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The Rope and Other Plays
Brilliantly adapting Greek New Comedy for Roman audiences, the sublime comedies of Plautus (c. 254 -184 bc ) are the earliest surviving complete works of Latin literature. The four plays collected here reveal a playwright in his prime, exploring classic themes and developing standard characters that were to influence the comedies of Shakespeare, Molière and many others. In The Ghost, a dissolute son who has squandered his father's money is thrown into disarray when he returns from abroad, a theme that is explored further in the comedy of errors A Three-Dollar Day. In The Rope - regarded by many as the best of Plautus' plays - the shipwreck of a pimp and his slaves leads to the touching reunion of a father and his daughter, while Amphitryo, Plautus's only excursion into divine mythology, offers a cheerful account of how Jupiter became father to Hercules.
284 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 1964
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373 people want to read
About the author
Plautus
1,881 books114 followersTitus Maccius Plautus (c. 254 – 184 BC), commonly known as Plautus, was a Roman playwright of the Old Latin period. His comedies are the earliest works in Latin literature to have survived in their entirety. He wrote Palliata comoedia, the genre devised by the innovator of Latin literature, Livius Andronicus. The word Plautine refers to both Plautus's own works and works similar to or influenced by his.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 23, 2016
By itself, the comedy of Plautus is not inherently bad. It is composed primarily of mutually exclusive scenes featuring the same characters placed adjacently to one another, with very little thought put into arrangement, delivery or humour. To the modern reader, Plautus is IRONIC, not COMEDIC, because his plays are characterised by such tropes as the long-lost daughter who just happens to still possess trinkets given to her by her father when she was a baby (The Rope) or one man pretending to be someone else in order to get with "someone else's" wife (Amphitryo). It's only when one compares Plautus to the comedic genius of Aristophanes, or even Menander, that he fails, pretty miserably.
What destroys any hope of Plautus' continued appreciation is his plays' non-sensibility. Almost all of Act II of Amphitryo consists of the eponymous character asking one of two questions to his slave: Were you asleep? or, Who told you that? The humour on which Amphitryo depends is its cast's inability to differentiate Sosia, Mercury, Jupiter and Amphitryo, but the play does not reconcile these characters satisfactorily, and the worthy characters like Alcmena (comparable to Desdemona of Othello) are strewn on the sidelines in favour of repetitive, clunky scenes which serve only to lengthen the play to its requirement.
The Rope fares even worse. Its cast is far too large for each character to gain any sense of familiarity with the audience, meaning that Plautus has to rely on stock characters like the typical villain (who even seems to KNOW he's in the wrong), the industrious go-getter (who isn't rewarded for his industry in the play at all), and the demure young girl. The Rope is exceedingly soap-operatic in its delivery: much of what happens (and little happens at all) is devoid of any emotion, leaving the audience unsympathetic and, most importantly, not laughing. The eponymous Rope is such a trivial prop, and the play might have fared better if named Palæstra, the aforementioned demure young girl, who is married off by her father after having met him for the first time in at least fifteen years; or if named The Procurer, for indeed Labrax, the villain, probably receives most lines, and, out of all the characters, is the one I understand most.
Despite having criticised Plautus such, I can appreciate that his plays were no doubt received differently. New Comedy, and especially ROMAN Comedy, was vastly different to Greek Comedy, and besides, Mercury himself acknowledges that Amphitryo is more Tragic than Comedic. If Plautus had been writing tragedies that were not designed to elicit laughter, I feel he may have been more successful. As it stands, though it is important to cherish all Ancient material, I for one would have sacrificed some Plautus for some more Menander.
What destroys any hope of Plautus' continued appreciation is his plays' non-sensibility. Almost all of Act II of Amphitryo consists of the eponymous character asking one of two questions to his slave: Were you asleep? or, Who told you that? The humour on which Amphitryo depends is its cast's inability to differentiate Sosia, Mercury, Jupiter and Amphitryo, but the play does not reconcile these characters satisfactorily, and the worthy characters like Alcmena (comparable to Desdemona of Othello) are strewn on the sidelines in favour of repetitive, clunky scenes which serve only to lengthen the play to its requirement.
The Rope fares even worse. Its cast is far too large for each character to gain any sense of familiarity with the audience, meaning that Plautus has to rely on stock characters like the typical villain (who even seems to KNOW he's in the wrong), the industrious go-getter (who isn't rewarded for his industry in the play at all), and the demure young girl. The Rope is exceedingly soap-operatic in its delivery: much of what happens (and little happens at all) is devoid of any emotion, leaving the audience unsympathetic and, most importantly, not laughing. The eponymous Rope is such a trivial prop, and the play might have fared better if named Palæstra, the aforementioned demure young girl, who is married off by her father after having met him for the first time in at least fifteen years; or if named The Procurer, for indeed Labrax, the villain, probably receives most lines, and, out of all the characters, is the one I understand most.
Despite having criticised Plautus such, I can appreciate that his plays were no doubt received differently. New Comedy, and especially ROMAN Comedy, was vastly different to Greek Comedy, and besides, Mercury himself acknowledges that Amphitryo is more Tragic than Comedic. If Plautus had been writing tragedies that were not designed to elicit laughter, I feel he may have been more successful. As it stands, though it is important to cherish all Ancient material, I for one would have sacrificed some Plautus for some more Menander.
May 31, 2020
It needs to be said ... The first play ("Mostellaria") contains, possibly the greatest line of dialogue in the entire history of theatre ..... Tranio: “Phew you stink – mud-begotten clod of goat and pig dung; you stink of dog and goat and garlic!”
February 7, 2023
For the earliest completed works of Latin literature, these four plays were highly entertaining and amusing. The plays all involve at least one character that likes to cause chaos for no other reason than entertainment and I respect that.
August 30, 2025
I last read 'The Rope and Other Plays' when I was 14 years old. I had forgotten how timeless the comedy was, and how influential it was on later works (think Shakespeare, or Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, or Frankie Howard's 'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum', or some of the very early Tom Cruise films).
It is incredible to think that these were written and performed around 200 BC, and based on earlier Greek comedies, performed (likely only once) in 400 BC. There are direct and indirect references to Euripides (and other) Greek plays that have been lost in the sands of time.
In our O-level Latin classes, our teacher would stand in chalk-flecked robes and lead us through the plays (in both English and Latin) in a sonorous and theatrical voice. He was odd, to be sure, and I believe he ended up in jail (like one or two other of our teachers - this was an all-boys Grammar school in London in the early 1980s, after all). He was a time traveller from ancient Rome or Greece, when cultures and practices were vastly different.
You can imagine the stage settings, typically one or two house fronts in Athens or another Greek city. A slave, or several, trying to obtain their freedom. A long-lost sibling (often a twin) and some treasure. Very frequently, some adultery or general waywardness. Usually, some travel from far-off lands, often by sea:
There are also insights into the modern human psyche and mind, as Lysiteles pontificates in his monologue in 'A Three-Dollar-Day':
And Philto advises some morality and self-control in:
And foreshadowing Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by 2200 years, Stasimus says:
'Amphitryo' and 'The Ghost' are also excellent additions to 'The Rope' and 'Three-Dollar-Day'.
I enjoyed being back in the Roman theatre houses, and joined in with 'omnes' in applauding the mind and work of Titus Maccius Plautus. I gave the collection Four Stars.
It is incredible to think that these were written and performed around 200 BC, and based on earlier Greek comedies, performed (likely only once) in 400 BC. There are direct and indirect references to Euripides (and other) Greek plays that have been lost in the sands of time.
In our O-level Latin classes, our teacher would stand in chalk-flecked robes and lead us through the plays (in both English and Latin) in a sonorous and theatrical voice. He was odd, to be sure, and I believe he ended up in jail (like one or two other of our teachers - this was an all-boys Grammar school in London in the early 1980s, after all). He was a time traveller from ancient Rome or Greece, when cultures and practices were vastly different.
You can imagine the stage settings, typically one or two house fronts in Athens or another Greek city. A slave, or several, trying to obtain their freedom. A long-lost sibling (often a twin) and some treasure. Very frequently, some adultery or general waywardness. Usually, some travel from far-off lands, often by sea:
"You have travelled the blue roads on wooden horses?"asks Ptolemocratia to Palestra, in the title play 'The Rope'.
There are also insights into the modern human psyche and mind, as Lysiteles pontificates in his monologue in 'A Three-Dollar-Day':
'My mind is in a ferment with all I have to think of, and thinking makes me tired; my mind's a tough drill sergeant'
And Philto advises some morality and self-control in:
'it is a far far better thing to be what you ought to be than to be what you want to be'
And foreshadowing Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by 2200 years, Stasimus says:
'You can't take it with you, that's a fact.',
'Amphitryo' and 'The Ghost' are also excellent additions to 'The Rope' and 'Three-Dollar-Day'.
I enjoyed being back in the Roman theatre houses, and joined in with 'omnes' in applauding the mind and work of Titus Maccius Plautus. I gave the collection Four Stars.
September 30, 2024
These plays form the basis for the modern sitcom and yet were written over two thousand years ago. Mostly focusing on the small doings of stock characters with one play involving the amorous machinations of Jupiter. Latin translations and adaptations of Greek New Comedy that show how little people have changed.
October 26, 2015
Roman Adaptations of Greek Comedies
18 February 2011
This collection of Roman plays is what is generally considered new comedy. To put things into perspective the old comedy of classical Athens is very slapstick, political humour with a lot of fantasy elements, while the new comedy is more like a modern sitcom. Granted, some sitcoms are quite funny, but I generally compare them with sitcoms like the Crosby Show (for those who remember it). I'm not a big fan of such sitcoms myself.
It does not mean that this collection is not good, or useful, though one needs to remember that Plautus, whose name translates into English as Titus the Flatfooted Clown, doesn't necessarily write his own plays, rather he translates Greek plays into Latin. It is sort of like Hollywood taking a popular French movie and making an American version of it. Unfortunately we do not have the Greek originals, though Plautus is good in that we can look at his plays to get an idea of what the new comedy of post-classical Athens was about (not that I'm really all that interested in the new comedy of post-classical Athens).
This is a collection of four of Plautus' plays: The Ghost, which is about an attempted sale of a house; the Rope, about how a father, whose daughter was kidnapped by slavers when she was young turns up in the city of Cyrene; The Three Dollar Day; and the Amphytrio, in which Amphytrio returns home from war and Jupiter, who is sleeping with his wife, must get out of the sticky situation.
The problem with plays, or these plays in particular, is that reading them can make them difficult to follow. All plays are much easier to follow when watched than being performed, though some plays are harder to read that others. I found these plays in the hard to follow category, though it may have something to do with my lack of interest in new comedy.
18 February 2011
This collection of Roman plays is what is generally considered new comedy. To put things into perspective the old comedy of classical Athens is very slapstick, political humour with a lot of fantasy elements, while the new comedy is more like a modern sitcom. Granted, some sitcoms are quite funny, but I generally compare them with sitcoms like the Crosby Show (for those who remember it). I'm not a big fan of such sitcoms myself.
It does not mean that this collection is not good, or useful, though one needs to remember that Plautus, whose name translates into English as Titus the Flatfooted Clown, doesn't necessarily write his own plays, rather he translates Greek plays into Latin. It is sort of like Hollywood taking a popular French movie and making an American version of it. Unfortunately we do not have the Greek originals, though Plautus is good in that we can look at his plays to get an idea of what the new comedy of post-classical Athens was about (not that I'm really all that interested in the new comedy of post-classical Athens).
This is a collection of four of Plautus' plays: The Ghost, which is about an attempted sale of a house; the Rope, about how a father, whose daughter was kidnapped by slavers when she was young turns up in the city of Cyrene; The Three Dollar Day; and the Amphytrio, in which Amphytrio returns home from war and Jupiter, who is sleeping with his wife, must get out of the sticky situation.
The problem with plays, or these plays in particular, is that reading them can make them difficult to follow. All plays are much easier to follow when watched than being performed, though some plays are harder to read that others. I found these plays in the hard to follow category, though it may have something to do with my lack of interest in new comedy.
October 31, 2021
So, turns out I actually love Roman comedy. I have read a Plautus play before, and I remembered it being funny, so I'm glad these four were equally entertaining. My favourite is The Ghost, but they were all enjoyable reads. It's interesting how society, and human nature, haven't changed much in the thousands of years since these plays were written!
I do, of course, highly recommend these - you don't need a background in classics to understand them, and I think they'd appeal to everyone. They're kind of like ancient sitcoms, but better.
I do, of course, highly recommend these - you don't need a background in classics to understand them, and I think they'd appeal to everyone. They're kind of like ancient sitcoms, but better.
April 6, 2021
The four plays in this collection of translated ancient Latin comedies are all worthy of reading and studying for anyone who is interested in drama and in the classics. However this book's audience is going to be limited to that niche market, so any comments made here may not be relevant to the more general reader. It must also be said that one's understanding of ancient comedy is not of a depth to constitute serious academic competence, so therefore anyone who is more engaged with Plautus and his original Latin texts will have more understanding of what has been possibly lost in this translation than this reviewer can comprehend.
Taking that last point first it is highly probable that the translator, EF Watling, has made significant efforts to amend the original Latin into a more modern vernacular. Without supporting textual information within the book, or sufficient Latin skills of my own I can't definitively say this is the case. However the language of Plautus's characters in all four comedies read as if they are far more contemporary than I suspect the real dialogue would support. Watling raises the issue of translation vis-a-vis the musical content of the original comedies in his well written introduction, so the reader understands liberties have already been taken by him in the cause of readability. To have modernised the dialogue as well as removing the 'sing-song' nature of the text would be definitely on Watling's agenda.
The book suffers from a lack of annotation, helping clarify aspects of the play in terms of their translation, historical context, religious and/or social references. This is not so much an issue for someone who is reading Plautus's works herein for entertainment or for possible mounting as a performance piece. However for the reader who wants to understand the plays at a depth beyond these then the absence of footnotes is a distinct problem. It might be argued that annotations may distract the reader, however it is better to have them integrated into the book and then let the reader decide how to attend to them, rather than leaving them out in their entirety.
The four plays included in this collection are all worth reading, and whilst they may not be riotously funny for a modern audience, it is surprising to find how much of contemporary comedy can be related to Plautus. The 'Amphitryo' is a noteworthy exemplar of this with its use of sexual farce, mistaken identity, slapstick violence and breaking of the fourth wall. The 'Trinummus' on the other hand is less enjoyable due to its lack of these elements, and serves better as an example of how different Graeco-Roman comedy was to ours. The so-called 'clever slave', a unique Plautine creation as seen in the 'Mostellaria' and 'Rudens' is definitely the antecedent of all lower class comedic heroes, with their quick wit, acerbic disdain for their masters/betters, and desire to trick or fool those who think they are incapable of doing so.
Whilst this book has its issues it is still has much merit because it has been a standard text for the study of Plautus and ancient Roman comedy for decades. It could be improved, and I would like to think that Penguin may wish to publish an updated translation some day soon. However for now the only way one can get a better appreciation for the work of Plautus in the modern vernacular would be to watch a performance or the film of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'.
Taking that last point first it is highly probable that the translator, EF Watling, has made significant efforts to amend the original Latin into a more modern vernacular. Without supporting textual information within the book, or sufficient Latin skills of my own I can't definitively say this is the case. However the language of Plautus's characters in all four comedies read as if they are far more contemporary than I suspect the real dialogue would support. Watling raises the issue of translation vis-a-vis the musical content of the original comedies in his well written introduction, so the reader understands liberties have already been taken by him in the cause of readability. To have modernised the dialogue as well as removing the 'sing-song' nature of the text would be definitely on Watling's agenda.
The book suffers from a lack of annotation, helping clarify aspects of the play in terms of their translation, historical context, religious and/or social references. This is not so much an issue for someone who is reading Plautus's works herein for entertainment or for possible mounting as a performance piece. However for the reader who wants to understand the plays at a depth beyond these then the absence of footnotes is a distinct problem. It might be argued that annotations may distract the reader, however it is better to have them integrated into the book and then let the reader decide how to attend to them, rather than leaving them out in their entirety.
The four plays included in this collection are all worth reading, and whilst they may not be riotously funny for a modern audience, it is surprising to find how much of contemporary comedy can be related to Plautus. The 'Amphitryo' is a noteworthy exemplar of this with its use of sexual farce, mistaken identity, slapstick violence and breaking of the fourth wall. The 'Trinummus' on the other hand is less enjoyable due to its lack of these elements, and serves better as an example of how different Graeco-Roman comedy was to ours. The so-called 'clever slave', a unique Plautine creation as seen in the 'Mostellaria' and 'Rudens' is definitely the antecedent of all lower class comedic heroes, with their quick wit, acerbic disdain for their masters/betters, and desire to trick or fool those who think they are incapable of doing so.
Whilst this book has its issues it is still has much merit because it has been a standard text for the study of Plautus and ancient Roman comedy for decades. It could be improved, and I would like to think that Penguin may wish to publish an updated translation some day soon. However for now the only way one can get a better appreciation for the work of Plautus in the modern vernacular would be to watch a performance or the film of 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'.
June 13, 2025
The Rope and Other Plays by Titus Maccius Plautus is a collection of some of Plautus’ most renowned pieces of work. Consisting of Mostellaria (The Ghost), Rudens (The Rope), Trinummus (Three-Dollar Day), and Amphitryo, these four scripts come together to read as a funny, lighthearted retelling of various scenarios in Roman times.
The author Plautus is now widely renowned for his impact on Roman drama and comedy plays, but was not always as well regarded. In his early life, Plautus lost the majority of his earnings as a playwright and had to recover his life savings by working in a grain mill. The author found a lot of his passion for plays because of his experience as an actor/clown, and the humor of his craft is enhanced by his background.
My favorite piece, Mostellaria, follows a teenage boy, who, upon his father leaving for a prolonged work trip, takes over the family home, spends exuberant amounts of money, and indulges in pleasures of life he would not do if his father were around.
Plautus' simple word choice allows readers to understand the plays easily. Playful banter, straightforward grammar, and generally cohesive storylines contribute to this book's enjoyment.
Despite being set in Roman times, Plautus’s plays remain relevant to modern society, highlighting themes of love, honesty, betrayal, and greed, all accompanied by comedic effect. Mostellaria highlights a young man rebelling under his father, and his failed attempts to cover up his mess, Rudens displays the turnaround of a seemingly ruined love story, Trinummus shows attempts to cover up financial ruin, and Amphitryo covers a plotline where the characters themselves do not truly know what is happening, relating to many human qualities. All of these plotlines are common issues in my world, and the connections I can make from these greater themes aid their significance.
The main ideas prevalent in Plautus’ plays are easy to relate to by a modern audience, making his plays increasingly relevant to read and understand. Book-lovers everywhere should explore the wonders of Plautus’ writing, for his witty humor, lighthearted language, and all-around enjoyable plays.
Maya and Kate really enjoyed reading Plautus's plays, and we recommend them to anyone who is interested!
The author Plautus is now widely renowned for his impact on Roman drama and comedy plays, but was not always as well regarded. In his early life, Plautus lost the majority of his earnings as a playwright and had to recover his life savings by working in a grain mill. The author found a lot of his passion for plays because of his experience as an actor/clown, and the humor of his craft is enhanced by his background.
My favorite piece, Mostellaria, follows a teenage boy, who, upon his father leaving for a prolonged work trip, takes over the family home, spends exuberant amounts of money, and indulges in pleasures of life he would not do if his father were around.
Plautus' simple word choice allows readers to understand the plays easily. Playful banter, straightforward grammar, and generally cohesive storylines contribute to this book's enjoyment.
Despite being set in Roman times, Plautus’s plays remain relevant to modern society, highlighting themes of love, honesty, betrayal, and greed, all accompanied by comedic effect. Mostellaria highlights a young man rebelling under his father, and his failed attempts to cover up his mess, Rudens displays the turnaround of a seemingly ruined love story, Trinummus shows attempts to cover up financial ruin, and Amphitryo covers a plotline where the characters themselves do not truly know what is happening, relating to many human qualities. All of these plotlines are common issues in my world, and the connections I can make from these greater themes aid their significance.
The main ideas prevalent in Plautus’ plays are easy to relate to by a modern audience, making his plays increasingly relevant to read and understand. Book-lovers everywhere should explore the wonders of Plautus’ writing, for his witty humor, lighthearted language, and all-around enjoyable plays.
Maya and Kate really enjoyed reading Plautus's plays, and we recommend them to anyone who is interested!
March 27, 2024
Guys, GUYS! This is REALLY FUNNY! I'm so confused by these other goodreads reviewers who have a bone to pick with every aspect of this book and edition: It's not funny, the comedy isn't sophisticated enough, the translation is too liberal, it's not scholarly enough, bla bla bla bla bla bla... It's not that complicated! The slaves are wily! They bonk each other on the head! They turn around and see their long lost daughter and say "Egads!!"! It's very simple, just have some fun with it!
I bought this initially just to read Amphitruo and compare it to its 1537 adaption "Jacke Jugeler"; It's much much better. So I read the rest as well. None of the rest are as good in Ampitruo in my opinion: Ghosts is probably second-funniest but its plot doesn't quite achieve that mounting complexity and tension that his better-constructed plays do. Three Dollar Day is a more serious dual to Ghosts, though also has some comic scenes between the long old mens' speeches complaining about the new generation--it's probably the one I'd like most to read in the original. The Rope is too complicated for it's own good, but the setting is a nice change of pace, and some of its episodes are or could be staged to be very funny (but not the rope itself, as the translator points out--one gets the sense the original was called The Chest and Plautus wanted to change the name to some different object; I liked the scene with the rope least, but it did remind me of Menander's Arbitration).
I liked the translation. There, I said it! It's modernizing, liberal, and mostly prose, all of which I'm usually against, but I think it's justified. English doesn't really have a "low" lyric mode, so it's either prose or something kind of stilted. Overall I think I had an experience reasonably close that of the original audiences, and probably that's thanks to the translators' choices. The intro is nice; light; readable, and has a separate introduction to each play, which maybe I wish were a little longer.
Easy, FUNNY!
I bought this initially just to read Amphitruo and compare it to its 1537 adaption "Jacke Jugeler"; It's much much better. So I read the rest as well. None of the rest are as good in Ampitruo in my opinion: Ghosts is probably second-funniest but its plot doesn't quite achieve that mounting complexity and tension that his better-constructed plays do. Three Dollar Day is a more serious dual to Ghosts, though also has some comic scenes between the long old mens' speeches complaining about the new generation--it's probably the one I'd like most to read in the original. The Rope is too complicated for it's own good, but the setting is a nice change of pace, and some of its episodes are or could be staged to be very funny (but not the rope itself, as the translator points out--one gets the sense the original was called The Chest and Plautus wanted to change the name to some different object; I liked the scene with the rope least, but it did remind me of Menander's Arbitration).
I liked the translation. There, I said it! It's modernizing, liberal, and mostly prose, all of which I'm usually against, but I think it's justified. English doesn't really have a "low" lyric mode, so it's either prose or something kind of stilted. Overall I think I had an experience reasonably close that of the original audiences, and probably that's thanks to the translators' choices. The intro is nice; light; readable, and has a separate introduction to each play, which maybe I wish were a little longer.
Easy, FUNNY!
September 23, 2022
I love Plautus.
In Amphitruo, Mercury in a long monologue, urges viewers to listen carefully to the play, thus, he explains that the play is a tragicomedy because there are gods, heroes, mythological scenes, but also slaves, comical situations. This is the first time in literary history that this generic expression is used. During this monologue, Plautus makes us believe that it is the real Jupiter who will play, another way to have a silent and respectful audience. Mercury explains the piece to us, the project of his father Jupiter, it is the real exhibition scene in this work.
This piece is characterized by its originality. She takes up a mythological story to introduce it into a farce. The Jupiter-Alcmene-Amphitryon trio thus corresponds to the traditional trio of the farce genre, the lover, the mistress and deceived husband.
Mostellaria - The Ghost
Philolaches has borrowed a lot of money to buy the freedom of the slave-girl he loves. One day, he is having a house party with his friends, when his slave Tranio interrupts the merry-making to announce that Philolaches' father has returned unexpectedly and will arrive from the harbour at any minute. Amid the general panic, Tranio has an idea. He hustles Philolaches and his friends into the house and locks the door. The father now arrives. Tranio greets him respectfully but pretends that it is dangerous to enter the house because it is haunted by the ghost of a man once killed there.
Rudens - The Rope
Palaestra, stolen from her parents by pirates, is reunited with her father, Daemones, ironically, by means of her pimp, Labrax. The story is, however, far more complex; in particular, humour is derived from the interactions between slaves and masters, and the changes in friendships throughout.
In Amphitruo, Mercury in a long monologue, urges viewers to listen carefully to the play, thus, he explains that the play is a tragicomedy because there are gods, heroes, mythological scenes, but also slaves, comical situations. This is the first time in literary history that this generic expression is used. During this monologue, Plautus makes us believe that it is the real Jupiter who will play, another way to have a silent and respectful audience. Mercury explains the piece to us, the project of his father Jupiter, it is the real exhibition scene in this work.
This piece is characterized by its originality. She takes up a mythological story to introduce it into a farce. The Jupiter-Alcmene-Amphitryon trio thus corresponds to the traditional trio of the farce genre, the lover, the mistress and deceived husband.
Mostellaria - The Ghost
Philolaches has borrowed a lot of money to buy the freedom of the slave-girl he loves. One day, he is having a house party with his friends, when his slave Tranio interrupts the merry-making to announce that Philolaches' father has returned unexpectedly and will arrive from the harbour at any minute. Amid the general panic, Tranio has an idea. He hustles Philolaches and his friends into the house and locks the door. The father now arrives. Tranio greets him respectfully but pretends that it is dangerous to enter the house because it is haunted by the ghost of a man once killed there.
Rudens - The Rope
Palaestra, stolen from her parents by pirates, is reunited with her father, Daemones, ironically, by means of her pimp, Labrax. The story is, however, far more complex; in particular, humour is derived from the interactions between slaves and masters, and the changes in friendships throughout.
April 9, 2022
From what I know about Plautus, and little at that, he seems a difficult poet to write about. Given his mysterious situation: is he an original, or an adaptor? Do we praise the translation, the Greek source, the inspired successor? What is Plautine? Menander certainly resembles his much later descendant closely – they use similar stock characters, similar rote plots. Although Plautus, perhaps by chance of surviving stock, is the funnier. The Ghost is perhaps little in terms of well-arranged narrative material, but it is much in its comic routine, a kind of escalating, toppling growth of material. One thing, and then the next, and the next: a run-on plot that gets funnier the longer it stumbles. Three-Dollar Day is similar, perhaps not quite so consistently funny, but perks considerably at the end. The imposter’s increasingly ropey lie is a fine pay-off to a well-coiled gag. Amphitryo is the greatest of these recognition comedies: I find the whole thing hysterical, a continued switching of doubles, of confusion, stupidity, hypothetical drama. Nothing in Menander is nearly so funny; perhaps the Plautine touch is thus. His slaves – most often considered the area of his original development – are almost always the comic nexus. Whatever that might be taken to mean.
August 10, 2020
Partial spoiler warning!
The translator embellishes a lot of the text, but this does make for more varied and interesting reading. However, an egregious moment, I think, comes when in the Amphitryo the Latin text, at 2.2.107/750s (pg 259), clearly has Amphitryo exclaim to his wife, "Non de hoc quidem Hercle re" - "Not about this thing indeed, by Hercules!" Hercules has not yet been born to Amphitryo's wife, hence the humor of him saying it. The translator writes Amphitryo saying, "As a general rule, perhaps"! A colossal failure!!! I am ashamed of this guy!
The first three plays are very good and enjoyable. The last play has had to be reconstructed since a large section of the end has been lost except for excerpts from ancient lexica and grammars. The translator does a believable job finishing the final play from those excerpts. Also, Jupiter is a cad.
The translator embellishes a lot of the text, but this does make for more varied and interesting reading. However, an egregious moment, I think, comes when in the Amphitryo the Latin text, at 2.2.107/750s (pg 259), clearly has Amphitryo exclaim to his wife, "Non de hoc quidem Hercle re" - "Not about this thing indeed, by Hercules!" Hercules has not yet been born to Amphitryo's wife, hence the humor of him saying it. The translator writes Amphitryo saying, "As a general rule, perhaps"! A colossal failure!!! I am ashamed of this guy!
The first three plays are very good and enjoyable. The last play has had to be reconstructed since a large section of the end has been lost except for excerpts from ancient lexica and grammars. The translator does a believable job finishing the final play from those excerpts. Also, Jupiter is a cad.
October 16, 2020
Read alongside the corresponding Literature and History podcast episode on the Rope. Compared to the older Greek tragedies, these plays didn't pack as much of a punch to me, but it was nice to see more of a "daily life" type play than the fantastical gods and legends of the Greek plays. I'm guessing something was lost in translation in the performance -> written down -> translated to English (and with 2 of the plays possibly having a translation from Greek to Latin as well). In addition to that, this translation is a bit old (I think from the 60's) so it may benefit as well from having a new one in the future, it felt a little dry to me personally.
As this is (I think) the first Roman/Latin work I've read, I'm looking forward to later works.
As this is (I think) the first Roman/Latin work I've read, I'm looking forward to later works.
August 12, 2020
some of them had some interesting ideas and bits but they're just so old and dated and outlandish and pointless and burbling and bumbling and burning and scorching and scratching and scraping and scrooping and scrumping and scathing and bathing and mithering
December 22, 2017
Three good plays and one over worthy one. All interesting reflections of Roman society.
Read
December 21, 2018Read:
THE ROPE [RUDENS]
AMPHITRYO
THE ROPE [RUDENS]
AMPHITRYO
April 30, 2023
Entertaining plays on human character.
March 17, 2024
for a writer born in 254 B.C., Plautus’s plays are pretty entertaining.
October 28, 2011
I would classify Plautus as the writer of farces. For most of his works that I’ve read, they involve extravagant mistaken identities, unbelievable coincidences, and, of course, lost twins. While some plays, like The Prisoners, touch on the meaning of freedom, most feature stock characters (the clever slave, the boasting general, the lovelorn youths). The stage action consists of silliness, slap stick, punning and general mayhem.
It’s not great literature, but it is entertaining theatre, well targeted to his audience in the second century BC. Someone with an interest in comedy, drama or Roman history could do much worse than read these short plays. The rest of the world can save their time for other interests.
It’s not great literature, but it is entertaining theatre, well targeted to his audience in the second century BC. Someone with an interest in comedy, drama or Roman history could do much worse than read these short plays. The rest of the world can save their time for other interests.
May 14, 2014
I especially liked the last play, Amphitryo. I loved the slave's part. I want to memorize his speech about the battle.
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Anyway. Glad I stumbled upon this in a used book store. Definitely worth the reader, especially for those who like Aristophanes and Sophocles and Shakespeare.
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Anyway. Glad I stumbled upon this in a used book store. Definitely worth the reader, especially for those who like Aristophanes and Sophocles and Shakespeare.
April 28, 2008
I just remember really liking the lecture that went along with this, and that I was laughing while reading it.
September 26, 2009
My edition is actually this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Rope-Other-Play...
http://www.amazon.com/Rope-Other-Play...
June 25, 2010
Silly, but amusing and good to read for historical perspective.
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August 11, 2011If you like ancient comedy, this is a great playwright to read. He's hysterical.
January 2, 2013
I read Plautus's The Rope when studying classics.......I feel a need to read again its intricacies of plot
before writing review -
before writing review -
June 25, 2015
I read this after picking up a copy from the second-hand book table at a bird reserve. It’s certainly interesting, and even quite entertaining, despite the intervening centuries.
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