EXT. CITY PARK -- CONTINUOUS
We see a lot of protesters carrying on some kind of demonstration. Through gaps in the crowd, we see Apemantus in the background, watching the action. His cell phone RINGS. He fishes in his pockets and brings it to his ear. He listens.
EXT. WOODS -- LATER
We see Apemantus moving through the trees, searching. Then he stops and watches Timon digging for roots.
TIMON
Whose womb unmeasurable, and infinite breast, teems, and feeds all; whose self-same mettle, whereof thy proud child, arrogant man, is puffed, engenders the black toad and adder blue, the gilded newt and eyeless venomed worm, with all the abhorred births below crisp heaven whereon Hyperion's quickening fire doth shine; yield him, who all thy human sons doth hate, from forth thy plenteous bosom, one poor root!
He feels Apemantus' eyes upon him.
TIMON (CONT'D)
(to himself)
More man? Plague, plague!
Apemantus steps into sight.
APEMANTUS
I was directed hither; men report thou dost affect my manners, and dost use them.
TIMON
'Tis, then, because thou dost not keep a dog, whom I would imitate; consumption catch thee!
APEMANTUS
This is in thee a nature but infected; a poor unmanly melancholy sprung from change of fortune. Why this spade? This place? This slave-like habit? And these looks of care? Thy flatterers yet wear silk, drink wine, lie soft; hug their diseased perfumes, and have forgot that ever Timon was.
Timon just shakes his head, angrily.
APEMANTUS (CONT'D)
Shame not these woods, by putting on the cunning of a carper. Be thou a flatterer now, and seek to thrive by that which has undone thee. Hinge thy knee, and let his very breath, who thou'lt observe, blow off thy cap; praise his most vicious strain, and call it excellent. Thou was told thus; thou gavest thine ears like tapsters that bid welcome to knaves and all approachers; 'tis most just that thou turn rascal; hadst thou wealth again, rascals should have it. Do not assume my likeness.
TIMON
Were I like thee, I'd throw away myself.
APEMANTUS
Thou hast cast away thyself, being like thyself. A madman so long, now a fool. What, think'st that the bleak air, thy boisterous chamberlain, will put thy shirt on warm? Will these moss'd trees, that have outlived the eagle, page thy heels, and skip where thou point'st out? Will the cold brook, candied with ice, caudle thy morning taste, to cure thy o'er-night's surfeit? Call the creatures whose naked natures live in all the spite of wreakful heaven, whose bare unhoused trunks, to the conflicting elements exposed, answer mere nature; bid them flatter thee. O, thou shalt find--
TIMON
(interrupts)
A fool of thee. Depart.
Apemantus looks regretful.
APEMANTUS
(softly)
I love thee better now than e'er I did.
TIMON
I hate thee worse! Why dost thou seek me out?
Apemantus looks angry.
APEMANTUS
To vex thee!
TIMON
Always a villain's office, or a fool's. Dost please thyself in't?
APEMANTUS
Aye.
TIMON
What! A knave too?
APEMANTUS
If thou didst put this sour-cold habit on to castigate thy pride, 'twere well; but thou does it enforcedly. Thou'ldst courtier be again, wert thou not beggar.
Timon points, hand shaking.
TIMON
Thou art a slave, whom Fortune's tender arm with favor never clasped; but bred a dog. Why shouldst thou hate men? They never flattered thee. What has thou given? If thou wilt curse, thy father, that poor rag, must be thy subject, who in spite put stuff to some she-beggar and compounded thee poor rogue hereditary. Hence, be gone! If thou hadst not been born the worst of men, thou hadst been a knave and a flatterer.
Apemantus takes this, looking at the ground. Then he looks up.
APEMANTUS
Art thou proud yet?
TIMON
Aye, that I am not thee. Were all the wealth I have shut up in thee, I'd give thee leave to hang it. Get thee gone. That the whole life of Athens were in this! Thus would I eat it.
Timon grimly munches on a root. Apemantus reaches up and snaps off a branch, then holds it out.
APEMANTUS
Here, I will mend thy feast.
TIMON
First mend my company, take away thyself.
APEMANTUS
So I shall mend mine own, by the lack of thine.
TIMON
'Tis not well mended so, it is but botched; if not, I would it were.
Apemantus throws the branch down and looks at Timon carefully.
APEMANTUS
What wouldst thou have to Athens?
TIMON
Thee thither in a whirlwind. If thou wilt, tell them there I have gold. Look, so I have.
Apemantus follows his jutting thumb to the dirty trash bag Timon has been dragging. Apemantus slowly goes over and peers inside, registers its contents.
APEMANTUS
Here is no use for gold.
TIMON
The best and truest; for here it sleeps, and does no hired harm.
Apemantus looks around.
APEMANTUS
Where liest of nights, Timon?
TIMON
Under that's above me. Where feed'st thou o' the days, Apemantus?
APEMANTUS
Where my stomach finds meat; or, rather, where I eat it.
TIMON
Would poison were obedient and knew my mind!
APEMANTUS
Why wouldst thou send it?
TIMON
To sauce thy dishes.
Again Apemantus looks sadly at his friend.
APEMANTUS
The middle of humanity thou never knewest, but the extremity of both ends. When thou wast in thy gilt and thy perfume, they mocked thee for too much curiosity. In thy rags thou knowest none, but art despised for the contrary.
Timon stares off into the trees.
TIMON
What wouldst thou do with the world, Apemantus, if it lay in thy power?
APEMANTUS
(softly)
Give it to the beasts, to be rid of the men.
TIMON
Wouldst thou have thyself fall in the confusion of men, and remain a beast with the beasts?
APEMANTUS
Aye, Timon.
TIMON
(mocking)
A beastly ambition, which the gods grant thee to attain to! If thou wert the lion, the fox would beguile thee; if thou wert the lamb, the fox would eat thee; if thou wert the fox, the lion would suspect thee, when peradventure thou wert accused by the ass; if thou wert the ass, thy dullness would torment thee, and still thou livedst but as a breakfast to the wolf; if thou wert the wolf, thy greediness would afflict thee, and oft thou shouldst hazard thy life for thy dinner. Wert thou the unicorn, pride and wrath would confound thee and make thine own self the conquest of thy fury; wert thou a bear, thou wouldst be killed by the horse; wert thou a horse, thou wouldst be seized by the leopard; wert thou a leopard, thou wert german to the lion and the spots of thy kindred were jurors on thy life; all safety were remotion and thy defense absence. What beast couldst thou be, that were not subject to a beast? And what a beast art thou already, that seest not thy loss in transformation?
APEMANTUS
If thou couldst please me with speaking to me, thou mightst have hit upon it here; the commonwealth of Athens is become a forest of beasts.
TIMON
(with mock surprise)
How has the ass broke the wall, that thou art out of the city?
Apemantus sizes him up.
APEMANTUS
When I know not what else to do, I'll see thee again.
TIMON
When there is nothing living but thee, thou shalt be welcome. I had rather be a beggar's dog than Apemantus.
Apemantus gets really mad now, and the two begin circling and pushing.
APEMANTUS
Thou art the cap of all the fools alive!
TIMON
Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!
APEMANTUS
A plague on thee! Thou art too bad to curse.
TIMON
All villains that do stand by thee are pure.
APEMANTUS
There is no leprosy but what thou speak'st.
TIMON
If I name thee, I'll beat thee, but I should infect my hands!
Apemantus shoves him harder.
APEMANTUS
I would my tongue could rot them off!
Timon pushes back.
TIMON
Away, thou issue of a mangy dog! Choler does kill me that thou art alive; I swound to see thee.
APEMANTUS
Would thou wouldst burst!
TIMON
Away, thy tedious rogue! I am sorry I shall lose a stone by thee!
Timon hefts a rock and flings it at Apemantus, who ducks out of the way.
APEMANTUS
Beast!
TIMON
Slave!
APEMANTUS
Toad!
TIMON
Rogue, rogue, rogue! I am sick of this false world, and will love nought but even the mere necessities upon it. Then, Timon, presently prepare thy grave; lie where the light foam from the sea may beat thy gravestone daily. Make thine epitaph, that death in me at others' lives may laugh!
APEMANTUS
Would 'twere so! Live, and love thy misery!
TIMON
Long live so, and so die!
Apemantus throws his hands up and retreats backward, staring at Timon the whole time. Before he disappears from sight, he takes the old photo of he and Timon out of his deep sagging pocket; and spears it on a limb.
Timon sees it impaled there as Apemantus exits.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
1 comment:
Great idea! I'll have to read this once the semester is over.
Post a Comment