QUOTES FROM THE BARD

PLAY: Timon of Athens
ACT/SCENE: 3.4
SPEAKER: Hortensius
CONTEXT:
HORTENSIUS
‘Faith, I perceive our masters may throw their caps
at their money: these debts may well be called
desperate ones, for a madman owes ’em.
TIMON
They have e’en put my breath from me, the slaves.
Creditors? devils!

DUTCH:
Waarachtig, ik merk, dat onze meesters hun mutsen
naar hun geld kunnen gooien; die schulden kan men
wel wanhopig noemen, want een radelooze is ze schuldig.

MORE:
Proverb: He may cast his cap after him for every overtaking him

Throw their caps=Give up
Desperate=Irremediable
Put my breath from=Deprived me of air
Compleat:
Desperate=Wanhopende
To cast one’s cap at one=Zich verwonnen bekennen

Topics: proverbs and idioms, debt/obligation, money, ruin