Includes bibliographical references (pages 231-252) and indexes.
Actors and spectators -- Characters and spectators -- Greece or Rome? -- Metatheater and morality -- Audience and occasion: Pseudolus -- Gods and mortals: Amphitruo -- Bankers and pimps: Curculio -- Prostitutes and lovers: Truculentus -- Husbands and wives: Casina -- Slaves and masters: Captivi.
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The relationship between actors and spectators has been of perennial interest to playwrights. The Roman playwright Plautus was particularly adept at manipulating this relationship. Plautus allowed his actors to acknowledge freely the illusion in which they were taking part, to elicit laughter through humorous asides and monologues, and simultaneously to flatter and tease the spectators. These metatheatrical techniques are the focus of Timothy J. Moore's study of the comedies of Plautus. The first part of the book examines Plautus' techniques in detail, while the second part explores how he used them in the plays Pseudolus, Amphitruo, Curculio, Truculentus, Casina, and Captivi. Moore shows that Plautus employed these dramatic devices not only to entertain his audience but also to satirize aspects of Roman society, such as shady business practices and extravagant spending on prostitutes, and to challenge his spectators' preconceptions about such issues as marriage and slavery. These findings forge new links between Roman comedy and the social and historical context of its performance. [publisher].
Theater of Plautus.
Plautus, Titus Maccius-- Criticism and interpretation.