Category Archives: The Romans

In today’s episode, we cover the shortest of Plautus’s surviving plays. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: What does this play have to say about “modern” medicine (modern being the time in which the play was written)? This is the shortest play we have by Plautus. Does this make it better or worse than the others we’veContinue reading “Roman Comedy XIV: Plautus’s Curculio, or My Daughter! My Sister!”

Plautus tries his hand at grand opera in Captivi. Discussion Prompts What is the difference between “captives” and “slaves”? Why or why not does this matter? What is Plautus trying to say about slavery? Where does a parasite fit in a world divided by those who are free and those who are enslaved? Why do youContinue reading “Roman Comedy XIII: Plautus’s Captivi, or Plautus Tries to Be High-Brow”

Euclio gives Shylock a run for his money in the realm of miserly characters in Plautus’s Aulularia. Discussion Prompts What do you think happens in the lost ending of this play? As a director, how would you handle the lost ending? As a director, how would you handle the fact that Lyconides raped Phaedria? ShouldContinue reading “Roman Comedy XII: Plautus’s Aulularia, or My Daughter! My Ducats!”

This play isn’t about donkeys, but it is the one with the donkeys. Discussion Prompts What does this play have to say about materialism? Should this play be treated as satire or farce? If so, how does that affect how you would interpret this play as a director? Why do you think the twists regardingContinue reading “Roman Comedy XI: Plautus’s Asinaria, or The One With the Donkeys”

Plautus dips into mythology in Amphitruo. Discussion Prompts Plautus calls this a “tragicomedy.” Do you agree with this designation? Why or why not? How would you cast this play? How twin-like would you make Sosia/Mercury and Amphitryon/Jupiter? Why do you think the story of Hercules slaying the serpents is included in this play? AP Credit: DrawContinue reading “Roman Comedy X: Plautus’s Amphitruo, or When Greek Mythology Meets Roman Comedy”

The Riley translation gets in the way of Plautus’s Truculentus. I confess to getting horribly confused by the Riley translation. As I was trying to clear up the character names, I stumbled across this delightful “blog” featuring posts from the primary characters of Diniarchus, Phronesium, and Stratophanes. Discussion Prompts Who, if anyone, is honorable inContinue reading “Roman Comedy IX: Plautus’s Truculentus, or Don’t Let the Riley Translation Confuse You”

Despite the title, there are more than three pieces of money in this play. Discussion Prompts In the episode, I briefly compare this play to the biblical story of the prodigal son. What other stories does this play remind you of? Why? AP Credit: Compare/contrast the two families in this play. There are no womenContinue reading “Roman Comedy VIII: Plautus’s Trinimmus, or The Money Pit”

Remember everything I told you about Roman Comedy’s use of stock characters? Well, you can forget everything I told you about Roman Comedy’s use of stock characters. In Persa, Plautus breaks that form. Discussion Prompts If you were directing this play today, how would you handle any issues of orientalism? How does the daughter fitContinue reading “Roman Comedy VII: Plautus’s Persa, or What Just Happened?”

It’s episode 100! But nothing exciting happening here. Instead it’s a really weird play. Not Plautus’s finest. And not one that aged well. We see a similar plot in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, so for a little fun: Discussion Prompts How would you rewrite this play for a modernContinue reading “Roman Comedy VI: Plautus’s Casina, or Where’s Waldo?”

This is Bacchis. And this is her sister Bacchis. Confused yet? Here are some clips from Bacchides that give you a sense of what it might have looked like when performed in Rome and how it can be made slightly more accessible when translated into English. Discussion Prompts What do you think happens in theContinue reading “Roman Comedy V: Plautus’s Bacchides, or Parent Trap”