Original: Well, sir, I will; therefore, I will, sir; thus:
Modern: Alright, sir, I’ll tell you this message; here it is:

Original: If Alcibiades kill my countrymen,
Modern: If Alcibiades kills my fellow citizens,

Original: Let Alcibiades know this of Timon,
Modern: Let Alcibiades know this about Timon:

Original: That Timon cares not. But if be sack fair Athens,
Modern: That Timon doesn’t care. But if he attacks and destroys beautiful Athens,

Original: And take our goodly aged men by the beards,
Modern: And grabs our respected old men by their beards,

Original: Giving our holy virgins to the stain
Modern: And subjects our innocent young women to the disgrace

Original: Of contumelious, beastly, mad-brain’d war,
Modern: Of insulting, brutal, insane warfare,

Original: Then let him know, and tell him Timon speaks it,
Modern: Then let him know—and tell him these are Timon’s own words—

Original: In pity of our aged and our youth,
Modern: Out of compassion for our elderly and our young people,

Original: I cannot choose but tell him, that I care not,
Modern: I have no choice but to tell him that I still don’t care,

Original: And let him take’t at worst; for their knives care not,
Modern: And let him take that however badly he wants; because their swords don’t care,

Original: While you have throats to answer: for myself,
Modern: As long as you have throats that can be cut. As for me,

Original: There’s not a whittle in the unruly camp
Modern: There’s not a single small knife in that wild army camp

Original: But I do prize it at my love before
Modern: That I don’t value more highly than

Original: The reverend’st throat in Athens. So I leave you
Modern: The most respected person’s life in Athens. So I leave you all

Original: To the protection of the prosperous gods,
Modern: To the protection of the gods who bring success,

Original: As thieves to keepers.
Modern: Like criminals left in the hands of their jailers.

In Act V, Scene 1 of “Timon of Athens,” the Poet and Painter arrive outside Timon’s cave in the woods, having heard rumors of his newfound gold. They discuss their plan to offer their services to Timon, hoping to profit from his wealth, while cynically acknowledging to each other that they are motivated purely by self-interest. Timon observes them from hiding and overhears their duplicitous conversation. When the two artists finally address him, Timon initially appears to receive them graciously and even promises them gold, playing along with their pretense of friendship and concern for his welfare.

However, Timon soon reveals that he heard their earlier scheming and denounces them as villains and flatterers. He drives them away with insults and threats of violence, giving them gold only in the form of stones and dirt thrown at them. After their departure, Flavius arrives with two Senators from Athens who have come to beg Timon to return to the city and help defend it against Alcibiades’ approaching army. Despite Flavius’s genuine affection and the Senators’ desperate pleas, Timon refuses to aid Athens, expressing his continued hatred for the city and its inhabitants. He tells them only that he has a tree near the sea where Athenians may come to hang themselves before he cuts it down, and he dismisses them, retreating further into his misanthropic isolation.

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.