T. Maccius Plautus
254 -184 BC
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History of Comedy
Old Comedy 5th BC
Aristophanes
Vulgar
Political
Raw
Chorus
History of Comedy
• New Comedy 4th Century on
– Menander
• Situation
• Urbane
• Not political
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Characteristics of Roman
Comedy
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Greek originals
Stock Characters
Situational
Non political
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(though some allusions)
• Comedy of manners
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Theater at Epidauros
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Theater at Athens
Theater of Dionysus
The Roman Stage
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Temporary wooden structures until 1st c. BC
Resembled a street scene- about 60 yds long
Usually three house fronts
All action outside
Exit audience right- forum, left- port
Personae
Festivals
• Ludi Romani to Juppiter Optimus Maximus
– Curule aediles
– September
– Four days of ludi Scaenici
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• Ludi plebii to IOM
– Plebian aediles
– November
– Three days of ludi Scaenici
Festivals
Ludi Apollinares
– City praetor
– July
– At least two days of ludi scaenici
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• Ludi Megalenses to the Great
Mother
– Curule aediles
– April
– Six days of ludi scaenici
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PLAUTUS
Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254-184BC)
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born in Umbria
moved to Rome
became an actor, probably playing Maccus in the fabula Atellanae,
hence his middle name. Maccus is a simple, gluttonous fool.
Legend has it that Plautus was so successful financially as an actor
that he decided to go into business at which he failed, losing all his
money. He then supposedly took a job at a mill and used his spare time
to write plays.
PLAUTUS
Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254-184BC)
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Plautus' plays were apparently written to amuse-- rather than to grind
some political or philosophical axe.
They reflect Italian popular comedy as well as the influence of Greek
New Comedy. (Menander)
All of Plautus' characters pretend to be Greek (fabulae palliatae).
The plays are usually set in or near Athens.
Plautus enjoys spoofing the "Greek" tone of of the plays.
Characters often act, talk, and think as Romans, who considered the
Greeks effeminate and degenerate. In Mostellaria, they insult each
other as Romans might:
– "Drink with your friends all day and night, act like a Greek";
– "Drink, eat your fancy Greek food";
– "He's been eating and drinking, having women in the house, behaving like a
Greek -- flute-girls, musicians brought in".
PLAUTUS
Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254-184BC)
• 130 plays attributed to Plautus in antiquity (many of disputable
authenticity)
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21 have survived in the manuscript tradition (performed ca. 205184 BC).
• fabulae palliatae, or plays in which the characters wore the
Greek cloak called pallium.
• adapted more or less creatively from Greek originals, at least
follow in the tradition of GREEK NEW COMEDY, which was
already more than a century old.
• Plautus' comedies, like Menander before him, usually included a
prologue in which a character would introduce the audience to
the main characters, to the plot's background, and sometimes
even to its conclusion (The Mostellaria is notable for its lack of
such a prologue).
PLAUTUS
Titus Maccius Plautus (c.254-184BC)
• Poetry & Music
– Dialogue/recitative
• stychomythia
– dialogue with short lines, like a tennis match
– Full arias
• cantica
– Double pipe, perhaps percussion
– Slapstick
• Masks
– Permits doubling roles
– Allow men to play women
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Stock Characters
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Tricky Slave
Adulescens
Senex
Courtesan
Parasite
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