How we cite our quotes: (Act.Scene.Line)
Quote #7
TIMON:
O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce
'Twixt natural son and sire! thou bright defiler
Of Hymen's purest bed! thou valiant Mars!
Thou ever young, fresh, loved and delicate wooer,
Whose blush doth thaw the consecrated snow
That lies on Dian's lap! thou visible god,
That solder'st close impossibilities,
And makest them kiss! that speak'st with every tongue,
To every purpose! O thou touch of hearts!
Think, thy slave man rebels, and by thy virtue
Set them into confounding odds, that beasts
May have the world in empire! (4.3.383-394)
Now Timon actually talks to his gold. Say what? That's right, he knows what gold can do, and he wants it to work its magic… or its damage. He's had the power that comes with money, and he wants it again; this time, though, he wants to use it to wreck the earth. What's up with these mood swings? Why does Timon want to destroy everyone and everything? Why does he get to decide who gets destroyed?
Quote #8
FIRST BANDIT:
Where should he have this gold? It is some poor
fragment, some slender sort of his remainder.
The mere want of gold, and the falling-from of his
friends, drove him into this melancholy. (4.3.400-403)
Rumor has it that Timon has gold, so the bandits hunt him down to see if it's true. Before they can even find him, the bandits do some thinking about the importance of gold. Sure, it's cool and all, but it's pretty dangerous. Hmmm… that's a little ironic coming from a couple of thieves.
Quote #9
FLAVIUS:
For any benefit that points to me,
Either in hope or present, I'd exchange
For this one wish, that you had power and wealth
To requite me, by making rich yourself. (4.3.522-525)
In the beginning of the play, Flavius worked hard to convince Timon that he had money troubles. Now, Flavius is wishing that his master would get rich again so that he could get back at all his friends. Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure can buy a lot of power. From where Flavius is sitting, Timon doesn't have much of either, anymore. This passage also reveals that Flavius thinks money is a prerequisite for friendship, at least among popular people like Timon and his friends.