Explore Plautus through a clear, scene-by-scene study that uncovers how his comic world works and why it endures.
This scholarly work, The Dramatic Values in Plautus, frames criticism as a path to understanding both the plays and their public, focusing on how Plautus blends stock plots, character types, and dramatic devices to make audiences laugh.
This edition surveys how early critics viewed Plautus, and then builds a practical, evidence-based picture of how his comedy was performed, staged, and received. It explains why certain scenes feel larger-than-life and how the author’s methods shape the mood, pace, and humor of the plays, from farce to burlesque to moments of sharp wit.
- how Plautus uses stock characters and familiar plots to craft lively, confusing, and entertaining situations
- the different strands of comic technique, from farce and slapstick to dramatic irony
- how critics’ opinions have shifted over time and what that means for reading the plays today
- what the text reveals about ancient performance, audience reaction, and stage business
Ideal for readers of classical comedy, Latin literature, and theater history who want a grounded, methodical look at Plautus and his era.