The Life of Timon of Athens Themes
Friendship
Good friends might be worth their weight in gold, but in Timon of Athens, our hero's friends are only interested in the gold. They're happy to call themselves Timon's best pals when they share in h...
Principles
Were you totally bummed when Timon's friends couldn't give him any money after he gave them all those fancy gifts? We were, too. It drives a wedge between Timon and his buddies, and it forces Timon...
City vs. Country
Why does Timon retreat into the woods? We know he has to go somewhere, given that he no longer has either a house or enough money to survive. We also totally get that he wants to get out of Athens,...
Exile and Isolation
No man is an island, but a lot of men in this play sure try to be. Timon runs off into the woods by himself to be away from society; Alcibiades is banished from Athens and forced to live by himself...
Wealth
Money, money, money, money.The Athenians in Timon of Athens care an awful lot about money. They're captivated by the banquets and the gifts money can buy; they use money as a way of influencing peo...
Suffering
Bring out your antibiotics, because we're about to get infected. Timon is all about spreading literal and metaphorical disease to his enemies so that they'll suffer. Since he doesn't have any money...
Dissatisfaction and Misanthropy
Remember when Apemantus came to Timon's banquet and took every opportunity to point out how much he hates everyone? What's that guy's problem? Well, he's not alone: by the end of Timon of Athens, T...
Greed
Party at Timon's house, are we right? In the beginning of Timon of Athens, Timon is always having people over for huge, all-you-can-eat banquets where he hands out huge, expensive gifts and pays of...