for the trap]

Beseech your honour

To make it known to us.

Please, your honor, reveal it to us.

Please, sir, tell us what it is.

tell us what the fault is

TIMON [setting the hook—warning before revealing the truth]

You’ll take it ill.

You will take it badly.

You're not going to like it.

you won't like it

BOTH [assuring compliance—ready for anything]

Most thankfully, my lord.

We will listen with gratitude, my lord.

We'll take it gratefully, my lord.

we'll hear it gratefully my lord

TIMON [questioning sincerity—doubting their willingness]

Will you indeed?

Will you truly?

Really?

really

BOTH [firm reassurance—ready to hear anything]

Doubt it not, worthy lord.

Do not doubt it, worthy lord.

Don't doubt it, my lord.

don't doubt it my lord

TIMON ≋ verse [accusing revelation—the truth about deception]

There’s never a one of you but trusts a knave

That mightily deceives you.

Not one of you but trusts a knave—a man who greatly deceives you.

Every one of you trusts someone who's a criminal—someone who tricks you constantly.

every one of you trusts a liar who tricks you

BOTH [shocked denial—refusing to accept the accusation]

Do we, my lord?

Do we, my lord?

Do we, my lord?

do we really

TIMON ≋ verse [relentless condemnation—describing their complicity]

Ay, and you hear him cog, see him dissemble,

Know his gross patchery, love him, feed him,

Keep in your bosom, yet remain assured

That he’s a made-up villain.

Yes. And when you hear him deceive, when you see him pretend, when you know his crude tricks, you love him, feed him, keep him in your heart—yet remain assured that he is a made-up villain.

Yes. And when you hear him lie, when you see him pretend, when you know he's full of cheap tricks, you still love him, still feed him, still hold him in your heart—even though you know he's a complete fake villain.

you hear him lie you see him fake you know his tricks yet you love him feed him keep him close

PAINTER [wounded innocence—denying knowledge]

I know not such, my lord.

I know of no such person, my lord.

I don't know anyone like that, my lord.

i don't know anyone like that

POET [echoed denial—the poet following suit]

Nor I.

Nor I.

Neither do I.

neither do i

TIMON ≋ verse [golden bribery—paying for violence]

Look you, I love you well. I’ll give you gold.

Rid me these villains from your companies,

Hang them or stab them, drown them in a draught,

Confound them by some course, and come to me,

I’ll give you gold enough.

Look, I love you well. I will give you gold. Remove these villains from your company—hang them or stab them, drown them in a bucket, destroy them by whatever means, and come back to me. I will give you gold enough.

Look, I care about you. I'll give you gold. Get rid of these thieves from your group—hang them, stab them, drown them in a barrel, destroy them any way you can, then come back to me. I'll give you all the gold you need.

i love you get rid of those villains hang them stab them drown them i'll give you gold

BOTH [eager complicity—ready to do his bidding]

Name them, my lord, let’s know them.

Tell us who they are, my lord. Let us know them.

Tell us who they are, my lord. Show us.

tell us who they are let us know them

TIMON ≋ verse [final instruction—dividing his agents]

You that way, and you this, but two in company.

Each man apart, all single and alone,

Yet an arch-villain keeps him company.

You go that way, and you go this way—but always two together. Each man separate and alone, yet an arch-villain keeps him company.

You go that way, you go this way—but always in pairs. Each man separate and by himself, yet an arch-villain is always right there with him.

you go that way you go this but never alone an arch-villain keeps each man company

[_To one_.] If where thou art, two villians shall not be,
Come not near him. [_To the other_.] If thou wouldst not reside
But where one villain is, then him abandon.
Hence, pack! There’s gold. You came for gold, ye slaves.
[_To one_.] You have work for me, there’s payment, hence!
[_To the other_.] You are an alchemist; make gold of that.
Out, rascal dogs!
[_Timon drives them out and then retires to his cave_]

The Reckoning

If this happened today…

Continue to 5.2 →