The Decay of the Polity: Timon

Abstract

Let us explore the surface meaning of the playas I understand it. Timon of Athens is a play about an Athenian philanthropist, who lived considerably later than Theseus. The presence of Alcibiades in the cast might help us to fix the internal chronology of the play. Historical inversions are so common in Shakespeare, however, that we probably could not do even that. Timon is entirely surrounded by flatterers. Though Timon is a philanthropist, he is an unthinking one and gives indiscriminately to all who wait on him. In addition to the flatterers who attend his banquets and give him baubles, and whom he richly rewards, there are three people who may, with some justice, be called friends. One is Apemantus, a misanthrope, but also a philosopher, who chides Timon on his conduct. The second is Alcibiades, who is presented as a soldier, readier to take the field than to attend Timon’s feasts. The third is his steward, Flavius, who tries to dissuade him from giving away his fortune. Timon, however, continues his prodigal ways, and we see him at a banquet, a banquet of the senses, but a banquet without speech, though speech is generally the redeeming feature of a banquet. After the banquet, there is an end to Timon’s largesse. Deeply in debt, he sends to his previous beneficiaries, and, one by one, they reject him. The total ingratitude shows the decay of Athens, its commercialization and its covetousness. This covetousness does not extend to Timon, his three friends, or the servants. It is only those who rule Athens, and those who flatter the rulers, who are corrupt, not the entire population.