Synopses & Reviews
Plautus and Terence are the only two Roman writers of comedies whose work has survived. So popular were Plautus' farces that his name alone was enough to pull in the crowds; Terence's dramas appealed to a more sophisticated audience and were regularly revived in later times. This volume brings together Plautus' The Haunted House (Mostellaria) in which the intrigues of a clever slave provide a virtuoso comic role; his Casina, or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Wedding, a fast-moving romp, full of joie de vivre; Terence's The Eunuch, his greatest success and closest in style to the plays of Plautus; and his Brothers, a very modern comedy about how to bring up children.
J. Michael Walton is professor of drama at the University of Hull, England. He has published four books on classical theater.
Synopsis
Plautus and Terence are the only two Roman writers of comedies whose work has survived. So popular were Plautus'farces that his name alone was enough to pull in the crowds; Terence's dramas appealed to a more sophisticated audience and were regularly revived in later times. This volume brings together Plautus'
The Haunted House(
Mostellaria) in which the intrigues of a clever slave provide a virtuoso comic role; his
Casina, or A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Wedding, a fast-moving romp, full of
joie de vivre; Terence's
The Eunuch, his greatest success and closest in style to the plays of Plautus; and his
Brothers, a very modern comedy about how to bring up children.
J. Michael Waltonis professor of drama at the University of Hull, England. He has published four books on classical theater.
Synopsis
Four essential classic plays from Ancient Rome.
Synopsis
Four essential classic plays with an introduction by the editor
The comedies of Plautus and Terence are all that survive to us of a great age of Roman comedy theatre. Collected here are four important plays that offer a unique insight into everyday life in ancient Rome, whilst maintaining a pivotal influence over the theatre of the present day. In The Haunted House the intrigues of a clever slave are played out in a virtuoso comic role; Plautus's Casina is a fast-moving romp through the sexual mores of the Roman upper classes; Terence's more sophisticated The Eunuch, and The Brothers are perhaps closer in sentiment to the attitudes of modern comedy and reflect situations with universal appeal. The volume is edited and introduced by J.Michael Walton, Professor of Drama at the University of Hull.
About the Author
J. Michael Walton is Professor of Drama at the University of Hull, England. He has published four books on classical theater and translated plays by Euripides, Aristophanes and Menander.