Timon of Athens

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.9

Word count: 150K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Timon d'Athènes by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: French, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: May 17, 2005

Editor's review

Timon of Athens is a relatively late work by Shakespeare, often placed between tragedy and problem play. It tells of the prodigally generous nobleman Timon, who, after squandering his fortune, is abandoned by those he benefited and turns misanthropic, retreating into the wilderness. The play sharply exposes the hypocrisy of money, friendship, and human nature, in a somber tone that contrasts markedly with Shakespeare's comedies. This French translation comes from a public-domain eBook and suits readers who already have some experience with Shakespeare, allowing them to observe the turn in his late thought. The play's structure is rather loose, with some scenes dominated by soliloquy and argument; as you read, note the contrast between Timon's earlier and later attitudes and the recurring imagery of the banquet and gold. It is not well suited as a first Shakespeare, but works well as supplementary reading for thematic study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who have read Shakespeare's major tragedies and want to explore his late works
Readers interested in the themes of money and human nature who can accept a somber tone
Researchers with a foundation in French who need French texts of Shakespeare

Not a good fit for

Readers new to Shakespeare who hope to start with lighter works
Readers without French reading ability and without a parallel translation to assist them

Reading tips

Read a plot summary first to grasp the turn in Timon's attitude from generosity to misanthropy, then read the key soliloquies closely.
Note the recurrence of banquet and gold imagery and consider how it reinforces the money theme.
Read in comparison with friendship themes in other Shakespeare plays and keep thematic notes.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this play a tragedy or a comedy?

It is not simply classified as a comedy; it is often regarded as a tragedy or a "problem play," with a somber tone and sharp criticism of human nature and money, markedly different from Shakespeare's early comedies.

Is it suitable as an introduction to Shakespeare?

Not very. The play is loosely structured and contains much argumentative soliloquy; readers new to Shakespeare might start with plot-driven works such as The Comedy of Errors and then return to this play.

What does this electronic edition contain?

According to the metadata, this is a French public-domain eBook published by Project Gutenberg; the body text is a French translation of Timon of Athens, with no indication of accompanying notes, introduction, or research materials.

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.