payment page
Apemantus is a cynic who stands at the edges of society and calls out other people’s hypocrisy. His apparent dislike of others seems to align him with the misanthropic version of Timon. However, his cynicism is also different from Timon’s misanthropy. Whereas Timon curses all of humanity without exception, Apemantus’s hatred is more limited and discriminating. And while Timon finds it necessary to leave Athens for good, Apemantus has found a way to remain in the city while also distancing himself from those he deems hypocrites. Ultimately, Apemantus’s cynicism represents a more moderate form of Timon’s misanthropy, one that allows him to remain at least in partial relation to others. This difference may help to explain why, despite their apparently shared distaste for other people, Apemantus and Timon never form a genuine bond. When Apemantus comes to Timon in the forest, it initially seems that they are well positioned to form an alliance. Although we in the audience recognize that Apemantus has at least some concern for Timon’s well-being, Timon doesn’t register him as a friend. The only bond they form is thus constituted not by the reciprocal exchange of kindness, but through the reciprocal exchange of insults.
