Apemantus, a key character from Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, is a philosopher and a cynic. He dislikes Athenians (branding them all ‘knaves’, with no exceptions), and seems to be consumed by hate. But is this a fair assessment of Apemantus’ character, and his role in the play? Or is there […]
The best Shakespeare songs Previously, we’ve picked 10 of Shakespeare’s finest sonnets and 10 of his greatest plays, as well as some of the greatest speeches from his plays. But within his plays there are many songs which have become famous as poems in their own right. Phrases like ‘full […]
Is Timon a sympathetic character or not? Is he, in Harold Bloom’s words in Shakespeare: The Invention Of The Human, a ‘defrauded idealist’ or a ‘gullible fool’? Is he a kind man whose generosity is taken advantage of, who then slides into understandable misanthropy when he finds that others will […]