Roman World
by Matthew Webb, University of Maryland
Roman Drama
The ancient Romans loved to go to the theatre to see comedies and tragedies! Today we're going to learn a bit about ancient Roman drama (plays).
Roman plays, especially comedies, had lots of stock characters. What this means is that in most Roman comedies, we see the same type of character appearing over and over again. Here are some of the stock characters that we see in ancient Roman plays:
Young Loverboy
The young loverboy is a handsome young man, but he is really a dumb airhead! He would not be able to survive without the help of his parents and friends.
Beautiful Maiden
This character is loved by the young loverboy. But, like the loverboy, the maiden is absolutely beautiful, but has no brains whatsoever! In modern times we might call her a ditz. On the other hand, every now and then the maiden can be tricky and clever.
Old Man
There is almost always an Old Man in Roman plays. Sometimes he is silly, sometimes foolish, sometimes overprotective of his daughters. He often stands in the way of the romance between the young loverboy and the beautiful maiden.
Harsh Wife
The harsh wife is sometimes very mean and strict. She is always suspicious of her husband being out with other women!
Arrogant Soldier
This character is very egotistical, which means he has a very high opinion of himself! He is always chasing after women, whether or not they are married! He thinks that he is extremely handsome, and believes that all the women are in love with him. He likes it when people talk about his (usually false!) accomplishments.
Tricky Servant
The tricky servant is often the star of the show. He has lots of brains, and is always coming up with elaborate plots to get more food or to gain his freedom. In Roman plays, servants often are seen with very big, open mouths and huge stomachs, to emphasize how much they love food!
Not only did the Romans have lots of stock characters, but they also had stock situations! These themes show up again and again in Roman plays. Here are some of the themes:
- love
- confusion
- silly physical humor
- twins
- role reversal
- happy endings
Can you think of any modern movies that feature some of these stock characters and situations? List a few here, and then scroll down for my list.
Click on each movie name to learn a little bit more about it. Activity! Rent some of the movies and write a few sentences describing the Roman stock characters and situations that you see!
A Comedy of Errors
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Meet the Parents
Sleeping Beauty
The Little Mermaid
Trading Places
Twins
You must be wondering, where did the Romans put on their plays? Roman plays took place in large theatres that looked like this:
The Greeks (peoples who lived east of the Romans) built the original theatres. We're going to learn the Greek names for the parts of an ancient theatre. The Romans would have used these names too.
1 = orchestra, the performance area
2 = diazoma, walkways in the seating area
3 = cavea, the entire seating area
4 = kerkides, wedge shaped seating area
5 = skene, the portable stage
6 = parodos, the circular pathway surrounding the orchestra
Now, click here for a worksheet where you can practice your knowledge of the parts of an ancient theatre! In each blank, fill in the name of the theatre part.
Testudo is absolutely amazed! He has just found out that modern theatres are heavily influenced by ancient theatres! Take a look at this theatre at the University of Virginia, for example! In the box below it, write the similarities between this theatre and an ancient theatre.
Congratulations, you have finished the forth lesson!
