Pseudolus
Please read Plautus' Pseudolus. The Perseus site is a bit hard to navigate. I'll try to find a more easily read online version and post the link later.Cite a line from Pseudolos that shows something about Roman society or Roman history one might not learn from a more conventional historical source, e.g., something about day-to-day life in Rome, something about Roman values, or something about the Roman sense of humor. Explain why you chose this particular line.
posted by Ancient Art at 9:32 AM
13 Comments:
The issue of slavery and Rome is not discussed much in history. In Pseudolus, there is a boy that lives in what he calls a "pimp's house - and on top of that, to make his an ugly boy - I should think that's the cruel and miserable thing the gods could do to him" (p.247) Many senators and elites owned slaves and treated them with contempt and disrespect. These slaves were expected to follow every command and not talk unless allowed by its owners.
Ballio-He could have paid me long ago if he had wanted to.
Calidorus-How could I, if I hadn’t got the money?
Ballio-You’d have found some way, if you’d been really in love you’d have borrowed it from a friend, gone to a money lender and offered him his bit of interest, or robbed your father.
Pseudolus-Rob his father you scoundrel. I’m sorry for anyone who expects good advice from you.
Ballio-It’s not a ponce’s job to give good advice.
Calidorus-I couldn’t possibly rob my father, the old man is far too clever for that. And if I could, my duty would forbid it.
Although it is Calidorus’s main goal in the play to acquire the slave lady from Ballio, he will not go so far as to steal the money from his father, because of his duty as his son.
Ballio teases Calidorus, saying that he would rather be a scoundrel with money then to have held faithful to his duty and be penniless. Calidorus is still not moved by Ballio's idea, because his respect for his father is too great.
-Nate Mills
While this might be looking into the words a bit too much, Here are a few lines in which I found perspective:
CALIDORUS Why don't you weep, then?
PSEUDOLUS I've eyes of pumice stone (75)10 ; I can't prevail upon them to squeeze out one tear even.
CALIDORUS Why so?
PSEUDOLUS My family was always a dryeyed one.
In this short comment Pseudolus gives us insight on how to react. One follows the instruction of the parent- who follows the instruction of his parent- and so on. While it's not a secret, it is an explanation of how to act. In Pseudolus' case, he refrained from crying, even after hearing heartbreaking news in his letter. He did this because he knew that it is not 'acceptable' for him to cry.
-Amber Eich
BALLIO If you had been in love, you would have found it on loan. You would have gone to the usurer4 ; you would have paid the interest; or else you would have pilfered it from your father.
PSEUDOLUS Ought he to have pilfered it from his father, you most shameless villain? There is no fear that you'll point out to him anything that's right.
BALLIO That's not like a procurer.
CALIDORUS And could I possibly pilfer anything from my father, an old man so much on his guard? And besides, if I could do so, filial affection forbids.
BALLIO I understand you; do you then at night embrace filial affection in place of Phœnicium. But since I see you prefer your filial affection to your love--are all men your fathers? Is there no one for you to ask to lend you some money?
CALIDORUS Why, the very name of lending's dead and gone by this.
PSEUDOLUS Look you now; since, i' faith(296)
5 , those fellows arose from the banker's table, with a filled skin, who, when they called in their own, paid what they had borrowed to no born creature, since then, I say, all people have been more cautious not to trust another.
CALIDORUS Most wretched am I; nowhere am I able to find a coin of silver; so distractedly am I perishing both through love and want of money.
BALLIO Buy oil on credit6 , and sell it for ready money; then, i' faith, even two hundred minæ ready money might be raised.
CALIDORUS There I'm done; the twenty-five year old law7 founders me. All are afraid to trust me.
Calidorus is talking about having issues coming up with the money. It is suggested to him, the different ways of getting the money. It is even suggest that he steal it. Calidorus is showing the elders the respect of not taking the cash, let alone from his own father
Pseudolus: By God, I couldn't raise a drachma, not even if I pawned my own body. But what do you want to do with a drachma?
Calimdorus: Buy a rope.
Pseudolus: What for?
Claidorus: To hang myself. I am resolved before night falls to take refuge in everlasting night.
Pseudolus: Then who'll pay me back my drachma? Is that your idea, to go and hang yourself on purpose to do me out of a drachma if I lend you one?
I fould this part of the play amusing and interesting. The values of honesty and trust can be pulled from the idea that people should always give each other back what they borrow. However, there is a sense of irony because Pseudolus is upset that Calidorus is trying to get out of repaying him such a small amount, but Pseudolus can trick Ballio out of a much larger amount of money and a girl.
Also:
Pseudolus: See here, Calidorus, I shall want your assistance.
Claidorus: At your service, sir.
This part of the play describes the relationships between the masters and the slaves. They are friends. Pseudolus is not presented as inferior to Calidorus. It almost seems the other way around. The master is catering to the slaves needs, Humerous and interesting as well.
Simia: The man I am looking for is a lawless, shameless, faithless, godless sinner.
Ballio[aside]: Must be me. I answer to all those epithets.
I chose this passage because it shows the status of pimps in this time period. Along with other lines in the play, this line degrades Ballio. Everyone seems to look down on him because of what he does. Although noone appreciates his business, Ballio is tolerated. Pimps may be tongue-twisting, dirty, wicked men but they are put up with in this society.
CALIDORUS What's the matter?
PSEUDOLUS As I think, these letters are very loving; they are climbing on each other's backs.
CALIDORUS Are you making sport of me with your foolery?
PSEUDOLUS I' faith, I really do believe that unless the Sibyl(25)
2 can read them, nobody else can possibly interpret them.
CALIDORUS Why speak you unkindly of those sweet letters-- sweet tablets too, written upon by a hand as sweet.
PSEUDOLUS Troth now, have hens, prithee, such hands? For certainly a hen has written these letters.
CALIDORUS You are annoying me. Either read it or return the letter.
PSEUDOLUS Very well then, I'll read it through. Give me your attention.
Act 1.2 Ballio's first lines.
These two situations show both how Romans treated their slaves like inferiors and how they treated them like friends or family. It also shows some humor. The humor of Pseudolos making fun of Calidorus letter he received from his mistress and not being punished for it shows how comfortable Pseudolos is with his master and knows he is treated like a friend. However, Ballio treats his slaves very poorly. He orders them around while whipping them and does not even let them speak, let alone mock his lover's handwritting.
I will also chose to go with the issue of slavey in this play. Perhaps I am ignorant or just slow but i never realized that rome had such slavery. I guess when we learn about it in high school it is kind of glazed over. But in this play where he says "Stand all of you before me, you race of mortals born to be thrashed; turn your ears this way; give attention all of you to what I say" What slavery they did had I thought was just out of circumstance but for the way he is talking these people really deserve this and are truely below him.
I thought it was odd the way Pseudolus was speaking to his master, Simo, throughout the play--especially in Act 1.5 and right at the end. In 1.5, Pseudolus says, "Come, say anything you please, although I am angry at you". Simo replies, "What, you, a slave, angry at me your master?" I found it interesting that this would be in a play. I can't imagine what the audience would be thinking--especially with a lot of slaves in Rome. I think this is making a point though. Slaves have feelings too, and even their master cannot control that. Even though they are slaves, they still have free will to think!
"I wish to entertain tip-top men in first-rate style, that they may fancy that I have property"
This line shows that it was very importent to at least be thought of as wealthy. This line seems to be mocking that sentament. This guy does not have all that much money he has to have a down payment for the girl he wants which is kind of like putting her on layaway. So he wishes to feel wealthy and part of the game but maybe he isnt as much as he would like to be.
Something that I found interesting about this play is the obvious importance of love, which although it is something that we rarely talk about in a historical context, it is obvious that it is an important value to the Romans. It is not just Calidorus either. Ballio is no fool, and he knows that he can bribe all the lovers of his female servants, even telling the girls that he expects their lovers to bring him many gifts to show their love (for the girls).
Pseudolus: "May the Gods and Goddesses favour you, Ballio, both at his wish and at my own; or, if you are deserving of other terms, let them neither favour nor bless you." This line stuck out for me because in no way do I think that Pseudolus wishes Ballio well, it is a great example of the comedic satire that I didnt know much about until I read this past play.
PSEUDOLUS This is the opportunity; while this Harpax is asleep, I want you to be the first to accost him.
SIMO Why are you hurrying? Softly; don't you fear. I wish Jupiter would so make it, that he were openly in the same place with me, whoever he is, that has arrived from the Captain. Never a jot, by my troth, should he be a bit the better Harpax than I. Have good courage, I'll have this business nicely accounted for to you. So by my tricks and lies would I put this military stranger in a fright that he himself would deny that he is the person that he is, and would believe me to be the person that he himself is.
PSEUDOLUS How can that be?
SIMO You are murdering me when you ask me that.
PSEUDOLUS A clever fellow.
SIMO And so are you too, who are quite my equal with your mischievous tricks and lies * * * * * * *
PSEUDOLUS May Jupiter preserve you for me.
I chose this passage because it shows a common bong between Simo and Pseudolus in their trickery. they seem to admire each other in their ways of unleashing it. History doesn't show much admiration between master and slave.
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