CLASSIC 20 Lecture 8: 10.12.15 - Laughing at Plautus - Roman Comedy - Prof Gurval
Document Summary
Aristotle - comedy comes from songs and jokes honoring dionysus, from. Erect phallic procession, a long red pole, wreathed in ivy and violets, two eyes on on each side. Music, drinking, and sex featured in most roman (and modern) comedies. Greek old comedy - celebrated annually in 2 civic festivals for dionysus (city. Plays were political, often satire of contemporary figures, contains fantastic elements. Ends around 404 bce with the end of democratic athens. Greek new comedy - plautus plays are part of this tradition. End of fourth and third centuries bce. Hellenistic cosmopolitan world where alexander the great conquered. Menander leading writer of new comedy, wrote more than 100 plays, no plays existing only lines of quotations, later discovered 1 complete play and 1 almost complete play. Setting - mostly in athens, urban, outdoors, streets. Stage - two or three houses with doors, two side entrances; exit stage l: forum, exit stage r: harbor or country.
