Apemantus
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Apemantus is a character in the play Timon of Athens by William Shakespeare. He is a cynical and misanthropic philosopher.
Apemantus attends Timon's banquet in order to insult him and his guests. Later, when the formerly generous Timon has turned his back on Athens to live in a cave, Apemantus goes to him to accuse Timon of copying his misanthropism. The two of them then proceed to elaborately insult each other.
[edit] Notable exchanges
- Timon: Whither art going?
- Apemantus: To knock out an honest Athenian's brains.
- Timon: That's a deed thou'lt die for.
- Apemantus: Right, if doing nothing be death by law.
- Timon: Wilt dine with me, Apemantus?
- Apemantus: No, I eat not lords.
- Timon: An thou shouldst; thou'dst anger ladies.
- Apemantus: O, they eat lords; so they come by great bellies.
- Timon: That's a lascivious apprehension.
- Apemantus: So thou apprehendest it: take it for thy labour.
- Poet: How now, philosopher!
- Apemantus: Thou liest.
- Poet: Art not one?
- Apemantus: Yes.
- Poet: Then I lie not.
- Apemantus: Art not a poet?
- Poet: Yes.
- Apemantus: Then thou liest.
- 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.
