⚡️Greek and Roman Comedy Unit 8 – Plautus and the Comedies of Errors

Who Was Plautus?

• Titus Maccius Plautus was a Roman playwright who lived from c. 254 to 184 BCE
• Born in Sarsina, a small town in Umbria, Italy
• Worked as a stage carpenter or scene-shifter in his early life
• Began writing plays around 205 BCE and became one of the most successful and prolific playwrights of ancient Rome
• Wrote over 130 plays, of which 20 have survived to modern times
• His plays were mostly adaptations of Greek New Comedy, particularly the works of Menander and Diphilus
• Plautus added his own unique style, humor, and Roman elements to the Greek originals
• Known for his witty dialogue, puns, and clever wordplay

The Roman Comedy Scene

• Roman comedy emerged in the 3rd century BCE, heavily influenced by Greek New Comedy
• Performed at religious festivals and public events, such as the ludi Megalenses (Megalesian Games) and ludi Romani (Roman Games)
• Plays were staged on temporary wooden structures called scaenae frons, which featured a raised stage and backdrop
• Actors were all male and wore masks to indicate their character types
• Music and dance were integral parts of the performances
• Plautus and his contemporary Terence were the most famous Roman comic playwrights
• Other notable playwrights included Caecilius Statius, Quintus Trabea, and Atilius

Key Features of Plautine Comedy

• Adapted from Greek New Comedy but with a distinctly Roman flavor
• Fast-paced, energetic plots with frequent twists and turns
• Emphasis on witty dialogue, puns, and wordplay
• Stock characters and situations (e.g., clever slaves, young lovers, strict fathers)
• Frequent use of soliloquies and asides to engage the audience directly
• Often set in the streets of Athens or other Greek cities
• Themes of love, deception, and social commentary
• Happy endings, usually involving the reunion of long-lost family members or the marriage of young lovers

The Comedy of Errors: Plot and Structure

• The Comedy of Errors is one of Plautus' most famous plays, believed to have been written between 220 and 190 BCE
• Adapted from Menander's play Menaechmi, with elements from another play, Amphitruo
• The plot revolves around two sets of identical twins separated at birth, leading to a series of mistaken identities and comic misunderstandings
  • Antipholus of Syracuse and his slave Dromio arrive in Ephesus, unaware that their long-lost twins, Antipholus of Ephesus and his slave Dromio, live there
  • The visiting twins are mistaken for their counterparts, resulting in confusion and chaos
• The play is divided into five acts, following the typical structure of Roman comedy
• The action takes place in a single day and location (the streets of Ephesus), adhering to the classical unities of time and place
• The play concludes with the reunification of the twins and their families

Character Types and Stock Roles

• Plautine comedy features a cast of stock characters and roles, each with distinct personality traits and functions in the plot
• The adulescens (young man) is usually in love with a girl and faces obstacles to their relationship
• The senex (old man) is often the father of the adulescens and serves as an antagonist or source of conflict
• The servus callidus (clever slave) is a central figure who helps the young lovers and devises schemes to outwit the other characters
  • Examples include Pseudolus in Pseudolus and Palaestrio in Miles Gloriosus
• The parasitus (parasite) is a flattering and opportunistic character who attaches himself to wealthy patrons for food and money
• The meretrix (courtesan) is a love interest for the adulescens, often of a lower social class
• The matrona (matron) is the wife of the senex and may be a source of conflict or support for the young lovers

Language and Wordplay in Plautus

• Plautus is renowned for his clever use of language, puns, and wordplay
• He often employs alliteration, assonance, and rhyme to create humorous effects
• Characters engage in witty exchanges and verbal sparring, showcasing Plautus' skill with dialogue
• Puns and double entendres are frequent, often with sexual or scatological undertones
  • In Miles Gloriosus, the name Pyrgopolynices is a compound of Greek words meaning "tower," "city," and "conqueror," mocking the soldier's boastfulness
• Plautus also uses Greek words and phrases to add exotic flavor and humor to his plays
• He coins new Latin words and expressions, contributing to the development of the Latin language
• The use of colloquial language and slang reflects the speech of ordinary Romans

Themes and Social Commentary

• Plautine comedy often explores themes relevant to Roman society and everyday life
• The plays frequently comment on social hierarchies, power dynamics, and the relationships between different classes
  • In Pseudolus, the clever slave outwits his master and the pimp, subverting traditional power structures
• The role of fate and chance in human affairs is a recurring theme, with characters often attributing events to the will of the gods
• The plays also touch on issues of identity, family, and belonging, as seen in the reunion of long-lost relatives in The Comedy of Errors
• Plautus satirizes various aspects of Roman society, such as the military (Miles Gloriosus), the legal system (Menaechmi), and religious practices (Aulularia)
• The plays often celebrate the triumph of wit and ingenuity over authority and convention

Legacy and Influence

• Plautus' works had a significant impact on later Roman literature and theater
• His plays were widely performed and adapted throughout the Roman period
• Plautine comedy influenced the development of other comic genres, such as the Atellan farce and the mime
• Roman playwrights, such as Terence, drew inspiration from Plautus' style and themes
• Plautus' influence extended beyond the ancient world, inspiring Renaissance and modern authors
  • Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is a direct adaptation of Plautus' Menaechmi
  • Molière, Ben Jonson, and other playwrights also drew from Plautine comedy
• The stock characters and situations established by Plautus became staples of comic theater and literature
• Plautus' legacy is evident in the enduring popularity of his plays and their continued performance and adaptation in modern times