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English 240: Ancient Literature Plautus, The Braggart Soldier Al Drake | Cyber Cafe M/W 10-11 | ajdrake@ajdrake.com 1. What's the point of offering us a brief dialogue between the soldier Pyrgopolynices and his servant Artotrogus before Palaestrio steps onstage to recount the plot? What do we learn about the two characters from their conversation? 2. Palaestrio's synopsis (lines 79-155) recounts a large part of the plot. What story does the plot reduce to—what needs to happen, and what values have been violated that must be set right? Also, since plot recounting breaks the dramatic illusion, how would you describe the kind of pleasure the playwright must be aiming to give the audience? 3. From 156-258, the Soldier's middle-aged neighbor Periplectomenus and his servant Palaestrio work up a plan to deal with their dilemma—the Soldier's slave Sceledrus has seen Philocomasium smooching with Pleusicles in Periplectomenus' home. Who is the mastermind here, and what plan does he devise? 4. From 259-584, the plan is put into action. What are Sceledrus' fears, and why do you suppose Palaestrio and Philocomasium are able to play upon them so successfully? What makes Philocomasium such a sympathetic character at this point? 5. From 584-813, consider Periplectomenus. Why is he a sympathetic character? Why does he want to help Pleusicles and Philocomasium? What view of marriage does the old man set forth? 6. From 585-813, Palaestrio converses with Periplectomenus and Pleusicles. What new plot emerges around line 765, cooked up by Palaestrio? 7. The prostitute Acroteleutium and her maid Milphidippa are enlisted in Palaestrio's plot from around line 870 onwards. What claims are made for and against women in the process of laying out and executing the plot against Pergopolynices? How do their wiles compare with those of Palaestrio? 8. As the play moves towards its end, is it lust that does Pergopolynices in, as he suggests when he realizes he has been duped, or would you describe his downfall another way? Also, what constitutes the happy ending of this comedy? –What has been set right that was wrong? Edition. Plautus. Four Comedies. Trans. Erich Segal. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1996.
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