Dr. A. Raia
CLS 173 A CDA The Comic Spirit
October 11, 2002

In Unit 1, informed by our own experiences of and reflections on contemporary comedy in jokes and sit coms, and with the aid of readings on comic criticism, we undertook to explore the nature of comedy by examining the comic in four Roman comedies: Plautus’ Menaechmi, Terence’s Eunuch, The Girl From Andros, and The Mother in Law. Prepare to respond as follows:
I. Review your notes on your reading of the plays and hand-outs, as well as your written assignments.
II. Write the following three essays (33% each; 1 point is free) by giving as much detail to support your answer as you can.
You are encouraged to use your notes, former assignments, the plays, and the hand-outs in your essays. You may use other sources, but you must cite them. Do NOT quote the plays or other materials at length – I am looking for your own thinking and analysis.

1. The Meretrix (prostitute) appears as an important character in all four plays. Discuss her character as both stereotype and individual, demonstrating how she contributes to the comedy in each of the four plays we read.

2. Chaos arising from misunderstanding and deception is an important element of the comedy in both the Brothers Menaechmus and The Eunuch. Explain in detail how Plautus and Terence make use of this comic device in these two plays.

3. Humor and Wit are significant properties of comedy. Explain your understanding of the different meaning of the two terms, then describe their relative importance in The Girl From Andros and The Mother in Law.