The Dramatic Values in Plautus Part 4

"PH. (_In languis.h.i.+ng accents, with eyes cast upward_): Shall I not take sweets to the sweet: what is culled by the toil of the busy bees to my own little honey?... (_They advance to milady's doorway which he sprinkles with wine_, 88 ff.): Come, drink, ye portals of pleasure, quaff and deign to be propitious unto me.

PALINURUS SER. (_Addressing the door with mimicry of Phaedromus' airs._) Do you want some olives or sweetmeats or capers?

PH. (_Continuing._) Arouse your portress; hither send her unto me.

(_Lavishes the wine._)

PAL. (_In great alarm, grasping his arm._) You're spilling the wine!

What's got hold of you?

PH. Unhand me! (_Gently shakes himself loose._) Lo! The temple of joys untold is opening. Did not the hinge creak? 'Tis charming!

PAL. (_Turning aside in disgust._) Why don't you give it a kiss?"

In each case the impertinent slave provides the foil. When the lovers succeed in meeting, they are interlocked in embrace from 172 to 192, probably invested with no small amount of suggestive "business." This would doubtless hardly be tolerated by the "censor" today. Another variety of lover's extravagance is the lavis.h.i.+ng of terms of endearment, as we find in _Cas._ 134 ff.[117]

When this feature of "extravagance" enters the situation instead of the dialogue, we have episodes such as the final scene of the _Ps._, where the name character is irrelevantly introduced (1246) in a state of intoxication which, with copious belching in Simo's face, culminates in a rebellion of the overloaded stomach (1294). We can scarcely doubt that such business was carried out in ultra-graphic detail and rewarded by copious guffaws from the populace. In sharp contrast to this, the drunkenness of Callidamates in _Most._ 313 ff. is depicted with unusual artistry, but still from the very nature of such a scene it may be labeled "extravagant."

Manifestation of violent anger is another source of exaggerated stage business. _Ep._ 512 ff. should be interpreted somewhat as follows:

"(_The deluded Periphanes has just discovered that the fidicina is an impostor and not his daughter._) FID. (_Sweetly._) Do you want me for anything else?

PER. (_Stamping foot and shaking fists in a pa.s.sion._) The foul fiend take you to utter perdition! Clear out, and quickly too!

FID. (_In alarm._) Won't you give me back my harp?

PER. Nor harp nor pipes! So hurry up and get out of here, if you know what's good for you!

FID. (_Stamping her foot in tearful rage._) I'll go, but you'll have to give them back later just the same and it will be all the worse for you.

PER. (_Striding up and down in wildest anger._) What!... shall I let her go unpunished? Nay, even if I have to lose as much again, I'll lose it rather than let myself be mocked and despoiled with impunity!" and so on.[118]

Other random scenes that may be cla.s.sed as "extravagant" are found in Strobilus' cartoon of Euclio (_Aul._ 300 ff.), Demipho's discovery in the distance of a mythical bidder for the girl (_Mer._ 434 ff.), Charinus'

playing "horsey" and taking a trip in his imaginary car (_Mer._ 930 ff.), and the loud "boo-hoo" to which Philocomasium gives vent (_Mil._ 1321 ff.). These all might be cla.s.sed under either "farce" or "burlesque," but they seem to come more exactly under the kindred head of "extravagance."

A familiar figure in modern farce-comedy is the comic conspirator with finger on lip, tiptoeing round in fear of listeners. He finds his prototype in _Trin._ (146 ff.):

"(_Callicles and Megaronides converse._)

CAL. (_In a mysterious whisper._) Look around a bit and make sure there's n.o.body spying on us--and please look around every few seconds. (_They pause and peer in every direction, perhaps creeping round on tiptoe._)

MEG. Now, I am all ears.

CAL. When you're through, I'll talk. (_Pauses and nods._) Just before Charmides went abroad, he showed me a treasure, (_stops and looks over his shoulders_) in his house here, in one of the rooms. (_Starts, as if at a noise._) Look around! (_They repeat the search and return again._)

MEG. There's n.o.body."[119]

Another old stage friend is the detected plotter trying to lie out of an embarra.s.sing situation. He is lineally descended from Tranio in the _Most._ Tranio has just induced his master Theopropides to pay forty minae to the money-lender on the pretext that Theopropides' son Philolaches has bought a house (659 ff.):

"TH. In what neighborhood did my son buy this house?

TR. (_Aside to audience in comic despair, with appropriate gesture._) See there now! I'm a goner!

TH. (_Impatiently._) Will you answer my question?

TR. Oh yes, but (_Stammering and displaying symptoms of acute embarra.s.sment_) I--I'm trying to think of the owner's name. (_Groans._)

TH. Well, hurry up and remember it!

TR. (_Rapidly, aside._) I can't see anything better to do than tell him his son bought the house of our next-door neighbor here. (_With a shrug._) Thunder, I've heard that a _steaming_ lie is the best kind.

(_Mock-heroically._) 'Tis the will of the G.o.ds, my mind's made up.

TH. (_Who has been frowning and stamping in impatience._) Well, well, well! Haven't you thought of it yet?

TR. (_Aside._) Curses on him!... (_Finally turning and bursting out suddenly._) It's our next-door neighbor here--your son bought the house from him. (_He sees that the lie goes and sighs with relief._)"[120]

Another variation on this theme is the futile effort of the plotter to get rid of a character armed with incriminating evidence. Again we quote _Most._ (573 ff.), where Tranio is conversing with Theopropides. The money-lender from whom young Philolaches has borrowed appears on the other side of the stage. Tranio espies him. He must keep him away from the old man. With a hurried excuse he flies across to meet Misargyrides.

"TR. (_Taking Misargyrides' arm and attempting to steer him off-stage._) I was never so glad to see a man in my life.

MIS. (_Suspiciously, holding back._) What's the matter?

TR. (_Confidentially._) Just step this way. (_Looks back apprehensively at Theopropides, who is regarding them suspiciously._)

MIS. (_In a loud and offensive voice._) Won't my interest be paid?

TR. I know you have a good voice; don't shout so loud.

MIS. (_Louder._) Hang it, but I _will_ shout!

TR. (_Groans and glances over shoulder again._) Run along home, there's a good fellow. (_Urges him toward exit._)", etc.

Tranio has a chance for very lively business: a sickly smile for the usurer, lightning glances of apprehension towards Theopropides, with an occasional intimate groan aside to the audience. Other farcical scenes of the many that may be cited as calling for particularly vivacious business and gesture are, e.g., _Cas._ 621 ff., where Pardalisca befools Lysidamus by timely fainting, _Rud._ 414 ff., where Sceparnio flirts with Ampelisca, and the quarrel scene, _Rud._ 485 ff.[121]

The last four pa.s.sages quoted in translation are by no means lacking in artistic humor and a measure of reality, but they imply a p.r.o.nounced heightening of the actions and emotions of everyday life and lose their humor unless presented in the broad spirit that stamps them as belonging to the plane of farce. We now pa.s.s on to motives where the dialogue aims at effects manifestly unnatural and where verisimilitude is sacrificed to the joke, as we have seen it is in the employment of "bombast," "true burlesque," etc.

The first of these motives is a stream of copious abuse, as in _Per._ 406 ff., where Toxilus _servos_ and Dordalus _leno_ exchange Rabelaisian compliments.

"TOX. (_Hopping about with rabid gestures._) You filthy pimp, you mud-heap, you common dung-hill, you besmirched, corrupt, law-breaking decoy, you public sewer, ... robber, mobber, jobber, ...!

DOR. (_Who has been dancing around in fury, shaking his fist until exhausted by his paroxysms._) Wait--till--(_Puffing_)--I--get--my breath--I'll--answer you! You dregs of the rabble, you slave-brothel, you 'white-slave' freer, you sweat-of-the-lash, you chain gang, you king of the treadmill, ... you eat-away, steal-away run-away....!" etc.[122]

Perhaps we have here the forerunner of the shrewish wife in modern vaudeville, who administers to her shrinking consort a rapid-fire tongue-las.h.i.+ng. Another phase of this profuse riot of words appears in the formidable Persian name that Sagaristio, disguised as a Persian, adopts in the _Per._ (700 ff.):

"DORDALUS. What's your name?

SAG. Listen then, and you shall hear: False-speaker-us Girl-seller-son Much-o'-nothing-talk-son Money-gouge-out-son Talk-up-to you-son Coin-wheedle-out-son What-I-once-get-son Never-give-up-son: there you are!

DOR. (_With staring eyes and gasping breath._) Ye G.o.ds! That's a variegated name of yours!