Born in 256 BC in Umbria (nothern Italy) and died in Rome in 184 BC.

Joined at a young age a theatrical troupe which travelled around performing short farces.

He gave up his acting career and became a soldier

He became a merchant but at the age of 45 he was penniless and recuded to a wandering miller

PLAUTUS = splay feet (flat feet)

MACCIUS or MACCUS = clown The name Maccus may concern one of

the characters of the Atella fabula (comedia of Atella)

He was reputed to have written 130 comedies of which 21 survive; The Asses, The Merchant, The Swaggering Soldier, Stichus, The Pot of Gold, Curculio, Epidicus, The Captives, The Rope, Trinummus, Mostelleria, Pseudolus, Bacchides, Amphitryo, Casina, The Persian and Truculentus.

Dealt with fabula palliata, the New Comedy (greek works)

Mix of the Greek with the Italian/Roman characteristics

Apply of the technique of contaninatio incorporating entire episodes from other comedies in the main work

Mention of the Greek authorProminence of the comic outcome and the creation

of farsic situations without persistence on the characters

Color of tragicomedyTransformation of the Greek works to melodramatic

operas (insistence in the songs of the plays)

Pursuit of the comic factPromotion of deceptionSimplification of

relationshipsNeglect of social

comments and analysis of the motives

Absence of the usual division of New Comedy in 5 acts and continual presentation of the play

Description of human characters like

servus callidus (devius slave),

leno (panderer), parasitus (parasite), the lover, senex (the foolish old man)

Comedies of misunderstanding

Crude farsaDouble identification, loss

and finding, entanglements, intrigues, disputes, love and separation

•Conversational language of the educated•Many Greek words•Latinization of Greek names and places•Play – puns•Neologisms•Connotations

Plautus's work have often judged as crude; his influence is impressive, especially on Shakespeare and Molière. Playwrights throughout history have looked to Plautus for character, plot, humor, and other elements of comedy. His influence ranges from similarities in idea to full literal translations woven into plays.