Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Why is Timon so lavish and extravagant with his gifts to his friends? How come he is always giving and never receiving? Are there any clues that he's doomed right from the get-go?
- What's the deal with all the references to dogs and beasts in this play? Are men really a bunch of animals? Does everyone in the play fit into this characterization?
- Is Timon's hatred for all mankind justified? Why does he make such a dramatic turn from generous host to nasty recluse in the play? Do you believe in his disgust of everyone, or do you think it is a defense mechanism?
- Can money buy friendship? Does money always cause problems among friends? Can men and women handle money without becoming greedy, spiteful people?
- Why doesn't Timon get a fancy death scene like other Shakespearean tragic heroes? Why is there so much focus on his epitaph? What is the importance of Timon's final words to the men of Athens?
- Apemantus insists he and Timon are alike in the end. Do you agree? Why or why not? Why do you think Timon is so resistant to this suggestion?
- Is Timon of Athens the tragedy of an individual versus society, or is it the tragedy of a society as a whole? Are we supposed to believe that all people are either like the men of Athens (cruel and greedy) or Timon (benevolent)?
- Where are all the women in the play? What does it tell us about Athenian society that the only women we come across are courtesans and dancers?