Scribd
Upload
35 views2 pages

Mansha Arora - ECL Assignment

This document discusses the influence of Plautus' play "The Brothers Menaechmus" on later works, specifically Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors". It provides background on Old vs New Greek comedy, with Old Comedy exemplified by Aristophanes and focusing on political commentary, while New Comedy as seen in Menander focused more on domestic life. The document then discusses how Plautus adapted elements of Greek New Comedy while adding exaggerated personalities and situations. It notes Shakespeare borrowed the central plot and mistaken identity of twins from Plautus' "Menaechmi" and also drew from "Amphitryon", while expanding the story with additional characters like servants. Finally, it discusses how intimate Roman theater audiences were with

Uploaded by

Jasmine Kaur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
35 views2 pages

Mansha Arora - ECL Assignment

This document discusses the influence of Plautus' play "The Brothers Menaechmus" on later works, specifically Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors". It provides background on Old vs New Greek comedy, with Old Comedy exemplified by Aristophanes and focusing on political commentary, while New Comedy as seen in Menander focused more on domestic life. The document then discusses how Plautus adapted elements of Greek New Comedy while adding exaggerated personalities and situations. It notes Shakespeare borrowed the central plot and mistaken identity of twins from Plautus' "Menaechmi" and also drew from "Amphitryon", while expanding the story with additional characters like servants. Finally, it discusses how intimate Roman theater audiences were with

Uploaded by

Jasmine Kaur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

European Classical Literature Assignment

Mansha Arora
0516
1st Semester

The influence of The Brothers Menaechmus ranges from Shakespeare’s The Comedy of
Errors to the popular musical, The Boys from Syracuse. What has allowed the comedy to
stand the test of time?
Plautus' comedies revolve mostly around average people’s daily lives, superficially the stuff
of Greek New Comedy as opposed to the politically oriented Old Comedy of the Classical
Age or the spoofs of tragedy popular in post-classical Middle Comedy. Plautus, however,
generates humor differently from Menandrean comedy. Often extreme personality types set
in outlandish situations, Plautine characters as a group are reminiscent of Aristophanes'
creations more than Menander's. Indeed, Plautus' plays are peopled with devious pimps,
greedy prostitutes, lustful young men, lustful old men, tortured mothers and torturing wives,
and, most of all, crafty slaves who delight in deceiving their masters.
The Greek New Comedy of Menander and its similarities to Plautus, it is necessary to
discuss, in juxtaposition with it, the days of Greek Old Comedy and its evolution into New
Comedy. The ancient Greek playwright who best embodies Old Comedy is Aristophanes.
Aristophanes' work is noted for its critical commentary on politics and societal values, which
is the key component of Old Comedy: consciousness of the world in which it is written, and
analysis of this world. Comedy and theater were means for the political commentary of the
time—the public conscience.
Greek New Comedy greatly differs from those plays of Aristophanes. The most notable
difference, according to Dana F. Sutton, is that New Comedy, in comparison to Old Comedy,
is "devoid of a serious political, social or intellectual content" and "could be performed in any
number of social and political settings without risk of giving offense". The risk-taking for
which Aristophanes is known is noticeably lacking in the New Comedy plays of Menander.
Instead, there is much more of a focus on the home and the family unit—something that the
Romans, including Plautus, could easily understand and adopt for themselves later in history.
The primary source of the play is an ancient drama called the Menaechmi, by Plautus, a
Roman comic playwright. From the Menaechmi Shakespeare took his central plot, which
revolves around "errors," or mistakes of fortune, involving identical twin brothers.
Shakespeare also borrowed from Plautus's Amphitryon, particularly for the episode involving
Antipholus of Ephesus being locked out of his home. To these basic elements, Shakespeare
added additional scenes and characters, most notably another set of twins, who are servants to
the twin sons of Egeon. 
According to Goldberg Actors were thrust into much closer audience interaction. Because of
this, a certain acting style became required that is more familiar to modern audiences.
Because they would have been in such proximity to the actors, ancient Roman audiences
would have wanted attention and direct acknowledgment from the actors. Because there was
no orchestra, there was no space separating the audience from the stage. The audience could
stand directly in front of the elevated wooden platform. This allowed them to look at the
actors from a much different perspective. They would have seen every detail of the actor and
heard every word he said. The audience member would have wanted that actor to speak
directly to them. It was a part of the thrill of the performance, as it is to this day.

You might also like