《雅典的泰门》是英国剧作家威廉·莎士比亚创作的最后一部悲剧，大约创作于1607-1608年。剧情讲述了雅典贵族泰门生性豪爽、乐善好施，于是许多人乘机前来骗取钱财，后来导致其倾家荡产，“朋友们”纷纷离他而去，最后在绝望中孤独死去的悲剧。
剧本揭露了金钱的统治作用和拜金主义的种种罪恶。当主人公泰门有钱的时候，那些达官贵人像苍蝇叮血一样围着他转。当他破产之后，他们一个也不理睬他。面对残酷的现实，泰门终于醒悟过来，明白了他们从来也没爱过他，他们爱的只是他的金钱。
雅典富有的贵族泰门慷慨好施，在他的周围聚集了一群阿谀奉承的“朋友”，无论市井小民还是达官显贵都愿意成为他的随从和食客，伺机骗取他的钱财。泰门很快倾家荡产，负债累累。而那些受惠于他的“朋友们”马上与他断绝了来往，债主们却无情地逼他还债。泰门发现同胞们的忘恩负义和贪婪后，变得日益愤世嫉俗。他决定再举行一次宴会，邀请了过去的常客和社会名流。这些人误以为泰门原来是装穷来考验他们的忠诚，蜂拥而至，虚情假意地向泰门嘘寒问暖。泰门揭开盖子，把盘子里的热水泼在客人的脸上和身上，把他们痛骂了一顿。从此，泰门离开了他再也不能忍受的城市，躲进荒凉的洞穴，以树根充饥，过起野兽般的生活。有一天他在挖树根时发现了一堆金子，他把金子发给过路的乞丐、妓女和窃贼。在他看来，虚伪的“朋友”比窃贼更坏，他恶毒地诅咒人类和黄金，最后在绝望中孤独地死去。
16、17世纪之交，英国当时正值封建主义逐渐崩溃、资本主义日益兴起的时期。一方面，旧的封建剥削制度依然存在，另一方面，新的资本主义原始积累正在猛烈进行。詹姆斯一世上台后，较之他的前任伊丽莎白女皇更为反动腐朽，人民处于贵族和资产阶级两大社会势力的重压之下，贫穷颠沛，痛苦不堪。残酷的经济剥削和政治压迫，激起了农民起义和饥民暴动。与此同时，利己主义的冰水渗透到了社会生活的各个领域，资产阶级、新贵族同王室之间的斗争也日益公开化。阶级斗争的严重形势，深刻地影响着莎士比亚的创作，时代的脉搏，在他的剧本的人物身上激烈地跳动。
《雅典的泰门》约写于1607年，初版是1623年的对开本。剧中的素材来自三个方面：一是普鲁塔克的关于马克·安东尼的生平的记载，二是希腊语讽刺散文家鲁齐阿努斯的《诸神的对话》，三是一个无名氏写的名为《泰门》的剧本。
Timon of Athens is the last tragedy written by British playwright William Shakespeare, which was written in 1607-1608. The plot tells the tragedy of the Athenian aristocrat Timon, who was born with a straightforward and benevolent nature. Many people took the opportunity to cheat him out of money, which later led to his downfall, his “friends” leaving him one after another, and ultimately he died alone in despair.

The script exposes the ruling role of money and the various sins of materialism. When the protagonist Taimen had money, those high-ranking officials and nobles circled around him like flies biting blood. After he went bankrupt, they didn’t pay any attention to him. Faced with the cruel reality, Timon finally woke up and understood that they had never loved him, they only loved his money.

The wealthy aristocrat of Athens, Timon, was generous and generous, gathering around him a group of flattering “friends” who were willing to become his attendants and diners, whether they were ordinary people or high-ranking officials, waiting for opportunities to deceive him of his wealth. Taimen quickly went bankrupt and was heavily in debt. And those “friends” who benefited from him immediately cut off contact with him, while creditors mercilessly forced him to repay his debts. After discovering the ingratitude and greed of his fellow countrymen, Timon became increasingly cynical. He decided to hold another banquet, inviting former regulars and socialites. These people mistakenly thought that Taimen was pretending to be poor to test their loyalty, and flocked to them, pretending to ask for warmth and comfort from Taimen. Timon lifted the lid and poured hot water from the plate on the guests’ faces and bodies, giving them a scolding. From then on, Timon left the city he could no longer tolerate and hid in a desolate cave, feeding his hunger with tree roots and leading a wild animal like life. One day while digging for tree roots, he found a pile of gold and gave it to passing beggars, prostitutes, and thieves. In his view, a hypocritical ‘friend’ is worse than a thief. He curses humanity and gold maliciously, and ultimately dies alone in despair.

16. At the turn of the 17th century, Britain was in a period of gradual collapse of feudalism and the rise of capitalism. On the one hand, the old feudal exploitation system still exists, and on the other hand, the primitive accumulation of new capitalism is vigorously progressing. After James I came to power, he was more reactionary and corrupt than his predecessor, Queen Elizabeth. The people were under the heavy pressure of the aristocratic and bourgeois social forces, living in poverty and suffering. Cruel economic exploitation and political oppression have sparked peasant uprisings and famine riots. At the same time, the ice water of self-interest permeated various fields of social life, and the struggle between the bourgeoisie, new nobles, and the royal family became increasingly open. The serious situation of class struggle deeply affects Shakespeare’s creation, and the pulse of the times beats fiercely in the characters in his plays.

The “Timon of Athens” was written around 1607, with the first edition being a folio in 1623. The material in the play comes from three aspects: the first is Plutarch’s record of Mark Antony’s life, the second is the Greek satire of essayist Ruzianus’s The Dialogue of the Gods, and the third is a play named “Timon” written by an anonymous writer.

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