CWL 320 Roman Comedy & Miles Gloriosus PDF

Preview

Summary

Raymond Waters CWL 320: Notes on Roman Comedy and Miles Gloriosus....

Description

C/LT 320I: Notes on Miles Gloriosus and Roman Comedy

Waters

Overview Miles Gloriosus (The Braggart Soldier) is one of the finest examples of Roman Comedy. Written by the leading Roman comic playwright, Titus Maccius Plautus, around 200BC, the plot of Miles Gloriosus revolves around the conflict over the affections of a beautiful young girl, who loves a handsome, charming, good-hearted young man, but who is under the control of the wicked but powerful Miles Gloriosus. Assisting the young lovers as they try to get together is a clever slave, who sees in his master Miles Gloriosus’s overpowering lust for the young girl a possible opportunity to gain his own freedom. Plot Structure The play is broken up into five distinct segments: 1. An initial scene between Miles Gloriosus and the clever slave (hook) 2. A delayed prologue in which the clever slave PSUEDOLUS (the lead actor in the play) addresses the audience directly. (break character and address audience) 3.The first plot, which involves convincing a villainous, but dim-witted, rival slave that he has not really seen the young girl kissing the young man; rather the rival slave is tricked into thinking he has seen the young girl’s (fictitious) identical twin sister. The first plot ends with the rival slave having a nervous breakdown. (Slaves tricking slaves (hookers), no class distinction, class equity) 4. A brief “intermission” comic dialogue between the young man and his neighbor, a feisty old man who is wise in the ways of love (break to go to the bathroom, so audience can buy items to maximize revenue) 5. The second plot, which is the major story of the play. The clever slave enlists the help of the young man, the feisty old neighbor, a couple good-hearted hookers, and a cook with a quick temper and a very sharp butcher knife. This group of conspirators, through various con games and disguises and outright lies, tricks Miles Gloriosus into giving up all his property, his military status, his money, his slaves plus the young girl for the promise of unlimited sex with wild women. The play ends with Miles Gloriosus stripped naked and threatened with castration unless he gives up rights to the girl plus gives the clever slave his freedom. After capitulating, a ruined, humiliated Miles Gloriosus admits that he deserves his woeful fate and cautions his audience against making the mistakes he has made. (Slaves and hookers tricking masters, class distinction, class struggle) Terms and Themes Hannibal v. Scipio Africanus, Battle of Carthage (Punic Wars) Rome burns it down and put salt in the earth so nothing grows. Pseudolus (false light) archetype “clever servant”, con-man but done for a good reason. Wants romance and freedom for them. Fabula palliata (type of comedy) Comedy in “foreign dress”, chose this more often to make fun of someone else, so nobody gets ticked off.

Fabula togata (type of comedy) Comedy in “roman dress” Need to know too much about Rome to understand jokes, too specific. Contaminatio Comedy celebrates mess. Take something old and make something new. Ephesus “nowhere Ville” making fun of some other town, to not make anyone mad. Greek New Comedy: The Grouchy Old Man, Menander (c.300 BC) Link between Lysistrata and Plautus. He rewrote the play by taking the plot and adding stuff to it to make it better. The passive agon: The social issue (not as angry). The comic anti-hero Everyone behaves badly in comedies. But motivations are important. Does not behave heroically but does things for a good reason. (Like Juliet does many things badly but for a good reason). A modern adaptation: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Directed by Richard Lester, 1966) Influences on contemporary situation comedy 2 houses, centering action with landmark to provide a break in the stage, has balcony on 2nd story, a dozen entrances and exits, dysfunctional family premise, layout hasn’t changed at all on TV. 5 SCENES: Hook, Audience talking, 1st chunk of action, intermission, 2nd chunk of action Stage structure Dysfunctional family home QUIZ MONDAY! STUDY. Know vocab, basic reading, know the movie. (Tying terms into the readings). No Bergson reading questions....