Merchants buy and sell and get in a pickle in Plautus’s Mercator. Discussion Prompts If you were directing this today, what would be your vision? Setting? Dream cast? Etc.? Why? AP Credit: Discuss the two families seen and the parallels between Charinus and Eutychus. What do you think of the matrona character type as presentedContinue reading “Roman Comedy XVII: Plautus’s Mercator, or The Merchant of Athens”
Category Archives: Roman Comedy
Roman Comedy XVI: Plautus’s Menaechmi, or Shakespeare’s Favorite Source Material
If one Menaechmus is good, then two must be better! Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Discuss the concept of alienation as seen the the twin Menaechmi brothers. How would you cast this play? Would you riff on Shakespeare’s double set of twins by casting the same actor as both Peniculus (Diddley – the parasite) and MessenioContinue reading “Roman Comedy XVI: Plautus’s Menaechmi, or Shakespeare’s Favorite Source Material”
Roman Comedy XV: Plautus’s Epidicus, or If Gilbert & Sullivan Met Plautus
Gilbert and Sullivan wish they’d come up with plots as complicated as the one in Plautus’s Epidicus. Discussion Prompts If directing this play today, how would you handle the complicated plot? The four women are some of the cleverest characters in this play. Discuss. Why isn’t Periphanes aware that the soldiers are returning from Thebes?Continue reading “Roman Comedy XV: Plautus’s Epidicus, or If Gilbert & Sullivan Met Plautus”
Roman Comedy XIV: Plautus’s Curculio, or My Daughter! My Sister!
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!”
Roman Comedy XIII: Plautus’s Captivi, or Plautus Tries to Be High-Brow
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”
Roman Comedy XII: Plautus’s Aulularia, or My Daughter! My Ducats!
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!”
Roman Comedy XI: Plautus’s Asinaria, or The One With the Donkeys
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”
Roman Comedy X: Plautus’s Amphitruo, or When Greek Mythology Meets Roman Comedy
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”
Roman Comedy IX: Plautus’s Truculentus, or Don’t Let the Riley Translation Confuse You
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”
Roman Comedy VIII: Plautus’s Trinimmus, or The Money Pit
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”
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