Significant Scenes: Pseudolus

Question 1

Prologue

Answer 1

Introducing typical New Comedy to the audience, adulescens in love, obstacles to getting the girl, clever slave. Telling people to enjoy the play , stretch your legs,

Question 2

Pseudolus’ Direct Addresses To the Audience

Answer 2

1st: Talking to self about how brilliant he is, about how he doesn’t have a plan and still wants to help his master Calidorus (after he exists).
2nd: Likens himself to a general (army of tricks), more meta because he uses the word play, after Simo and Callipho have been notified of ‘double trick’.
3rd: (Singing) After piper plays, building self up more, I’m awesome, everything I do is cool, more likeness to general (legions, booty, citadel)

Question 3

Philosophizing Comedian

Answer 3

Pseudolus again adressing the audience, talks about Fortuna, shunning what we have, chase what we don’t, clever man vs fool, death. Ends scene with stopping himself and saying he’s delaying the plot (meta)

Question 4

Epilogue

Answer 4

Pseudolus setting the score with Simo (master) play about making a Plautine comedy?