Original: Put up thy gold: go on,—here’s gold,—go on;
Modern: Put away your gold—wait, here’s more gold—now go;

Original: Be as a planetary plague, when Jove
Modern: Be like a plague sent from the heavens, when the gods

Original: Will o’er some high-viced city hang his poison
Modern: Hang their poison over a city full of sin

Original: In the sick air: let not thy sword skip one:
Modern: In the diseased air: don’t let your sword miss a single person:

Original: Pity not honour’d age for his white beard;
Modern: Don’t show mercy to respected old men just because they have white beards;

Original: He is an usurer: strike me the counterfeit matron;
Modern: He’s a greedy moneylender: strike down the fake respectable woman;

Original: It is her habit only that is honest,
Modern: Only her clothes are respectable,

Original: Herself’s a bawd: let not the virgin’s cheek
Modern: She herself runs a brothel: don’t let the young virgin’s face

Original: Make soft thy trenchant sword; for those milk-paps,
Modern: Make your sharp sword go soft; those breasts,

Original: That through the window-bars bore at men’s eyes,
Modern: That stare at men through the window grates,

Original: Are not within the leaf of pity writ,
Modern: Are not written in the book of those who deserve mercy,

Original: But set them down horrible traitors: spare not the babe,
Modern: But mark them down as terrible traitors: don’t even spare the baby,

Original: Whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their mercy;
Modern: Whose cute dimpled smiles drain mercy from foolish people;

Original: Think it a bastard, whom the oracle
Modern: Think of it as an illegitimate child, about whom the prophecy

Original: Hath doubtfully pronounced thy throat shall cut,
Modern: Has vaguely predicted will cut your throat,

Original: And mince it sans remorse: swear against objects;
Modern: And chop it up without regret: harden yourself against all things;

Original: Put armour on thine ears and on thine eyes;
Modern: Put armor on your ears and on your eyes;

Original: Whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes,
Modern: Make them so strong that neither the screams of mothers, young women, nor babies,

Original: Nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding,
Modern: Nor the sight of priests in holy robes bleeding,

Original: Shall pierce a jot. There’s gold to pay soldiers:
Modern: Will penetrate even a tiny bit. Here’s gold to pay your soldiers:

Original: Make large confusion; and, thy fury spent,
Modern: Create massive chaos; and when your rage is exhausted,

Original: Confounded be thyself! Speak not, be gone.
Modern: May you destroy yourself! Don’t say anything, just leave.

Act IV, Scene iii of Timon of Athens takes place in the woods outside Athens, where Timon has retreated from society. While digging for roots to eat, Timon discovers gold buried in the earth. Rather than viewing this as good fortune, he curses the gold as the root of mankind’s corruption. Alcibiades arrives with his companions, the courtesans Phrynia and Timandra, on his way to make war against Athens. Timon and Alcibiades exchange bitter words about the state of humanity, and Timon gives gold to Alcibiades, urging him to use it to wage destruction upon Athens. He also gives gold to Phrynia and Timandra, cursing them and encouraging them to spread disease and ruin among men.

Following the departure of Alcibiades and his companions, Apemantus arrives and engages Timon in a lengthy and contentious exchange. The two trade insults and philosophical barbs, each challenging the other’s motives for rejecting society. Apemantus accuses Timon of being a false misanthrope who only turned against humanity after his fortunes failed, while Timon rails against Apemantus as a man who was born low and therefore never truly chose misanthropy. After Apemantus leaves, a group of bandits arrives, also drawn by rumors of Timon’s gold. Timon gives them gold as well, encouraging them in their thievery and urging them to rob and destroy. Finally, Flavius, Timon’s loyal former steward, arrives and offers his service, leaving Timon briefly shaken by this display of genuine human loyalty before Flavius departs.

Timon of Athens tells the story of a wealthy Athenian nobleman whose excessive generosity leads to his downfall. In the first half of the play, Timon lavishes gifts, throws extravagant banquets, and freely lends money to anyone who asks, despite warnings from his loyal steward Flavius about his dwindling finances. Timon dismisses these concerns, believing his generosity will be repaid by the loyalty of his many friends. However, his creditors eventually come calling, and Timon discovers he has no money left to pay his debts.

When Timon’s financial ruin becomes apparent, he sends servants to ask his former friends and beneficiaries for loans to help him through his crisis. One by one, they all refuse him with various excuses - Lucilius claims his money is tied up in investments, Lucullus pretends not to be home, and Sempronius feels insulted that Timon didn’t ask him first. Faced with this universal rejection, Timon invites all his false friends to one final feast, where he serves them warm water and stones, then curses them and banishes himself from Athens.

Timon retreats to a cave in the wilderness outside Athens, where he becomes a misanthropic hermit, railing against humanity and civilization. While digging for roots to eat, he discovers gold in the earth. Various visitors come to see him in his exile, including the loyal Flavius, the philosopher Apemantus (who had always criticized Timon’s generosity), thieves seeking the gold, and the exiled general Alcibiades who is marching against Athens. Timon gives away the gold freely but refuses all attempts at reconciliation or friendship. The play ends with news of Timon’s death reaching Athens, where Alcibiades has successfully taken the city and promises to restore order and justice.