Roman Roman TheatreTheatre

The Swaggering The Swaggering SoldierSoldier

by Plautusby Plautus

Origins of Roman TheatreOrigins of Roman Theatre

Like most things in Rome, the ideas Like most things in Rome, the ideas came from Greece, in the 3came from Greece, in the 3rdrd century century BC.BC.

- layout of theatre- layout of theatre

- definition of comedy- definition of comedy

- ‘stock’ characters- ‘stock’ characters

LayoutLayout

Meanings of wordsMeanings of words Pulpitum - stagePulpitum - stage Vomitoria - exitsVomitoria - exits Scenae – backdrop behind stage Scenae – backdrop behind stage

(stage building)(stage building) Orchestra – semi-circular area in Orchestra – semi-circular area in

front of stage for dancers and chorusfront of stage for dancers and chorus Praccinto – passages from which Praccinto – passages from which

actors enter and leaveactors enter and leave Porticus - colonnadePorticus - colonnade

Theatre MarcellusTheatre Marcellus

A definition of comedyA definition of comedy

““A play written chiefly to amuse its A play written chiefly to amuse its audience by appealing to a sense of audience by appealing to a sense of superiority over the characters.”superiority over the characters.”

““A comedy will normally be closer to A comedy will normally be closer to the representation of everyday life the representation of everyday life than tragedy, and will explore than tragedy, and will explore common human failings rather than common human failings rather than tragedy’s disasterous crimes.”tragedy’s disasterous crimes.”--Oxford dictionary of literary termsOxford dictionary of literary terms

New ComedyNew Comedy

Romans adopted ‘New Comedy’. Romans adopted ‘New Comedy’.

Young lovers go through Young lovers go through misadventures among other stock misadventures among other stock characters.characters.

A stock character is one easily A stock character is one easily recognised by the audience because recognised by the audience because they appear again and again.they appear again and again.

Stock charactersStock characters

Greek actors wore masks so that the Greek actors wore masks so that the audience would be able to recognise audience would be able to recognise their emotions from far away (anger, their emotions from far away (anger, sadness etc…)sadness etc…)

However, in Rome, they wore mask However, in Rome, they wore mask so that the audience could recognise so that the audience could recognise the stock characters.the stock characters.

Examples of stock Examples of stock characterscharacters

The FishermanThe Fisherman The FarmerThe Farmer The Superstitious The Superstitious

ManMan The Peevish ManThe Peevish Man The PromiserThe Promiser The HeiressThe Heiress The PriestessThe Priestess The False AccuserThe False Accuser

The MisogynistThe Misogynist The Hated ManThe Hated Man The ShipmasterThe Shipmaster The SlaveThe Slave The ConcubineThe Concubine The SoldiersThe Soldiers The WidowThe Widow The Noise-Shy ManThe Noise-Shy Man

Stock characters in ‘The Stock characters in ‘The Swaggering Soldier’.Swaggering Soldier’.

Pyrgopolynices – the over-confident Pyrgopolynices – the over-confident soldiersoldier

Philocomasium – the concubine or Philocomasium – the concubine or prostituteprostitute

Palaestro, Sceledrus, Lurcio – the Palaestro, Sceledrus, Lurcio – the slavesslaves

From Greece to RomeFrom Greece to Rome The Romans called their adaptations of The Romans called their adaptations of

Greek comedies Greek comedies fabulae palliatae fabulae palliatae ('plays in ('plays in a Greek cloak').  a Greek cloak'). 

The The fabulae palliatae fabulae palliatae had characters with had characters with Greek names in Greek settings, but the Greek names in Greek settings, but the audience understood that the characters audience understood that the characters were essentially Roman.  were essentially Roman. 

This practice allowed the playwright to turn This practice allowed the playwright to turn Roman Roman moresmores upside down without upside down without upsetting the audience or undermining upsetting the audience or undermining Roman morality. Roman morality. 

Ch-ch-ch-changesCh-ch-ch-changes

Perhaps the most common inversion of Perhaps the most common inversion of Roman values in Roman comedy is the Roman values in Roman comedy is the mockery of the father.  mockery of the father. 

In real Roman society, the father's power In real Roman society, the father's power ((patria potestaspatria potestas) was legally undisputed.  ) was legally undisputed. 

A father had the power of life and death A father had the power of life and death over his family and his household over his family and his household (especially slaves). (especially slaves). 

In comedy, however, the son with the In comedy, however, the son with the help of a brash slave regularly outwit help of a brash slave regularly outwit the father and make a fool of him.  the father and make a fool of him. 

In many plays, the slave is the In many plays, the slave is the central character who dominates the central character who dominates the action.action.

The Greek setting of the plays and The Greek setting of the plays and the Greek names of the characters the Greek names of the characters made this situation suitable for made this situation suitable for Roman audiences and authorities. Roman audiences and authorities.