Timon of Athens

By William Shakespeare

QUOTATION: Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites,
Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears,
You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time’s flies.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 3, sc. 6, l. 94-6.

QUOTATION: All’s oblique;
There’s nothing level in our cursed natures
But direct villainy. Therefore be abhorred
All feasts, societies, and throngs of men!
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 4, sc. 3, l. 18-21.

QUOTATION: Who can speak broader than he that has no house to put his head in? Such may rail against great buildings.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Varro’s 2nd Servant, in Timon of Athens, act 3, sc. 4, l. 63-5.

QUOTATION: There’s none
Can truly say he gives if he receives.
If our betters play at that game, we must not dare
To imitate them; faults that are rich are fair.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 1, sc. 2, l. 10-13.

QUOTATION: Ceremony was but devised at first
To set a gloss on faint deeds, hollow welcomes,
Recanting goodness, sorry ere ‘tis shown;
But where there is true friendship, there needs none.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 1, sc. 2.

QUOTATION: Gold? Yellow, glittering, precious gold?
...
This yellow slave
Will knit and break religions, bless th’ accursed,
Make the hoar leprosy adored, place thieves,
And give them title, knee and approbation
With senators on the bench.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 4, sc. 3, l. 26, 34-8.

QUOTATION: What need we have any friends, if we should ne’er have need of ‘em? They were the most needless creatures living, if we should ne’er have use for ‘em.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 1, sc. 2, l. 95-8.

QUOTATION: We are born to do benefits; and what better or properer can we call our own than the riches of our friends? O, what a precious comfort ‘tis to have so many like brothers commanding one another’s fortunes!
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Timon, in Timon of Athens, act 1, sc. 2, l. 101-5.

QUOTATION: No care, no stop; so senseless of expense
That he will neither know how to maintain it
Nor cease his flow of riot, takes no account
How things go from him, nor resumes no care
Of what is to continue.
ATTRIBUTION: William Shakespeare (1564–1616), British dramatist, poet. Flavius, in Timon of Athens, act 2, sc. 2, l. 1-5.

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