⚡️Greek and Roman Comedy Unit 6 – Menander and New Comedy

Who Was Menander?

• Menander was a Greek dramatist who lived from c. 342 to c. 290 BC and is considered the best-known representative of Athenian New Comedy
• Born into a prominent Athenian family, Menander was well-educated and studied under the philosopher Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle
• Wrote over 100 plays during his lifetime, but only one complete play, "Dyskolos" (The Grouch), survives intact along with substantial fragments of others
• Menander's plays were characterized by complex plots, realistic characters, and social commentary on contemporary Athenian life
• Won first prize at the Lenaia festival eight times for his comedic plays
• Menander's works were widely admired and imitated by later Roman comic playwrights such as Plautus and Terence
• His influence extended beyond the classical period, with his plays being adapted and performed well into the Byzantine era

Historical Context of New Comedy

• New Comedy emerged in Athens during the late 4th century BC, following the end of the Peloponnesian War and the decline of Athenian political power
• This period was marked by a shift in Athenian society towards individualism and the private sphere, as reflected in the domestic focus of New Comedy plays
• The political and social instability of the time led to a desire for more relatable, everyday stories and characters in theater
• New Comedy playwrights, including Menander, moved away from the political satire and fantastical elements of Old Comedy (Aristophanes) and instead focused on realistic plots and characters
• The plays were performed at festivals such as the Dionysia and Lenaia, which were important cultural events in Athens
• New Comedy was influenced by the philosophical ideas of the time, particularly those of Aristotle and the Peripatetic school, which emphasized the study of human behavior and ethics
• The popularity of New Comedy spread beyond Athens, with plays being performed and adapted in other parts of the Greek world and later in Rome

Key Features of New Comedy

• Focus on domestic life and relationships, particularly love stories, family conflicts, and social interactions
• Complex, tightly constructed plots with multiple storylines that often revolve around misunderstandings, coincidences, and recognition scenes
• Realistic, relatable characters drawn from everyday Athenian life, including young lovers, cunning slaves, stern fathers, and courtesans
• Use of stock characters and character types, such as the "blocking character" (often a father or rival) who opposes the young couple's love
• Emphasis on character development and motivation, with characters often undergoing changes or revelations throughout the play
• Use of prologue to introduce the characters and set up the plot, often delivered by a divine figure or allegorical character
• Frequent use of monologues and asides to reveal characters' thoughts and feelings
• Happy endings, with conflicts resolved and lovers united, often through recognition or a twist of fate
• Social commentary and critique of contemporary Athenian society, particularly regarding issues such as marriage, family, and social status

Famous Plays and Plot Structures

• "Dyskolos" (The Grouch): A complete play by Menander, it tells the story of a misanthropic old man named Knemon and the love between his daughter and a young man named Sostratos
  • The play follows a typical New Comedy plot structure, with obstacles to the young couple's love, a recognition scene, and a happy ending
• "Samia" (The Woman from Samos): Partially surviving play that involves a complex plot of mistaken identity, a love triangle, and a recognition scene
• "Epitrepontes" (The Arbitration): Surviving in fragments, the play revolves around a broken marriage and a lost child, with the conflict resolved through a recognition scene and reconciliation
• "Perikeiromene" (The Girl with Her Hair Cut Short): Fragmentary play involving a love story, a jealous soldier, and a recognition scene that resolves the conflict
• "Misoumenos" (The Hated Man): Surviving in fragments, the play deals with the relationship between a soldier and a courtesan, with themes of love, jealousy, and reconciliation
• New Comedy plays often follow a similar plot structure:
  1. Exposition: Introduction of characters and setting up the conflict
  2. Complication: Obstacles and misunderstandings arise, often involving a blocking character
  3. Crisis: The conflict reaches a critical point, often leading to a recognition scene
  4. Resolution: The conflict is resolved, typically through a twist of fate or reconciliation
  5. Denouement: The happy ending, with lovers united and order restored

Character Types and Stock Characters

• Young lovers: The central couple of the play, often facing obstacles to their love
  • The young man is typically handsome, well-born, and in love with a girl from a good family
  • The young woman is beautiful, virtuous, and often the subject of a recognition scene revealing her true identity
• Blocking character: Often a father, rival, or authority figure who opposes the young couple's love
  • The "senex" (old man) is a common blocking character, typically stern, frugal, and protective of his children
• Cunning slave: A clever servant who helps the young lovers overcome obstacles and often drives the plot through their schemes
  • The "servus callidus" (clever slave) is a stock character known for their wit, resourcefulness, and ability to outwit their masters
• Courtesan: A female character who is often the love interest of a young man or the mistress of an older man
  • Courtesans in New Comedy are depicted as intelligent, charming, and sometimes manipulative
• Parasite: A stock character who flatters and serves a wealthy patron in exchange for food and benefits
  • The parasite is often portrayed as a comic glutton and a source of humor through their obsequious behavior
• Soldier: A boastful, often mercenary soldier who serves as a rival to the young lover
  • The "miles gloriosus" (braggart soldier) is a stock character known for their exaggerated tales of military prowess and their ultimately cowardly nature
• Cook: A minor stock character who appears in some plays as a hired professional for banquets or weddings
  • The cook often brags about their culinary skills and provides comic relief through their interactions with other characters

Themes and Social Commentary

• Love and relationships: New Comedy plays often explore the complexities of love, marriage, and family life
  • The plays typically celebrate the triumph of love over obstacles and the importance of mutual affection in relationships
• Social status and class: New Comedy often depicts the tensions and conflicts between different social classes in Athenian society
  • The plays sometimes critique the rigidity of social hierarchies and the limitations they place on individuals
• Gender roles: New Comedy plays reflect the gender norms and expectations of Athenian society
  • While female characters are often central to the plots, they are typically defined by their relationships to male characters and their roles as wives, daughters, or courtesans
• Family dynamics: The plays often explore the relationships between parents and children, particularly fathers and sons
  • Conflicts between generations and the tension between individual desires and familial obligations are common themes
• The role of fate and chance: New Comedy plots often rely on coincidences, misunderstandings, and recognition scenes to resolve conflicts
  • The plays suggest the power of fate and the unpredictability of life, while also emphasizing the importance of human agency and choice
• The importance of moderation: Many New Comedy plays promote the idea of moderation and the avoidance of excess
  • Characters who exhibit extreme behaviors or emotions are often portrayed as comic or misguided, while those who find balance are rewarded
• The power of language: New Comedy plays showcase the importance of language, wit, and rhetoric in navigating social situations and resolving conflicts
  • The clever slave and other characters often use their verbal skills to outwit others and achieve their goals

Influence on Later Comedy

• Roman adaptations: New Comedy had a significant influence on Roman comic playwrights, particularly Plautus and Terence
  • Many of Plautus' and Terence's plays are adaptations or translations of Greek New Comedy works, often with changes to suit Roman tastes and values
• Stock characters and plot devices: The character types and plot structures of New Comedy became a template for later comic works
  • Stock characters such as the young lovers, blocking father, and clever slave continued to appear in comedies throughout the centuries
• Renaissance and early modern theater: New Comedy's influence can be seen in the works of Renaissance and early modern playwrights such as Shakespeare and Molière
  • Shakespeare's comedies, such as "The Comedy of Errors" and "Twelfth Night," draw on elements of New Comedy, including mistaken identities, recognition scenes, and happy endings
• Sitcoms and romantic comedies: The basic plot structures and character types of New Comedy continue to be used in modern sitcoms and romantic comedies
  • The focus on domestic life, relationships, and the resolution of conflicts through coincidence or recognition is still a staple of these genres
• Legacy in Western literature: New Comedy's emphasis on character development, realistic dialogue, and social commentary helped shape the development of Western literature
  • Its influence can be seen in the works of later novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters who explore similar themes and use related narrative techniques

Comparing New Comedy to Old Comedy

• Political vs. domestic focus: Old Comedy (Aristophanes) often focused on political satire and contemporary events, while New Comedy shifted its attention to domestic life and relationships
  • Old Comedy plays frequently lampooned public figures and addressed issues such as war, politics, and philosophy, while New Comedy explored more universal themes of love, family, and social status
• Fantastical vs. realistic elements: Old Comedy often incorporated fantastical elements, such as talking animals, gods, and allegorical characters, while New Comedy aimed for more realistic plots and characters
  • Old Comedy plays could take place in imaginative settings and feature absurd situations, while New Comedy grounded its stories in the everyday world of Athens
• Chorus vs. prologue: Old Comedy made extensive use of the chorus for commentary, while New Comedy replaced the chorus with a prologue that introduced the characters and plot
  • The chorus in Old Comedy often played a central role in the action and provided a voice for the playwright's views, while the prologue in New Comedy served a more expository function
• Topical vs. timeless humor: Old Comedy's humor often relied on topical references and inside jokes specific to Athenian society, while New Comedy aimed for more universal, timeless humor
  • Old Comedy plays could be difficult for later audiences to fully appreciate without knowledge of the contemporary context, while New Comedy's humor remained accessible and relatable
• Structure and plot complexity: New Comedy plays generally had more complex, tightly constructed plots than Old Comedy
  • Old Comedy plays could be episodic and loosely structured, with the focus more on individual scenes and comedic set-pieces, while New Comedy emphasized a coherent narrative arc with a clear beginning, middle, and end
• Character development: New Comedy placed a greater emphasis on character development and motivation than Old Comedy
  • While Old Comedy characters could be more one-dimensional and serve as caricatures or mouthpieces for the playwright's views, New Comedy characters were more fully realized and underwent changes throughout the play