Plautus' Amphitruo is the sole specimen of mythological burlesque in ancient comedy to come down to us in nearly complete form. This sex farce delighted Roman audiences and readers for centuries and continues to inspire adaptations to this day. Dr Christenson utilizes recent work in performance criticism in conjunction with traditional philological analysis to provide new insights into the play in performance. The edition aims to recover the essence of Plautine spectacle from the most concrete details of staging to the complex performative dynamics played out among the actors themselves and the actors and the audience. Included in the Introduction is an account of the mythic and dramatic background to Plautus' play as well as of its influence in post-classical drama. Plautus' metres are explained in a manner students will find helpful and instructive. Dr Christenson presents a new text that includes stage directions in English.

An edition with introduction and line-by-line commentary of the Roman playwright Plautus' comedy Amphitruo.
Reviews
'This is one of the most useful editions of Roman drama that have appeared in recent years ... the volume comprises eighty pages of a well-structured introduction and nearly two hundred pages of informative and illuminating commentary.' Mnemosyne



Book Information
ISBN 9780521459976
Author Plautus
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 370g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 127mm * 20mm