Character Analysis
When three bandits show up in the woods disguised as soldiers to get money from Timon, we're scared. He's already yelled and ranted about how much he hates the greed and lies of humanity; what will he do to actual, literal thieves?
Nothing, it turns out.
Wait, what? Timon knows these dudes are thieves, and he just gives them gold, anyway. He delivers a wildly passionate speech about how everyone—even nature—is a thief, and he tells these real thieves to keep at it. The bandits themselves are shocked. One of them tells us Timon "almost charmed me from my profession, by persuading me to it" (4.3.452-453).
Well, the bandits decide to keep on stealing. Duh. But we're more interested in what they tell us about Timon: maybe Timon doesn't care as much about people stealing as he cares about people stealing behind his back. He seems to be okay with people taking from him as long as they're honest about it. So it's not exactly stealing itself that gets his goat: it's hypocrisy.