Scene 2

Summary

The scene opens with a conversation between a Senator and a messenger. The messenger informs the Senator that Alcibiades and his army are ready to attack Athens. This news disturbs the Senator. The messenger also informs the Senator about the message that Alcibiades has sent to Timon, asking him to join his campaign against Athens. In the meanwhile, the other Senators return from the woods and give the Senator the news that Timon has refused to help them. The Senator now knows that there is no hope of victory.

The Senators meet and express their fears about the forthcoming attack. The atmosphere both outside the city and within is tense as Alcibiades is expected to attack any minute.

A messenger arrives and tells the Senators that he has just met a friend who is working for Alcibiades and that the friend has given him some important information. This shows that the messenger is not loyal to his master Alcibiades because he has leaked out information to the enemy camp. Such things happening on the war front can cause big trouble.

The Senators seem to have lost all confidence in themselves and are sure that they are not going to win against AlcibiadesÂ’ huge and strong army. The messengerÂ’s news that AlcibiadesÂ’ army is all ready to attack, makes them even more nervous. When the two Senators return from the woods and inform the others that, Timon has refused to help them, it crushes what little hope they had about surviving the situation. At this moment, they are perhaps repenting the fact that they did not help Timon in his time of need. If they had done so, then they probably would not have had to face such a situation.

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