QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Timon of Athens
ACT/SCENE: 4.3
SPEAKER: Alcibiades
CONTEXT:
ALCIBIADES
Hast thou gold yet? I’ll take the gold thou givest me,
Not all thy counsel.
TIMON
Dost thou, or dost thou not, heaven’s curse
upon thee!
TIMANDRA
Give us some gold, good Timon: hast thou more?
TIMON
Enough to make a whore forswear her trade,
And to make whores, a bawd. Hold up, you sluts,
Your aprons mountant: you are not oathable,
Although, I know, you ‘ll swear, terribly swear
Into strong shudders and to heavenly agues
The immortal gods that hear you, —spare your oaths,
I’ll trust to your conditions: be whores still;
And he whose pious breath seeks to convert you,
Be strong in whore, allure him, burn him up;
Let your close fire predominate his smoke,
And be no turncoats: yet may your pains, six months,
Be quite contrary: and thatch your poor thin roofs
With burthens of the dead;—some that were hanged,
No matter:—wear them, betray with them: whore still;
Paint till a horse may mire upon your face,
A pox of wrinkles!

DUTCH:
Hebt gij nog goud? Uw goud neem ik wel aan,
Doch geenszins al uw raad.


MORE:
Forswear=Renounce
Aprons=Skirts
Mountant=Lifted
Oathable=Capable of having an oath administered
Agues=Fevers
Conditions=Characters
Burthen, burden=Wig made of human hair
Smoke=Attempt at conversion
Thin roofs=Balding scalps
Mire=Sink
Compleat:
To forswear=Afzweeren
Condition=Aardt, gesteltenis
Burden=Last, pak, vracht
Mire=Slyk, slik

Topics: money, deceit

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