The Dramatic Values in Plautus by William Wallace Blancke
page 42 of 104 (40%)
page 42 of 104 (40%)
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over Pseudolus. Thee do I seek that thou mayst obtain thrice three times
triple delights in three various ways, joys earned by three tricks and three tricksters, cunningly won by treachery, fraud and villainy, which in this little sealed missive have I but erstwhile brought to thee.... CHAR. The rascal's spouting like a tragedian." When Sosia, in the first scene of _Amph._ (203 ff.), turgidly describes the battle between the Thebans and Teleboans, he is parodying the Messenger of tragedy. Another echo from tragedy is heard at the end of the play, when Jupiter appears in the role of deus ex machina.[116] Burlesque of character and calling puts in an occasional appearance. The recreant Sosia in _Amph._ 958 ff. mimics the dutiful slave. _As._ 259 ff. contains an ironical treatment of augury, while in 751 ff. the poet has his satirical fling at the legal profession. b. True farce. This is of course the comedy of situation and finds its mainstay in mistaken identity. The _Men._ and _Amph._ with their doubles are farce-comedies proper, but the element of farce forms the motive power of nearly all the plots; for example, the shuffling-up of Acropolistis, Telestis and the _fidicina_ in _Ep._, the quarrel between Mnesilochus and Pistoclerus in _Bac._ resulting from the former's belief that his friend had stolen his sweetheart, the exchange of names between Tyndarus and Philocrates in _Cap._, the entrapping of Demaenetus with the _meretrix_ at the dA(C)nouement of _As._, etc., etc. It is understood, we presume, that the modern farce occupies no exalted position in the comic scale, is |
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