The Roman Theatre an introduction to Latin Comedy Age Group: 16 Language level: B1/B2 Objectives: the differences between Greek and Latin Comedy, aims, audience, themes, characters, places, structures and time of performances. Stages of the lesson and timing: 2 units of 2 hours each. Activities: one hour frontal lesson as an introduction; slides f archeological sites; typical situation of dramas played by students (reading, listening and speaking activities).

Teatro di Dioniso, Acropoli di Atene (circa 338-326 a.C.)

Teatro di Epidauro

Vocabulary Give the right definition to the words listed below Orchestra…………………………………………………………. Koilon…………………………………………………………… Diazoma……………………………………………......................... Proscenion………………………………………………………….. Parodos…………………………………………………................ Scene………………………………………………………………..

Comedy Structure Translate into English: Il Prologo: espone la situazione iniziale. La Parodo: entrano danzando 24 coreuti. L’Agone: intervengono alternativamente i due personaggi contendenti. La Parabasi: il Coro si rivolge direttamente al pubblico, illustrando il significato della commedia e le intenzioni del poeta. L’Esodo: attori e coreuti escono, festeggiando il lieto fine.

Characters: Sosia, Slave, Old Man

Sosia Reading and Speaking While Amphitryon was engaged in a war with his foes, the Teloboians, Jupiter assumed his appearance and took the loan of his wife, Alcmena. Mercury takes the form of an absent slave, Sosia, and Alcmena is deceived by the two impostors. After the real Amphitryon and Sosia return they both are deluded in extraordinary fashion. This leads to an altercation and quarrel between wife and husband, until there comes from the heavens, with a peal of thunder, the voice of Jupiter, who owns that he has been the guilty lover.

Miles Gloriuosus reading looking heroic and posing in a pompous manner. Behind him is his “parasite”, Artotrogus, who earns his meals by flattering the soldier. He constantly boasts about his accomplishments and portrays himself as a fantastic military hero. In reality, his accomplishments are far smaller--hence the play's title. After he leaves the stage we meet one of the main characters of the play, Palaestrio. Formerly he served a young Athenian, Pleusicles. His former master had a girlfriend named Philocomasium who was kidnapped from Athens and taken by Pyrgopolynices. When Palaestrio tried to reach his master with this bad news, the slave was seized by pirates and sold, by chance, to the same soldier. Both he and the girl have been living in the soldier’s house in Ephesus, but Palaestrio has sent a letter secretly to his former master telling him where they are. Now Pleusicles has come to Ephesus and is staying with Periplectomeanus, who lives next door to the soldier, and the wise Palaestrio has cut a hole in the wall so the two lovers can see one another.

Servus Callidus speaking and acting He is the real main character of many of the most famous Plauto’s comedies, such as Miles Gloriosus, Bacchides, Pseudolus and many others. He is a comic hero who takes on him the sympathy and attention of the author as well as of the audience.

Teatro di Dioniso Particolare dell’orchestra, che evidenzia la pavimentazione intarsiata. La fila dei sedili privilegiati (proedrie) è indicata dalla freccia rossa), i gradini che davano accesso alla zona rialzata su cui recitavano gli attori dalla freccia verde. 10

Fabula Palliata Fabula palliata or Palliata (plural Fabulae palliatae or palliatae) are names assigned by the Romans to a genre of comedy (Comoedia palliata) that reworked in Latin the themes of Greek New Comedy. The genre began with the comedies of Livius Andronicus, who also initiated Roman literature and Roman drama. The name comes from pallium, a small cape traditionally worn by the actors who performed in his plays, in imitation of the himation worn by Greek actors; that is, the Romans were identifying the genre as imitations of Greek comedy.