He sometimes used typical situations where these characters could be used as well. To be able to use a more diverse set of characters, he developed what is called a stock character. While hundreds of plays have been attributed to Plautus' name, the canon consists of 20 surviving plays. This fear of censorship may have influenced Plautus’ choice of what he wrote about and how he wrote about it. Naevius’ imprisonment and eventual exile is a case of state censorship. Naevius is most famous for having been imprisoned by the Metelli and the Scipiones – two powerful families of the late third century. Plautus would have been living at the exact time as Naevius, but began writing later. His first tragedy took place in 235 B.C.E. He fought in the First Punic War and his birth, therefore, is placed around the year 280 B.C.E. He wrote tragedies and even founded the fabula praetexta (history plays), in which he dramatized historical events. Gnaeus Naevius was another Roman playwright of the late third century BC. The state controlled stage productions, and Plautus’ plays would have been banned, had they been too risky. Plautus did not make up or encourage irreverence to the gods, but used the ideas of his time. It is likely that there was already much skepticism about the gods in Plautus’ time. Tolliver argues that drama both reflects and foreshadows social change. Parasites, pimps, and courtesans often praise the gods with little ceremony. Young men, meant to represent the upper social class, often make fun of the gods in their remarks. Soldiers often bring ridicule among the gods. Plautus perhaps does this to further demoralize the characters. Usually the only characters that scorn a god are those of low standing, like a pimp. It is not uncommon, either, for a character to scorn the gods. In Pseudolus, Jupiter is compared to Ballio the pimp.
1265), in bragging about his long life, says he was born one day later than Jupiter. These references to the gods include a character comparing a mortal woman to a god, or saying he would rather be loved by a woman than by the gods. Whether to honour a character or to mock him, these references were demeaning to the gods. Any character in his plays could be compared to a god.
Plautus is sometimes accused of teaching the public indifference and mockery of the gods. If the gods supported a bad leader, the people should too. State religion also served as a political tool. They were worshipped but also stood as a national symbol. Tolliver tells us that the gods were not exactly like the gods worshipped today. These gods were an important part of the Romans' lives in Plautus’ time - people were supposed to worship them. Tolliver talks about the state gods of Rome and what their importance was in the Theatre of Plautus. They are usually based on the works of the Greek playwrights. Plautus' comedies are mostly adaptations of Greek plays for Roman people. His studies led to his plays being shown.
#Plautus menaechmi t free#
He learned about Greek drama – particularly the New Comedy of Menander – in his free time. He then is said to have worked as someone who worked with his hands. He started something, but he was not successful. Tradition also says that after some time, he made enough money to start working in the shipping business. He called himself "Macchius" (a clownish character in popular farces), and "Plautus" (a term meaning "flat-footed"). People noticed that he was a talented actor. This might be when he started to love the theatre. When Plautus was young, he built stages for plays. Little is known about Plautus' early life. 1.1 Plautus and the Gods of Roman Society.