Schwungvoll Handlung und schlichter Satzbau machen die »Mostellaria« zur geeigneten und beliebten Erstlektüre. Die dargestellten Konflikte bieten – über die vergnügliche Gespensterkomödie hinaus – zahlreiche Ansatzpunkte für einen aktuellen und zeitgemäßen Unterricht. Abbildungen, Begleittexte, Arbeitsaufträge und zahlreiche Sachinformationen unterstützen die Textarbeit und ermöglichen einen methodisch abwechslungsreichen Unterricht.
Die Ausgabe enthält den vollständigen Text in leichter Angleichung der Formen an das klassische Latein.
La scena iniziale con Grumione e Tranione ("M'hai mandato una zaffata d'aglio, letamaio che non sei altro, tanghero, caprone, porcaio, sozza mistura di brago e sterco! / Che vuoi farci? Non è consentito a tuti odorari di profumi esotici come te, nè sedere a capotavola come fai tu, nè mangiare pietanzine delicate come quelle che mangi tu") e la scena con Callidamate ubriaco (Atto I, Scena Quarta) mi hanno fatto spaccare; in generale però ho trovato la trama abbastanza fastidiosa e non ho apprezzato pienamente la commedia.
pel cole. 4 estrelles merescudíssimes perquè no podia parar de riure tota l'estona amb frases del tipus et penjaré, ets un moc ben penjat o carallot i gamarús. pel que fa la història, què vols que et digui, curta.
So, the play itself isn't bad, but I hated this translation. It's a translation from the 1850s, by Henry Thomas Riley, an old school classicist, and so it's got that awkward stilted style like bad Shakespeare--people going around saying things like "prithee" or "by my troth," which are probably not accurate to Roman republic-era linguistic styles, and aren't really that well performable.
As a plot, Mostellaria is probably more more enjoyable and interesting than this translation makes it. The play is about a young man named Philolaches, who has been living the life or Riley while his father has been abroad, including borrowing a bunch of money to free Philanatium, the music-girl whom he loves. When his father, Theuropides, returns, the clever slave Tranio needs to try and salvage the situation, which he does by telling Theuropides that Philolaches has moved out of the house because it's haunted. Theuropides buys this, and even agrees to pay a banker the money for Philolaches' debt, having been told by Trani it's the cost of buying the house next door so Philolaches can avoid living in a haunted house. Tranio successfully navigates preventing Theuropides and the neighbor Simo from figuring out what's going on, until a slave of Philolaches' friend shows up at Theuropides' house and tells the old man about his son's riotous lifestyle. This gives the game away, and Theuropides fears he's financially and reputationally ruined, determining to punish Tranio and his son, until the friend whose slave gave the game away arrives to reconcile everyone. https://youtu.be/Wl7dQpkIum4
2.5 stars. I can’t understand why this play by Plautus was lauded in the critical introduction for its vivid characterization when we are given just more of the same with the clever slave, the “slow burn” master, the miserly money-lender, etc. Like a modern situation comedy, the plot has an amusing concept, but includes pointless characters (let’s call them “guest stars”), filler dialogue, and an all-too-neat ending. It wasn’t bad...just not very memorable.
Were it not for being told before reading this play, I would not have known this is a rewritten Roman version of the Greek play The Malcontent (AKA The Grouch) by Menander (which I have also read). They are both realistic plays which stood apart from others at the time as they contained neither gods nor heroes. Beyond that, however, they did not seem to be the same play to me.
Viktig föregångare till den västerländska komedin, som Comedia dell'arte och Shakespeares förväxlingskommedier osv. Men det känns inte som om den listige tjänaren i denna pjäs är så listig, utan snarare strular till det för sig.
I didn’t think this one was too funny but Tranio was pretty entertaining. In Menaechmi I thought the characters were assholes. In this one, they were just boring.
Titus Maccius Platus var rómverskt leikritaskáld. Þessi bók er stutt, eitt leikverk og góður formáli á undan. Ef þú hefur áhuga á leikritagerð þá er þetta bók fyrir þig til þess að lesa.