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Plautus Play Analysis

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Plautus was a play writer and an actor born in Italy in 254 BCE and died 184 BCE, he was a great Roman comic dramatist whose work was sparsely adapted from Greek plays; he began his carrier as an actor. Pseudolus is one of the works of Plautus which was first shown in 191 BCE at the megalesian festival. Pseudolus is play about a soldier who put down 60 pounds of token to come back later to pay the balance of 20 pounds for a girl whose pimp wanted 80pounds for her to be sold. She sends a letter to her lover (Calidorus) who is heartbroken and confused because he can’t afford to watch her leave and also couldn’t afford to buy her from the pimp. Pseudolus who is Calidorus father’s servant assured him in quote “you are going to have your girl free and in your arm today”. Calidorus not having any idea how trusted Pseudolus and followed his instructions. Pseudolus had an agreement with his master Simo to get 80 pounds , Ballio the pimp heard of Pseudolus intentions from Simo and made sure he wasn’t going to hand over Phoenicium (Calidorus lover) to Pseudolus but Ballio was tricked and before he realized it he had lost Phoenicium in addition Ballio had to issue a refund of …show more content…

In the play Plautus uses some theatrical elements that can only be seen and heard on stage rather than read, like the clothing of the soldier (Harpax) that was copied by his impersonator Sima who paraded with a borrowed uniform which could only be seen in the theatre as well as the token. Plautus conveys his humor visually by actions on stage, for instance in one occasion Pseudolus facial expression showed a disgusted glance at the hand writing on the letter sent to Calidorus by Phoenicium. Also, when Calidorus was asking for money and help from Pseudolus he changed his tone to one of grim depression; this could only be heard in the theatre not

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