Comedy and Audience in Ancient Rome

The surviving plays of Roman comic playwright Plautus are a treasure trove of wit, wordplay, and an almost Vaudevillian hilarity. They also provide a fascinating window through which to glimpse the everyday experiences and concerns of the ancient Romans, via Plautus' sensitive treatment of themes like friendship, foreign policy, and the (mis)treatment of slaves and prisoners of war. In this course, we will read two of Plautus' plays in translation, along with selected secondary readings, taking time along the way to explore how comedy makes us laugh—and how it makes us think. (Part 1 of 2 part Critical Writing Sequence for LPS BA candidates)