QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Timon of Athens
ACT/SCENE: 5.6
SPEAKER: Second senator
CONTEXT:
SECOND SENATOR
Nor are they living
Who were the motives that you first went out;
Shame that they wanted cunning, in excess
Hath broke their hearts. March, noble lord,
Into our city with thy banners spread:
By decimation, and a tithed death—
If thy revenges hunger for that food
Which nature loathes—take thou the destined tenth,
And by the hazard of the spotted die
Let die the spotted.
FIRST SENATOR
All have not offended;
For those that were, it is not square to take
On those that are, revenges: crimes, like lands,
Are not inherited. Then, dear countryman,
Bring in thy ranks, but leave without thy rage:
Spare thy Athenian cradle and those kin
Which in the bluster of thy wrath must fall
With those that have offended: like a shepherd,
Approach the fold and cull the infected forth,
But kill not all together.
SECOND SENATOR
What thou wilt,
Thou rather shalt enforce it with thy smile
Than hew to’t with thy sword.

DUTCH:
Onbillijk waar’ ‘t, voor dooden hen, die leven,
Te laten boeten; zonden gaan niet over
Bij erf’nis, als een land.

MORE:
Motives=Reason
Went out=Were banished
Cunning=Skill
Decimation=Killing one in ten
Tithe=Levy one tenth part
Die=Singular form of dice
Compleat:
Motive=Beweegreden, beweegoorzaak
To decimate=Vertienen, den tienden soldaat by lotinge verstraffen
Decimation=Heffing van tienden, vertienen, straffen van den tienden man
Cunning=Loosheid, listigheid; Behendigheid
Tithe=Tiende
To gather tithes=Tienden inzamelen
Die=Dobbelsteen

Topics: mercy, revenge, reason