《雅典的泰门》是莎士比亚的最后一部悲剧，大约写于1607－1608年。雅典富有的贵族泰门慷慨好施，在他的周围聚集了一些阿谀奉承的"朋友"，无论穷人还是达官贵族都愿意成为他的随从和食客，以骗取他的钱财。泰门很快家产荡尽，负债累累。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，变成了一个愤世者。他宣布再举行一次宴会，请来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，虚情假意地向泰门表白自己。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穷人、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。(The Life of Timon of Athens is the last tragedy of Shakespeare, and it is approximately written in 1607－1608. The rich nobility Timon is generous, many flattery "friends" gather around him, mp matter the poor or the high ranking official and nobility are willing to become his servants and dinners to defraud his money. Soon Timon exhausts his family property and plunges into debt. Those "friends" benefit from him immediately cut off contact with him, the creditors relentlessly force him to repay a debt. After Timon finds their ungratefulness and greed, he becomes a cynic. He announces to hold a banquet again and invites the regular customers and celebrities in the past. Those people misunderstand that he pretends to be poor to test their fidelity and come in great numbers and show themselves with their tongue in their cheek. Timon unlids the pot and puts a plate of hot water spilt on the guest's face and body and scolds severely to them. Since then, Timon leaves the city he cannot bear and hid in the desolate cave to eat tree root and live the live like a wild animal. One day he finds a heap of gold when digging the tree root, he delivers the gold to the passing poor, prostitute and thief. In his eyes, the false "friends" are worse than thieves, he virulently curses people and gold, at last dies alone in despair.)