Plautus: The Comedies, Volume II

Plautus - Complete Roman Drama in Translation #2

by David R. Slavitt, Palmer Bovie (Editor)

"The works of Plautus," writes Palmer Bovie, "mark the real beginning of Roman literature." In these lively new translations, which effectively communicate the vitality and verve of the originals, the plays of Plautus are accessible to a new generation.

Plays and translators:

Volume 1: Amphitryon, Constance Carrier. Miles Gloriosus, Erich Segal. Captivi, Richard Moore. Casina, Richard Beacham. Curculio, Henry Taylor

Volume 2: Rudens, Constance Carrier. Aulularia, Palmer Bovie. Bacchides, James Tatum. Mercator, George Garrett. Truculentus, James Tatum

Genres: Drama

408 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

David Rytman Slavitt was an American writer, poet, and translator, the author of more than 100 books.
Slavitt has written a number of novels and numerous translations from Greek, Latin, and other languages. Slavitt wrote a number of popular novels under the pseudonym Henry Sutton, starting in the late 1960s. The Exhibitionist (1967) was a bestseller and sold over four million copies. He has also published popular novels under the names of David Benjamin, Lynn Meyer, and Henry Lazarus. His first work, a book of poems titled Suits for the Dead, was published in 1961. He worked as a writer and film critic for Newsweek from 1958 to 1965.
According to Henry S. Taylor, winner of the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, "David Slavitt is among the most accomplished living practitioners" of writing, "in both prose and verse; his poems give us a pleasurable, beautiful way of meditating on a bad time. We can't ask much more of literature, and usually we get far less." Novelist and poet James Dickey wrote, "Slavitt has such an easy, tolerant, believable relationship with the ancient world and its authors that making the change-over from that world to ours is less a leap than an enjoyable stroll. The reader feels a continual sense of gratitude."

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark comedies but not quite dark comedy proper....in that regard not as good as volume 1 which was straightforward comedy. The Truculentus was the best and most effective.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Plautus because it was recommended by the lecturer in an audiobook series I had been listening to. He likened the "Early Roman" works by Plautus to the "Situation Comedies" of the ancient world. And I don't think I could give a better description.

As someone who hasn't read a lot of ancient plays, I think these plays serve as a good introduction. It's interesting to think about what the ancients laughed about, such as slaves getting the better of their masters. They're fun and easy to follow, and you don't have to worry about any deep intellectual themes.

That doesn't mean that everything is fine and dandy by contemporary standards. For example, in the pre-action of Mercator (or The Merchant) the title character falls in love with a girl while on a business trip for his father. So, what does he do? Well, in the world of Plautus, he buys her, of course. In other words, the plays in this collection all have something to do with prostitutes perhaps becoming the virtual master of their customers, or even casual attitudes towards sexual slavery. While it is insightful concerning the time of the plays, I'm sure this would bother some modern readers.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my general thoughts about Plautus here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Rope – *** This play of reconciliation and reunion reminds me of Shakespeare’s late plays – especially The Tempest. A storm starts the plot unfolding, and a daughter is reunited with her father, a husband is found, slaves are freed, etc. Otherwise, this play is moderately entertaining but not a must read. There is an interesting interlude by a fisherman about the struggles of the poor.