William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens
Begin: 04/28/07
End: 05/07/07
Quality: Four out of Ten
Reason: Reading Plan.
Genre: Drama. Classics. Problem Plays.
Original Language: English.
Date of Publication: 1623
Fog Index: 9.6/73% are harder.
Flesch Index: 62.9/72% are harder.
Flesch-Kincaid Index: 7.3/75% are harder.
Complex Words: 13%/57% are harder.
Number: First.
Synopsis: Timon of Athens is very generous to his friends, constantly giving gifts and getting people out of debt. Unfortunately, when his money runs out, no one will help him. He flees Athens and lives in a cave where he finds a large cache of gold. He gives this to Alcibiades to conquer Athens.
Thoughts: Why do I keep reading this damn problem plays? They just end up confuse the shit out of me. Fuck it, I am reading Midsummer Night’s Dream next. Now that is some good Shakespeare. This stuff is just tough to get through and figure out what the hell is going on.
I didn’t hate it. I just thought it was kinda weird and I had a hard time seeing where some of the characters were coming from.

I don’t really think I got much out of it. I had a few food quotes. I really enjoyed the character of Apemantus, the churlish philosopher. I may want to bring the word churlish back into everyday use. It is a fun word.

The play remind me, in some ways, of Nina Simone’s “No one knows you when your down.”

And I guess that is all that I have for the moment.

“What a sweep of vanity comes this way./They Dance? They are madwomen./ Like Madness is the glory of this life,/As this pomp shows to a little oil and root/We make ourselves fools to disport ourselves,/And spend our flatteries to drink those men/Upon whose age we void it up again/With poisonous spite and envy/who lives that’s not depraved or depraves?/Who dies that bears not one spurn to their graves/of their friends’ gift?/I should fear those that dance before me now/would one day stamp upon me. ‘T’as been done./ Men shut their doors against a setting dun.” (I.ii.134-147)

“I am Misanthropos and hate mankind./For thy part/I do wish thou wert a dog,/that I might love thee something.” (IV.iii.54-56)

“Spare your oaths:/I’ll trust to your conditions. Be whore still,/And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you, / Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up;/ Let your close fire predominate his smoke / and Be no turncoats.” (IV.iii.139-145)