SOME FEATURES
of Roman Comedy

political satire

slap-stick comedy

comedy of manners

(domestic, refined, elegance of style)

STAGING

temporary theatres

raised stage

exit to the right (Forum)

exit to the left (countryside)

masks

OCCASIONS

annual state festival of expiation or thanksgiving

special occasions like triumphs and funerals

e.g., Terence’s Adelphoi at funeral games for

Aemilius Paulus

SLIDES

STOCK CHARACTERS

strict father

playboy son

smart slave

cheap slave dealer

cook

braggard soldier

THEORY OF ROMAN COMEDY

Holiday atmosphere (SATURNALIA)

Erich Segal. Roman Laughter

(Cambridge, 1968)

Comedy turns Roman society upside-down.

Paterfamilias

Auctoritas (Authority)

Sobrietas (Sobriety)

Gravitas (Seriousness)

Industria (Hard Work)

Simplicitas (Simplicity)

This material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.