Plautus' <i>Amphitryon</i>: a tragicomedy?

Authors

  • Zélia de Almeida Cardoso USP - Universidade de São Paulo/São Paulo - SP

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58943/irl.v0i0.1167

Keywords:

Amphitryon, Plautus, Latin comedy, Tragicomedy, Dramatic hybridism,

Abstract

Plautus’ Amphitryon differs from his other plays both for having a mythologic theme and for manifesting the feature of a tragicomedy. The characters belong not only to nobility but also to lower class. The dramatic action presents moments of great comicality alternated with personal conflict and the language is shaped in different levels. Aware of the specificity of such a text and its hybrid nature, the author uses the god Mercury, when reciting the prologue, to inform the audience about the characteristics of the play.

Issue

Section

Literary genders: hybrid forms