Four Comedies: The Braggart Soldier; The Brothers Menaechmus; The Haunted House; The Pot of Gold

by Plautus, Erich Segal (Translator)

Plautus was the single greatest influence on Western comedy. Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and Molière's The Miser are two subsequent classics directly based on Plautine originals. Plautus himself borrowed from the Greeks, but his jokes, rapid dialogue, bawdy humour, and irreverent characterizations are the original work of an undisputed genius. The comedies printed here show him at his best, and professor Segal's translations keep their fast, rollicking pace intact, making these the most readable and actable versions available. His introduction considers Plautus' place in ancient comedy, examines his continuing influence, and celebrates his power to entertain.

For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Genres: Drama

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 17, 2008

About the author

Titus 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.

Reviews

[Gabriella Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

everyone say thank you fred🫡
expanding to roman plays don’t tell aristophanes🤭

[Marissa | storiesinthemeadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read The Brothers Menaechmus for book club. I might go back and read the others at some point. Definitely going to go read A Comedy of Errors now!

I liked the lyrical quality of this translation—putting in some internal rhyme, translating idioms into ones that would be familiar to readers today (rather than doing a literal translation of the Latin for those parts).

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read the comedies in this book for a class, and I highly recommend them! They're surprisingly entertaining and funny, and they're such easy reads. I particularly love the rhythm of the lines!

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

classics counts to the goodreads idc