Menaechmi is a whimsical, provocative, and influential Roman comedy that explores the power dynamics of various relationships and the status of slaves and women in Roman culture. It has been adapted by numerous authors and is an enduring part of the classical tradition.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 13 January 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Bloomsbury Ancient Comedy Companions: Menaechmi

This new volume in the Bloomsbury Ancient Comedy Companions series is perfect for students coming to one of Plautus's most whimsical, provocative, and influential plays for the first time, and a useful first point of reference for scholars less familiar with Roman comedy.

Menaechmi

Menaechmi is a tale of identical twin brothers who are separated as young children and reconnect as adults following a series of misadventures due to mistaken identity. A gluttonous parasite, manipulative courtesan, shrewish wife, crotchety father-in-law, bumbling cook, saucy handmaid, quack doctor, and band of thugs comprise the colourful cast of characters. Each encounter with a misidentified twin destabilizes the status quo and provides valuable insight into Roman domestic and social relationships.

The Power Dynamics at Play

The book analyzes the power dynamics at play in the various relationships, especially between master and slave and husband and wife, in order to explore the meaning of freedom and the status of slaves and women in Roman culture and Roman comedy. These fundamental societal concerns gave Plautus's Menaechmi an enduring role in the classical tradition, which is also examined here, including notable adaptations by William Shakespeare, Jean François Regnard, Carlo Goldoni and Rodgers and Hart.

Weight: 250g
Dimension: 138 x 217 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350092723