Analyze - Book Report/Review Example

Pseudolus himself is one of the most delightful characters of new comedy, especially in his happy nonchalance and his assured self-confidence Among modern adaptations of the play may be mentioned Holberg’s Diderich Menschen-Shrak. The first and last scenes are perhaps the best of the play. Phoenician’s love letter is as unforgettable as are the jokes which Pseudolus make over it. These are jokes best appreciated by one who has tried to decipher a lover’s scrawl at Pompeii or an ancient letter on papyrus.

Ballio’s marshalling of his household, also, is a good if somewhat crude scene. Later, the comic irony of ballio’s mistaking the real Harpax for the minion of Pseudolus is most amusing. But the final uproarious scenes with the drunken Pseudolus must have surpassed all the rest an inappropriately low ending for this frankly low comedy. Nothing is known of the Greek original of the Pseudolus, but it is often assumed that Plautus has here indulged in contamination. Inconsistencies concerning the twenty minae are pointed out.

But the undeniably bewildering financial confusion of the play seems only another aspect of its humour. Again, in the opinion of many critics Callipho should reappear after he expresses his delight in watching the sport of Pseudolus and promises to devote the rest the day to this (Smith, 551-60). It does seem unfortunate that the dramatist has not combined the roles of Callipho and Charinus. But expressions of the interest in the action such as Callipho makes are deliberately designed to estimate the interest of the audience, and they cannot be taken as sound evidence of contamination.

Besides, the Pseudolus moves too rapidly to allow the spectator time for reflection on minor inconsistencies. However, the comic gives us an overview regarding the relationship between Candorus and Pseudolus. Some of the similar characters both