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<strong>Leeds</strong> <strong>International</strong> Classical Studies 3.3 (2003/04)<br />

ISSN 1477-3643 (http://www.leeds.ac.uk/classics/lics/)<br />

© Eckard Lefèvre<br />

<strong>Asides</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong> *<br />

ECKARD LEFÈVRE (FREIBURG)<br />

ABSTRACT: It is shown that <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which asides are used <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong> are worlds apart. Although <strong>the</strong> Roman poets do use some<br />

techniques occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong>, <strong>the</strong> Greek models do not offer any<br />

<strong>in</strong>stances that employ asides <strong>in</strong> a similarly excessive <strong>and</strong> comic manner as <strong>the</strong><br />

Plaut<strong>in</strong>e plays do<br />

There are several forms of asides <strong>in</strong> drama. If one does not def<strong>in</strong>e this notion<br />

too strictly, asides can be divided <strong>in</strong>to two categories: asides spoken by characters<br />

who participate <strong>in</strong> a dialogue (I), <strong>and</strong> asides of characters who overhear a dialogue<br />

between o<strong>the</strong>rs (II). Some subcategories will be taken <strong>in</strong>to account <strong>in</strong> what<br />

follows.<br />

When <strong>in</strong> Goe<strong>the</strong>’s Faust Mephistopheles has made fun of <strong>the</strong> young student<br />

for long enough <strong>and</strong> is beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g to get bored, he suddenly talks to himself: 1<br />

2009 Ich b<strong>in</strong> des trocknen Tons nun satt,<br />

Muß wieder recht den Teufel spielen.<br />

(I’ve had enough of a sober tone,<br />

it’s time to play <strong>the</strong> real devil aga<strong>in</strong>.)<br />

In this case a dialogue is <strong>in</strong>terrupted for a moment by a character who comments<br />

on his own role (type Ia).<br />

When Mephistopheles talks to Madame Martha <strong>and</strong> Gretchen, he says about<br />

<strong>the</strong> latter <strong>in</strong> an aside:<br />

3007 Du gut’s unschuldig’ K<strong>in</strong>d!<br />

(You <strong>in</strong>nocent!)<br />

This time, a dialogue is <strong>in</strong>terrupted for a moment by a character who comments<br />

on <strong>the</strong> role of ano<strong>the</strong>r (type Ib).<br />

When Mephistopheles enters Auerbach’s Cellar toge<strong>the</strong>r with Faust <strong>and</strong> sees<br />

<strong>the</strong> merry revellers, he remarks <strong>in</strong> an aside:<br />

2161 Dem Volke hier wird jeder Tag e<strong>in</strong> Fest.<br />

Mit wenig Witz und viel Behagen<br />

Dreht jeder sich im engen Zirkeltanz,<br />

Wie junge Katzen mit dem Schwanz.<br />

2165 Wenn sie nicht über Kopfweh klagen,<br />

Solang’ der Wirt nur weiter borgt,<br />

S<strong>in</strong>d sie vergnügt und unbesorgt.<br />

*<br />

I would like to thank Dr Ges<strong>in</strong>e Manuwald <strong>and</strong> Dr Stefan Faller for <strong>the</strong>ir excellent translation of<br />

my text <strong>in</strong>to English.<br />

1<br />

The English translation of Faust follows Johann Wolfgang von Goe<strong>the</strong>, Faust I & II, Ed. <strong>and</strong><br />

Translated by S. Atk<strong>in</strong>s (Boston 1984).<br />

1


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

(Here, for <strong>the</strong>se people, every day’s a holiday.<br />

Without much wit, but with great satisfaction,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y whirl <strong>in</strong> narrow, separate rounds<br />

like kittens chas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>ir own tails.<br />

And if <strong>the</strong>y can’t compla<strong>in</strong> of headache<br />

<strong>and</strong> still have credit with <strong>the</strong> l<strong>and</strong>lord,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y’re pleased with life <strong>and</strong> free of cares.)<br />

Here a scene is commented on by a character who is not <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> dialogue<br />

(type IIa). In this case <strong>the</strong> people overheard also comment on those newly<br />

arrived; for <strong>in</strong>stance Frosch says a little later:<br />

2174 Laßt mich nur gehn! Bei e<strong>in</strong>em vollen Glase<br />

2175 Zieh’ ich, wie e<strong>in</strong>en K<strong>in</strong>derzahn,<br />

Den Burschen leicht die Würmer aus der Nase.<br />

Sie sche<strong>in</strong>en mir aus e<strong>in</strong>em edlen Haus.<br />

Sie sehen stolz und unzufrieden aus.<br />

(Leave it to me! Before <strong>the</strong>y’ve drunk a glass of w<strong>in</strong>e<br />

I’ll worm <strong>the</strong>ir secrets out of <strong>the</strong>m<br />

as easily as you pull out a baby-tooth.<br />

I th<strong>in</strong>k that <strong>the</strong>y’re aristocrats,<br />

s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>y look haughty <strong>and</strong> dissatisfied.)<br />

Here people who comment on a scene <strong>and</strong> are not <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> dialogue are<br />

commented on by o<strong>the</strong>rs (type IIb).<br />

After <strong>the</strong> Lord has discussed human be<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> general <strong>and</strong> Faust <strong>in</strong> particular<br />

with Mephistopheles, <strong>the</strong> latter says, rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g alone on stage:<br />

352 Es ist gar hübsch von e<strong>in</strong>em großen Herrn,<br />

So menschlich mit dem Teufel selbst zu sprechen.<br />

(It is quite decent of a mighty lord to chat<br />

<strong>and</strong> be so human with <strong>the</strong> very devil.)<br />

In this case a preced<strong>in</strong>g dialogue is commented on by a character who rema<strong>in</strong>s<br />

alone on stage. This k<strong>in</strong>d of aside could be termed a—shortened—exit monologue<br />

(type IIc).<br />

It is obvious that even more subcategories of asides might be def<strong>in</strong>ed. 2 But<br />

s<strong>in</strong>ce this phenomenon shall be dealt with only <strong>in</strong> general terms <strong>in</strong> what follows,<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r classification does not seem to be necessary.<br />

1. <strong>Palliata</strong><br />

Plautus<br />

All of <strong>the</strong> types of aside mentioned above occur very often <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong>. In<br />

<strong>the</strong> Amphitruo Plautus uses asides with dazzl<strong>in</strong>g virtuosity. The first examples will<br />

2 For general <strong>in</strong>structive remarks on this topic, cf. <strong>the</strong> analyses done by Schaffner 1911; Haile<br />

1913; Kraus 1934; Duckworth 1952, 109-14; Barbieri 1966; Ba<strong>in</strong> 1977; Moore 1998.<br />

2


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

be taken from this play. 3 Its first scene alone conta<strong>in</strong>s (depend<strong>in</strong>g on one’s method<br />

of count<strong>in</strong>g) 52 asides.<br />

Type Ia: In <strong>the</strong> dialogue between Mercurius (Mercury) <strong>and</strong> Sosia (341-454), <strong>the</strong><br />

latter has six asides (407b-9, 416-7, 423-6, 429b, 431-2, 4 441-9). For example, <strong>the</strong><br />

slave, with his back aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> wall, says about himself:<br />

423 argumentis vicit, aliud nomen quaerundum est mihi.<br />

nescio unde haec hic spectavit. iam ego hunc decipiam probe;<br />

425 nam quod egomet solus feci, nec quisquam alius adfuit,<br />

<strong>in</strong> tabernaculo, id quidem hodie numquam poterit dicere.<br />

Type Ib: On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, Sosia reflects on <strong>the</strong> mysterious stranger:<br />

416 egomet mihi non credo, quom illaec autumare illum audio;<br />

hic quidem certe quae illic sunt res gestae memorat memoriter.<br />

Type IIa: Sosia’s extremely long monologue (153-291) is accompanied by seven<br />

comment<strong>in</strong>g asides spoken by Mercurius, who overhears him (176-9, 185, 248-9,<br />

263-70, 277-8, 5 284-6, 289-90)—an unusually extensive way of comment<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Mercurius’ first aside runs as follows:<br />

176 satiust me queri illo modo servitutem:<br />

hodie qui fuerim liber, eum nunc<br />

potivit pater servitutis;<br />

hic qui verna natust queritur.<br />

Each of Mercurius’ comments is funny <strong>and</strong> thus aimed at <strong>the</strong> audience only. None<br />

of <strong>the</strong>m advances <strong>the</strong> action on stage.<br />

When Iupiter takes leave of Alcumena <strong>in</strong> I 3, Mercurius st<strong>and</strong>s nearby <strong>and</strong><br />

comments on <strong>the</strong> dialogue between <strong>the</strong> lovers several times:<br />

506 nimis hic scitust sycophanta, qui quidem meus sit pater.<br />

510 edepol ne illa si istis rebus te sciat operam dare,<br />

ego faxim ted Amphitruonem esse malis quam Iovem.<br />

515 accedam atque hanc appellabo et subparasitabor patri.<br />

numquam edepol quemquam mortalem credo ego uxorem suam<br />

sic ecflictim amare, pro<strong>in</strong>de ut hic te ecflictim deperit.<br />

It is only Mercurius’ comments that endow <strong>the</strong> scene with a comic dimension.<br />

Type IIb: In I 1, after Sosia has noticed Mercurius, a fairly long dialogue follows,<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g which <strong>the</strong> two characters comment on each o<strong>the</strong>r without talk<strong>in</strong>g to each<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r (292-340). The dialogue beg<strong>in</strong>s as follows:<br />

292 SO. sed quis hic est homo quem ante aedis video hoc noctis? non placet.<br />

ME. nullust hoc metuculosus aeque. SO. mi <strong>in</strong> mentem venit,<br />

illic homo hoc denuo volt pallium detexere.<br />

295 ME. timet homo: deludam ego illum.<br />

3 Cf. Lefèvre 1999, 39-41 (employ<strong>in</strong>g slightly different subcategories).<br />

4 Oniga 1991, 105 th<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>the</strong> aside already starts at l<strong>in</strong>e 431.<br />

5 The apostrophe to Nox is a reaction to Sosia’s preced<strong>in</strong>g digression on astronomical issues.<br />

3


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

On <strong>the</strong> whole, Sosia has no less than 20 asides, comment<strong>in</strong>g on Mercurius’<br />

remarks about him (292, 293b-4, 295b-9, 304b-7a, 308a, 309a, 310-11, 312b,<br />

313b-4a, 317, 319-20, 321b, 323a, 324, 325b-6, 328a, 329-30, 331b-2, 334, 335b-<br />

40). It goes without say<strong>in</strong>g that Mercurius has 19 asides <strong>in</strong> between. Thus this way<br />

of cont<strong>in</strong>uously comment<strong>in</strong>g on each o<strong>the</strong>r is carried to extremes <strong>in</strong> a way that<br />

cannot be surpassed.<br />

Whereas <strong>in</strong> I 3 <strong>the</strong> comic effect on a low level is caused only by <strong>the</strong><br />

comments contrast<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> action on a high level, <strong>the</strong> two speakers of low<br />

social status <strong>in</strong> I 1 create <strong>the</strong> comic effect by <strong>the</strong>ir comments on each o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Type IIc: After <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>troductory dialogue both Sosia <strong>and</strong> Mercurius summarize<br />

what happened. Sosia says:<br />

455 abeo potius. di immortales, opsecro vostram fidem,<br />

ubi ego perii? ubi immutatus sum? ubi ego formam perdidi?<br />

an egomet me illic reliqui, si forte oblitus fui?<br />

nam hicquidem omnem imag<strong>in</strong>em meam, quae antehac fuerat, possidet.<br />

vivo fit quod numquam quisquam mortuo faciet mihi.<br />

Mercurius says:<br />

463 bene prospere hoc hodie operis processit mihi:<br />

amovi a foribus maxumam molestiam,<br />

465 patri ut liceret tuto illam amplexarier.<br />

The Amphitruo owes a great deal of its effect to <strong>the</strong> comic asides. If Mercurius<br />

were taken out of I 3, <strong>the</strong> scene would lose its comic potential. It could <strong>the</strong>n ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

be part of a tragedy. Sosia’s famous battle-account <strong>in</strong> I 1 would also lack its<br />

<strong>in</strong>comparably comic dimension without <strong>the</strong> two comments by Mercurius <strong>in</strong> 248-9<br />

<strong>and</strong> 263-70. This section, too, would <strong>the</strong>n be more appropriate <strong>in</strong> a tragedy. 6<br />

In particular, Plautus has his favourite characters make <strong>the</strong>ir witty remarks <strong>in</strong><br />

asides—surely to <strong>the</strong> audience’s delight. An especially sophisticated example can<br />

be found <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Epidicus: <strong>the</strong> play’s eponymous slave comments on <strong>the</strong> dialogue<br />

between <strong>the</strong> two young men Stratippocles <strong>and</strong> Chaeribulus (type IIa), <strong>in</strong> which<br />

<strong>the</strong> former threatens to flog <strong>the</strong> slave if he will not provide him with <strong>the</strong> money he<br />

needs:<br />

124 salva res est: bene promittit. spero, servabit fidem.<br />

125 s<strong>in</strong>e meo sumptu paratae iam sunt scapulis symbolae.<br />

This aside is, of course, not to be taken seriously. 7 The joke ma<strong>in</strong>ly consists <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

pun on <strong>the</strong> word symbolae, as Henricus Stephanus expla<strong>in</strong>s very well: 8<br />

Symbolæ erant collectæ, seu pecuniæ, quæ ab iis, qui c o m m u n i s u m p t u<br />

erant una cœnaturi conjectabantur, ut verbo Agellii utar, quo ille quasi nativam<br />

vim toà sumb£lle<strong>in</strong>, unde sumbol», ob oculos posuit ... Ad hanc igitur<br />

significationem Poëta igitur alludens, jocosa metaphora utitur, & sumbol¦j<br />

vocat t¦j sumballomšnaj plhg£j. tanquam videlicet verbero iste non unius,<br />

6 Cf. Lefèvre 1999, 12-15 (with fur<strong>the</strong>r literary references).<br />

7 ‘Epidicus speaks ironically’ (Duckworth 1940, 179).<br />

8 The quotation follows Gronovius 1664, 359.<br />

4


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

sed plurium manibus verbera esset accepturus. Lepide etiam addit ad discrimen,<br />

s<strong>in</strong>e meo sumptu.<br />

The comment sounds so bombastic that it is difficult to grasp its arrogance<br />

completely. Epidicus ironically says that it is great to earn ‘a feast of blows’ 9<br />

without do<strong>in</strong>g anyth<strong>in</strong>g oneself. 10 The droll metaphor po<strong>in</strong>ts to a popular manner<br />

of speak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r orig<strong>in</strong>al use of asides <strong>in</strong> Plautus is <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g: he often has one<br />

character admire <strong>the</strong> deceptive play of ano<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>reby underl<strong>in</strong>es his brilliant<br />

behaviour. When <strong>in</strong> Persa <strong>the</strong> Virgo leads Dordalus, <strong>the</strong> pimp, to believe that she<br />

is someone o<strong>the</strong>r than she really is, Toxilus, <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>trigu<strong>in</strong>g slave, comments (type<br />

Ib): 11<br />

622 ah, di istam perdant! ita catast et callida.<br />

ut sapiens habet cor, quam dicit quod opust!<br />

634 tactust leno; qui rogaret, ubi nata esset diceret,<br />

lepide lusit.<br />

639 ita me di bene ament, sapienter! 12<br />

In <strong>the</strong>se cases ‘<strong>the</strong> comments of a spectator on stage help to characterize <strong>the</strong><br />

deception as a play with<strong>in</strong> a play’. 13 Thereby <strong>the</strong> play becomes meta<strong>the</strong>atrical. The<br />

actions are to be understood <strong>in</strong> a double way <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>reby ga<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir characteristic<br />

appeal; ‘this meta<strong>the</strong>atrical effect is characteristic of Plautus.’ 14 Here asides are<br />

made use of with virtuosity.<br />

Plautus also employs asides <strong>in</strong> contexts o<strong>the</strong>r than his much favoured ones<br />

<strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g slaves. In Aulularia <strong>the</strong>y are used nearly exclusively <strong>in</strong> order to<br />

characterize Euclio, <strong>the</strong> miser. 15 In several scenes he relates <strong>the</strong> remarks of his<br />

dialogue partners to his own situation or world-view; thus its strangeness becomes<br />

obvious to <strong>the</strong> audience. Of course, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se cases, too, <strong>the</strong>re is an unparalleled<br />

comic effect. Plautus deliberately puts <strong>the</strong> figure of Euclio, who has traits of a<br />

fool, on a socially ‘low’ level. Thus <strong>the</strong> asides ‘fit’ <strong>in</strong> with his character.<br />

In II 2 <strong>the</strong>re is a number of asides, which endow <strong>the</strong> dialogue between Euclio<br />

<strong>and</strong> his neighbour Megadorus with comic elements, but which also splendidly<br />

characterize <strong>the</strong> manic tendencies of <strong>the</strong>ir speaker (type Ib). As a reaction to<br />

Megadorus’ friendly greet<strong>in</strong>g, Euclio states <strong>in</strong> an aside:<br />

184 non temerarium est ubi dives bl<strong>and</strong>e appellat pauperem.<br />

185 iam illic homo aurum scit me habere, eo me salutat bl<strong>and</strong>ius.<br />

9<br />

Duckworth 1940, 180.<br />

10<br />

Cf. Amph. 371 (Sosia earns a flogg<strong>in</strong>g from Mercurius <strong>in</strong>gratiis).<br />

11<br />

Cf. Lefèvre 2001b, 79.<br />

12<br />

‘Toxilus now becomes commentator <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpreter for <strong>the</strong> audience as she tells her riddl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

tale’ (Slater 1985, 49).<br />

13 Lowe 1989, 395-6.<br />

14 Lowe 1989, 396.<br />

15 Cf. Lefèvre 2001a, 115-7.<br />

5


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

Naudet comments on this remark as follows: 16<br />

At considera poetæ artificium <strong>in</strong> hac scena, quantis miseriis laboret suspicax,<br />

trepidus, omnia tuta timens 17 ille auri occultator, et quam stulte, perturbante<br />

animum sollicitud<strong>in</strong>e, ipse suomet <strong>in</strong>dicio <strong>the</strong>saurum prodat, dum nihil<br />

defossum habere se gestit profiteri, et occupat prævertere nil tale quæritantem.<br />

Hæc non Plautus f<strong>in</strong>git, natura ipsa loquitur.<br />

To make <strong>the</strong> po<strong>in</strong>t clearer, it might be added: haec neque poeta quidam Graecus<br />

f<strong>in</strong>xit. A little later Euclio says:<br />

188 anus hercle huic <strong>in</strong>dicium fecit de auro, perspicue palam est,<br />

quoi ego iam l<strong>in</strong>guam praecidam atque oculos ecfodiam domi.<br />

On <strong>the</strong> whole, Euclio has six asides of this k<strong>in</strong>d <strong>in</strong> little more than 30 l<strong>in</strong>es: 184-5,<br />

188-9, 194-8, 200-2, 207-8, 216. The large number alone makes it clear that one<br />

has entered <strong>the</strong> world of farce.<br />

In III 5 Megadorus delivers a long monologue on <strong>the</strong> luxuries of women,<br />

which br<strong>in</strong>gs to m<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> argument over <strong>the</strong> lex Oppia. It ga<strong>in</strong>s a dist<strong>in</strong>ct profile<br />

through Euclio’s comments, which are not noticed by Megadorus (type IIa). The<br />

three asides (496-7, 503-4 <strong>and</strong> 523-4) of <strong>the</strong> secret listener <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>the</strong> comic<br />

effect that is <strong>in</strong>herent <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> speech alone already.<br />

496 ita di me amabunt ut ego hunc ausculto lubens.<br />

nimis lepide fecit verba ad parsimonia.<br />

503 ut matronarum hic facta pernovit probe!<br />

moribus praefectum mulierum hunc factum velim.<br />

523 compellarem ego illum, ni metuam ne des<strong>in</strong>at<br />

memorare mores mulierum: nunc sic s<strong>in</strong>am.<br />

Whereas <strong>in</strong> II 2 Euclio comments on Megadorus’ words by means of asides dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong> dialogue itself (type Ib), he voices his views on <strong>the</strong>m unnoticed <strong>in</strong> III 5 (type<br />

IIa).<br />

In III 6 Euclio once aga<strong>in</strong> behaves <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> manner typical of him <strong>and</strong> comments<br />

on his partner’s remarks <strong>in</strong> comic asides (type Ib). Once aga<strong>in</strong> Megadorus is his<br />

victim. In <strong>the</strong> first passage he uses <strong>the</strong> technique of relat<strong>in</strong>g an expression used by<br />

Megadorus to his treasure (like <strong>in</strong> 188) <strong>and</strong> to throw suspicion on Staphyla (like<br />

188-9):<br />

547 illud mihi verbum non placet ‘quod nunc habes’.<br />

tam hoc scit me habere quam egomet. anus fecit palam.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> second passage he <strong>in</strong>terprets a well-meant word of his partner <strong>in</strong> peiorem<br />

partem, as he usually does:<br />

574 scio quam rem agat:<br />

575 ut me deponat v<strong>in</strong>o, eam adfectat viam.<br />

post hoc quod habeo ut commutet coloniam.<br />

16 1830, 266.<br />

17 Cf. Virgil, Aen. 4.298.<br />

6


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

ego id cavebo, nam alicubi apstrudam foris.<br />

ego faxo et operam et v<strong>in</strong>um perdiderit simul.<br />

Plautus cannot get enough of comic effects of this k<strong>in</strong>d. He really carries <strong>the</strong> use<br />

of asides to extremes.<br />

Terence<br />

In comparison with Plautus’ excessive use of asides, Terence is more<br />

restra<strong>in</strong>ed. It is not necessary to pay special attention to him <strong>in</strong> this context: as far<br />

as Plautus’ k<strong>in</strong>ds of asides occur <strong>in</strong> Terence, he could have got to know <strong>the</strong>m from<br />

Plautus directly. But even a superficial read<strong>in</strong>g shows that <strong>the</strong>re is little that is<br />

comparable <strong>in</strong> Terence.<br />

A glance at Terence’s most burlesque comedy, <strong>the</strong> Eunuchus, shall suffice to<br />

illustrate this idea. In scene I 2, conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g more than 120 l<strong>in</strong>es, Parmeno, who<br />

sometimes plays <strong>the</strong> ‘fool’, has two asides only (type Ib):<br />

87 ceterum<br />

de exclusione verbum nullum?<br />

178 labascit victus uno verbo quam cito!<br />

These comments are moderate <strong>and</strong> appropriate. The same holds true for<br />

Parmeno’s asides dur<strong>in</strong>g Gnatho’s entrance monologue <strong>in</strong> II 2. Even if one<br />

assumes that Strouthias <strong>in</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er’s Kolax delivers a similar speech on which<br />

‘Gnatho’s monologue is modelled (whe<strong>the</strong>r closely or not)’, 18 it is not necessary<br />

that a slave comments on it <strong>in</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er, as Parmeno does <strong>in</strong> Terence (type IIa):<br />

254 scitum hercle hom<strong>in</strong>em! hic hom<strong>in</strong>es prorsum ex stultis <strong>in</strong>sanos facit.<br />

265 viden otium et cibus quid facit alienus?<br />

That is appropriate, as Donatus observes, comment<strong>in</strong>g on l<strong>in</strong>e 254: mire Terentius<br />

longae orationi <strong>in</strong>terloquia quaedam adhibet, ut fastidium prolixitatis evitet, velut<br />

nunc Parmeno procul audiens Gnathonem haec loquitur; referr<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> second<br />

<strong>in</strong>stance he says: rursus Parmeno et facetias dicit et dist<strong>in</strong>guit longiloquium<br />

parasiti (1). If one believed that Terence took over <strong>the</strong> listener’s asides toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

with <strong>the</strong> monologue, a comparison with Megadorus’ monologue commented on by<br />

Euclio <strong>in</strong> Aulularia III 5 would make it clear how little Men<strong>and</strong>er (just like<br />

Terence) capitalized on such a situation <strong>in</strong> terms of comic elements. 19 But<br />

structural criteria alone would already be an obstacle. 20<br />

As soon as Gnatho notices Parmeno, <strong>the</strong> latter remarks (type Ib):<br />

18 Brown 1992, 107. See also Denzler 1968, 65-6.<br />

19 Sure enough, Parmeno’s words are ‘caustic asides’ (Goldberg 1986, 109).<br />

20 As Denzler 1968, 68 has been able to demonstrate, <strong>the</strong>re is a large number of ‘<strong>in</strong>terrupted’<br />

eavesdropp<strong>in</strong>g monologues of comparable length (22 <strong>and</strong> 10 long l<strong>in</strong>es) <strong>in</strong> Plautus, whereas <strong>the</strong>re<br />

are none <strong>in</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er <strong>and</strong> only two more <strong>in</strong> Terence, namely ‘<strong>in</strong> den Monodien des Pamphilus An<br />

241ff. (10 und 12 Langverse), wo die Gestaltung als Lauscher-Monolog wohl von Terenz stammt,<br />

und des Geta Ad 299ff. (6 und 10 Langverse), wo Terenz wohl gegenüber der Vorlage erweitert<br />

hat’.<br />

7


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

269 hisce hoc munere arbitrantur<br />

270 suam Thaidem esse.<br />

This aside is completely <strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> action. A little later, when <strong>the</strong> two<br />

tease each o<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> double aside is used <strong>in</strong> a very prom<strong>in</strong>ent way (type Ib):<br />

274 GN. uro hom<strong>in</strong>em. PA. ut falsus animist.<br />

This exchange—just like <strong>the</strong> complete dialogue—sounds more like a Roman<br />

argument than a text by Men<strong>and</strong>er. It could be derived from Plautus. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

h<strong>and</strong>, Parmeno’s next comment on Chaereas’ appearance <strong>in</strong> II 3 is once aga<strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>tegrated <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> action <strong>and</strong> without any comic effect (type IIa):<br />

297 ecce autem alterum!<br />

nescioquid de amore loquitur: o <strong>in</strong>fortunatum senem!<br />

hic vero est qui si occeperit,<br />

300 ludum iocumque dices fuisse illum alterum,<br />

praeut huius rabies quae dabit.<br />

It cont<strong>in</strong>ues like that.<br />

<strong>Asides</strong> are used with virtuosity <strong>in</strong> III 1 when Parmeno comments on <strong>the</strong><br />

dialogue between Thraso <strong>and</strong> Gnatho (type IIa) <strong>and</strong> Gnatho on his part endows<br />

Thraso’s remarks with mock<strong>in</strong>g asides (type Ib). It cannot be proved <strong>in</strong> this<br />

context, but it seems that this dialogue on three levels owes a lot to Terence, who<br />

obviously follows <strong>in</strong> Plautus’ footsteps. The same holds true for <strong>the</strong> ‘besieg<strong>in</strong>gscene’,<br />

IV 7. Whatever occupies <strong>the</strong> same place <strong>in</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er, <strong>the</strong> parasite <strong>the</strong>re<br />

probably has hardly any reason to exclaim about his coward ‘employer’ (type Ib):<br />

782 illuc est sapere: ut hosce <strong>in</strong>struxit, ipsus sibi cavit loco.<br />

Even if <strong>in</strong> places Terence composes <strong>in</strong> a ‘Plaut<strong>in</strong>e’ manner, on <strong>the</strong> whole, he<br />

differs from his predecessor.<br />

2. Nša<br />

Of course, us<strong>in</strong>g asides is no Plaut<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>vention. 21 It is a sign of vivid drama<br />

<strong>in</strong> general, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Men<strong>and</strong>er’s. Never<strong>the</strong>less <strong>the</strong>re are big differences between<br />

Plautus <strong>and</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er <strong>in</strong> this po<strong>in</strong>t as well as <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs. It is like emerg<strong>in</strong>g from<br />

<strong>the</strong> noisy activity <strong>in</strong> a suburb <strong>and</strong> enter<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> well-ordered world of <strong>the</strong><br />

bourgeoisie.<br />

In Samia <strong>the</strong> characters speak <strong>in</strong> asides several times. In <strong>the</strong> third act <strong>the</strong> cook<br />

has four asides dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> serious quarrel between Chrysis <strong>and</strong> Demeas (type<br />

IIa): 22<br />

375 toioàt' Ãn tÕ kakÒn: manq£nw.<br />

(So that’s what caused <strong>the</strong> trouble! [Now] I underst<strong>and</strong>!)<br />

383 tÕ pr©gm' Ñrg» tij st…n: prositšon.<br />

(What happened is a row. I must come forward.)<br />

21 It is, however, «un potente e diversificato espediente <strong>in</strong> Plauto» (Slater 1999, xxviii).<br />

22 The English translation of Men<strong>and</strong>er follows W.G. Arnott (ed.), Men<strong>and</strong>er III (Cambridge,<br />

Mass., <strong>and</strong> London 2000).<br />

8


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

386 t… st…n:<br />

((<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> background aga<strong>in</strong>) What is this?)<br />

387 oÜpw d£knei.<br />

Ómwj––<br />

(Now he’s not lash<strong>in</strong>g out.<br />

Still,––)<br />

‘Die Parallelität ist schwerlich e<strong>in</strong> Produkt des Zufalls: zuerst spricht er jeweils<br />

e<strong>in</strong>en Satz a parte, der soll die Aufmerksamkeit des Publikums auf ihn lenken und<br />

ihm selber zugleich den Anlaß geben, näher heranzukommen (... 375 ... 386), dann<br />

folgt der Entschluß, <strong>in</strong> die Ause<strong>in</strong><strong>and</strong>ersetzung e<strong>in</strong>zugreifen (... 383 ... 387)’. 23<br />

The way of us<strong>in</strong>g asides is completely guided by <strong>the</strong> action. In <strong>the</strong> fourth act,<br />

dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> argument with Moschion, Demeas ‘schwankt ... zwischen direkter<br />

Anrede <strong>in</strong> der zweiten Person und beiseite gesprochenen Partien <strong>in</strong> der dritten<br />

Person.’ 24 He has two asides (type Ib):<br />

454 dhlad¾] presbeÚeta… tij prÒj me: de<strong>in</strong>Òn.<br />

([It’s quite pla<strong>in</strong>!] A man here’s come to parley with me! Awful!)<br />

456 DE. de<strong>in</strong>Õn ½dh. sunadike‹ m' oátoj––<br />

MO. t… fÍj;<br />

DE. –– perifa]nîj. t… g¦r prosšrceq' Øpr ke…nhj: ¢s[mšnJ<br />

crÁn g¦r aÙtù toàto d»pou ge[gonš.]<br />

(DE. Really awful! He’s jo<strong>in</strong>ed her <strong>in</strong> wrong<strong>in</strong>g me––<br />

MO. (not hear<strong>in</strong>g what Demeas is say<strong>in</strong>g to himself)<br />

[What’s that?]<br />

DE. (still talk<strong>in</strong>g to himself)<br />

––[clearly]. O<strong>the</strong>rwise, why come <strong>in</strong> her support? He should<br />

Surely have been [pleased] that this has [happened.])<br />

‘Bezeichnend ist für die Urbanität Men<strong>and</strong>ers, daß der Vater selbst e<strong>in</strong>en im<br />

Ausdruck so gemäßigten Vorwurf wie das sunadike‹ m' oátoj (456) dem Sohne<br />

nicht <strong>in</strong>s Gesicht spricht.’ 25 The use of asides is completely motivated by ethical<br />

considerations. There are no parallels to Plaut<strong>in</strong>e comedy.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> first act of <strong>the</strong> Dyskolos <strong>the</strong>re occur several <strong>in</strong>structive asides. When<br />

Sostratos sees Knemon’s daughter for <strong>the</strong> first time, he exclaims (type IIa):<br />

191 ð Zeà p£ter<br />

kaˆ Fo‹be Pai£n, ð DioskÒrw f…l[w,<br />

k£llouj ¢m£cou.<br />

(Fa<strong>the</strong>r Zeus,<br />

Healer Phoebus, dear Dioscuri,<br />

What irresistible beauty!)<br />

23 Blume 1974, 149.<br />

24 Blume 1974, 175.<br />

25 Blume 1974, 175 (cf. also 183 with reference to Sam. 469-70).<br />

9


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

Sostratos is really moved. The asides are to <strong>in</strong>tensify <strong>the</strong> action. The young man,<br />

enter<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> sanctuary, exclaims (type IIc):<br />

201 leuqer…wj gš pwj<br />

¥groikÒj st<strong>in</strong>. ð [polut…]mhtoi qeo…,<br />

t…j ¥n me sèsai d[aimÒ]nwn;<br />

(A country girl,<br />

yet <strong>the</strong>re’s a k<strong>in</strong>d of poise ... O [honoured] gods,<br />

what power could save me now?)<br />

In both cases <strong>the</strong> asides spr<strong>in</strong>g from ethical thoughts. When, on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, a<br />

little later <strong>the</strong> slave Daos utters a suspicious aside about Sostratos, <strong>the</strong> function is<br />

different (type IIa):<br />

212 t… pote boÚleq' oØtos…<br />

¤nqrwpoj:<br />

(This fellow here—whatever does<br />

He want?)<br />

Daos’ remark is guided by <strong>the</strong> action. It is far removed from Plaut<strong>in</strong>e sill<strong>in</strong>ess.<br />

Later on, Knemon has a mean<strong>in</strong>gful aside when he sees <strong>the</strong> sacrificial<br />

procession pass<strong>in</strong>g by <strong>the</strong> house (type IIa):<br />

431 toutˆ tÕ kakÕn t… boãletai;<br />

Ôcloj tij: ¥pag' j kÒrakaj.<br />

(What’s <strong>the</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g of<br />

This devilry? A horde! To hell with <strong>the</strong>m!)<br />

The aside serves to shed light on Knemon’s character. It emerges from ethical<br />

categories.<br />

Enough said! The pr<strong>in</strong>cipal difference between Men<strong>and</strong>er <strong>and</strong> Plautus is<br />

obvious: with regard to asides <strong>the</strong>re is no way lead<strong>in</strong>g from one to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

3. Improvisatory Drama<br />

W.B. Segdwick comments on <strong>the</strong> asides <strong>in</strong> Amphitruo I 3: ‘The way <strong>the</strong><br />

tender farewells are <strong>in</strong>terrupted by <strong>the</strong> sarcastic asides of Mercury rem<strong>in</strong>ds one of<br />

Mephistopheles <strong>in</strong> Faust.’ 26 This is an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g characterization. One might<br />

th<strong>in</strong>k that an English commentator would refer to Christopher Marlowe’s brilliant<br />

drama on Faust <strong>in</strong> this context. If Segdwick had thought of that, he would<br />

probably have quoted <strong>the</strong> correct title (The tragical History of) Doctor Faustus,<br />

not just Faust. Mephistopheles does have three asides <strong>in</strong> Marlowe’s drama. In II 1,<br />

when Faust signs <strong>the</strong> contract, he says:<br />

O, what will not I do to obta<strong>in</strong> his soul?<br />

A little later he remarks:<br />

I’ll fetch him somewhat to delight his m<strong>in</strong>d.<br />

26 1960, 96.<br />

10


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

These two statements are both <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> A-text of 1604 <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> B-Text of 1616. 27<br />

The latter even has a third aside at <strong>the</strong> end of III 1. There Mephistopheles<br />

exclaims:<br />

So, so, was never devil thus blessed before!<br />

But one has to assume that Segdwick refers to Goe<strong>the</strong>’s Faust. Goe<strong>the</strong> only got to<br />

know Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus <strong>in</strong> 1818—more than thirty years after <strong>the</strong><br />

composition of Faust I. Therefore <strong>the</strong> manner of speak<strong>in</strong>g of his Mephistopheles<br />

does not follow <strong>the</strong> ways of <strong>the</strong> English drama. In Dichtung und Wahrheit Goe<strong>the</strong><br />

himself says how he became acqua<strong>in</strong>ted with <strong>the</strong> Faust material, namely via <strong>the</strong><br />

puppet <strong>the</strong>atre: ‘Die bedeutende Puppenspielfabel des <strong>and</strong>ern [sc. Faust] klang<br />

und summte gar vieltönig <strong>in</strong> mir wider.’ 28 Thus it is <strong>the</strong> puppet show that Goe<strong>the</strong><br />

had <strong>in</strong> his m<strong>in</strong>d when writ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> Faust. Marlowe for his part owes a lot to <strong>the</strong><br />

‘low’ k<strong>in</strong>ds of drama. One of <strong>the</strong> characters <strong>in</strong> Doctor Faustus is Rob<strong>in</strong>, <strong>the</strong> fool.<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g his first appearance on stage <strong>in</strong> I 4 he <strong>in</strong>stantly makes use of an effective<br />

aside <strong>in</strong> his dialogue with Wagner. But on <strong>the</strong> whole Marlowe employs this<br />

technique very spar<strong>in</strong>gly. In Engl<strong>and</strong> it is common <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> ‘low’ morality plays <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>in</strong>terludes; <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se k<strong>in</strong>ds of plays <strong>the</strong> characters called Vice are designed to<br />

display ‘<strong>in</strong> parodistischer Weise ihre teuflische Gegenwelt zum Göttlichen’ 29<br />

(Mephistopheles!). 30 These Vices love to get <strong>in</strong>to contact with <strong>the</strong> audience by<br />

means of asides. They—meta<strong>the</strong>atrically—hold up ‘dem Publikum e<strong>in</strong>en<br />

Spiegel’. 31 Right up to Shakespeare, ‘low’ characters are dom<strong>in</strong>ant on <strong>the</strong> stage—<br />

for example, Puck <strong>in</strong> A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 32 ‘Oral’ traditions are be<strong>in</strong>g<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>ued here.<br />

It is easy to underst<strong>and</strong> that <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> wake of Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus <strong>the</strong><br />

tour<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>atre companies <strong>in</strong> Germany <strong>in</strong>corporated plays on Faust <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

programme <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> seventeenth century; <strong>the</strong> puppet <strong>the</strong>atres, too, took hold of this<br />

effective subject matter. In compos<strong>in</strong>g such a Faust, Goe<strong>the</strong> places himself <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

tradition of a ‘low’ k<strong>in</strong>d of drama, which also <strong>in</strong>cludes improvisation every now<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n. It fits <strong>in</strong> well with this fact that Mephistopheles is <strong>the</strong> fool of low social<br />

status <strong>in</strong> that tragedy. Even <strong>in</strong> Goe<strong>the</strong>’s Faust II he is conscious of his literary<br />

27<br />

The l<strong>in</strong>es as quoted follow Bev<strong>in</strong>gton / Rasmussen 1995.<br />

28<br />

Part II, book 10.<br />

29<br />

Thomsen 1973, 70.<br />

30<br />

‘In den Interludien entwickelt sich ... der Teufel zum vice und schließlich zum clown und fool.<br />

Komische Szenen werden immer breiter ausgestaltet, beherrschen weite Teile auch der moral<br />

<strong>in</strong>terludes und öffnen schauspielerischer Virtuosität, clownesker Schlagfertigkeit und der Fähigkeit<br />

zu plötzlichem Extemporieren die Bühne’ (Thomsen 1973, 92-3).<br />

31<br />

Thomsen 1973, 70. Cf. Riehle 1964, 33: ‘Als sich das Drama mehr und mehr mit der niederen,<br />

alltäglichen Wirklichkeit ‚auffüllte‘, die e<strong>in</strong> Gegengewicht zum dargestellten Heilsgeschehen<br />

bildete, begannen auch die Schauspieler <strong>in</strong> unmittelbaren Kontakt mit dem Publikum zu treten und<br />

oft mit komischen, derb-realistischen zur Seite gesprochenen Kommentaren den<br />

Spielzusammenhang zu unterbrechen. Es ist e<strong>in</strong>e bekannte Tatsache, daß die stock-figure des<br />

seelenverführenden Vice <strong>in</strong> der Moralität se<strong>in</strong>e besondere Freude daran hatte, die Zuschauer direkt<br />

auf se<strong>in</strong>e schlauen Pläne und se<strong>in</strong>e Verstellungskünste aufmerksam zu machen.’ This is also what<br />

slaves do <strong>in</strong> Plautus, but not <strong>in</strong> Men<strong>and</strong>er.<br />

32<br />

Even <strong>the</strong> protagonist of Shakespeare’s early drama Richard III, who comes up with an especially<br />

large number of asides, must be considered <strong>in</strong> this context. ‘Er ist verw<strong>and</strong>t mit dem vice, der<br />

populären diabolischen Clownfigur der Moralitätenspiele des Mittelalters’ (Sp<strong>in</strong>ner 1973, 153).<br />

11


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

orig<strong>in</strong> when he says <strong>in</strong> answer to <strong>the</strong> question of <strong>the</strong> Sph<strong>in</strong>x <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Klassische<br />

Walpurgisnacht:<br />

7117 Mit vielen Namen glaubt man mich zu nennen –<br />

S<strong>in</strong>d Briten hier? Sie reisen sonst so viel,<br />

Schlachtfeldern nachzuspüren, Wasserfällen,<br />

7120 Gestürzten Mauern, klassisch dumpfen Stellen;<br />

Das wäre hier für sie e<strong>in</strong> würdig Ziel.<br />

Sie zeugten auch: Im alten Bühnenspiel<br />

Sah man mich dort als old Iniquity.<br />

(There’s a belief that I have many names.<br />

Are any British here? They’re usually great travellers,<br />

look<strong>in</strong>g for battlefields <strong>and</strong> waterfalls,<br />

dilapidated walls <strong>and</strong> dreary ancient sites;<br />

this is an ideal place for <strong>the</strong>m to visit.<br />

My name’s attested <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir ancient drama,<br />

where I appeared as Old Iniquity.)<br />

Almost 60 years ago, I often had <strong>the</strong> chance to watch Punch <strong>and</strong> Judy shows; to<br />

<strong>the</strong> children’s delight, Punch cont<strong>in</strong>uously speaks <strong>in</strong> asides <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>se shows <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

this way becomes an accomplice of his young audience.<br />

One of <strong>the</strong> techniques of improvisatory drama easiest to learn is <strong>the</strong><br />

improvisation of monologues. 33 In do<strong>in</strong>g so, a player acts on his own; complicated<br />

agreements with one or several o<strong>the</strong>r actors are not necessary. In <strong>the</strong> same way a<br />

‘commentator’ only has to follow his own ideas. This technique is an element of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Commedia dell’arte <strong>and</strong> German folk comedy of <strong>the</strong> seventeenth <strong>and</strong><br />

eighteenth centuries. In this k<strong>in</strong>d of drama <strong>the</strong> fool has ‘die Angewohnheit, zum<br />

Parkett gew<strong>and</strong>t, über Reden und Taten der Mitspieler zu räsonieren, deren und<br />

eigene H<strong>and</strong>lungen ausführlich zu kommentieren und zu glossieren’. 34 Nestroy’s<br />

comedy, too, which is based on <strong>the</strong> ‘oral’ traditions of Vienna’s <strong>the</strong>atre, favours<br />

<strong>the</strong> ‘Unterbrechung der Zuschauerillusion durch e<strong>in</strong> im Spiel angelegtes<br />

Kunstmittel’, that is caused ‘durch das (vorgeschriebene oder improvisierte) Spiel<br />

der Schauspieler’. 35<br />

3. Conclusion<br />

It has become clear that <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which asides are used <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong> are worlds apart. It is not at all surpris<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong> Roman poets<br />

do use some techniques occur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong>. But <strong>the</strong> Greek models do not<br />

offer any <strong>in</strong>stances that employ asides <strong>in</strong> a similarly excessive <strong>and</strong> comic manner<br />

as <strong>the</strong> Plaut<strong>in</strong>e plays do. In this case as <strong>in</strong> all o<strong>the</strong>rs it is a mistake to do without<br />

33 Cf. Lefèvre 1991, 195-6.<br />

34 Asper 1980, 124. See also 125: ‘Das Publikum wird von Hanswurst und se<strong>in</strong>en Gesellen<br />

gleichwohl immer zum Mitwisser erkoren, wenn ihm Gefahr droht, wenn etwas besonders gut<br />

gelungen ist oder wenn ihm im Stück selber das lose Mundwerk verboten wird’.<br />

35 Hillach 1967, 66. See also 85: ‘In der Beobachterhaltung äußert sich die Figur entweder<br />

nüchtern feststellend, vergleichend, kommentierend oder mit kritischer Wendung analysierend,<br />

ironisch, zugespitzt.’ Here, a similar ‘oral’ tradition as, for <strong>in</strong>stance, <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> case of Sosia is<br />

discernible.<br />

12


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

source criticism when compar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong>. 36 S<strong>in</strong>ce it is a<br />

fundamental difference, it is also wrong to use as an argument <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong><br />

state of preservation of <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong> is worse than that of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Palliata</strong>. 37 When<br />

analys<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> phenomenon of asides, it is not only quantity, but above all quality<br />

that matters.<br />

It certa<strong>in</strong>ly is not an easy task to prove <strong>the</strong> difference, as <strong>the</strong> models of <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Palliata</strong>e are not preserved. But <strong>the</strong>re does exist a ›rmaion, which allows us to<br />

take a glance at Plautus’ comic workshop. In <strong>the</strong> Bacchides, <strong>the</strong> friends<br />

Mnesilochus <strong>and</strong> Pistoclerus say, when <strong>the</strong>y see each o<strong>the</strong>r aga<strong>in</strong> (534-7):<br />

534 PI. estne hic meus sodalis? MN. estne hic | hostis quem aspicio meus?<br />

535 PI. certe is est. MN. is est. adibo | contra et contollam gradum.<br />

PI. salvos sis, Mnesiloche. MN. salve. | PI. salvos quom peregre advenis,<br />

cena detur. MN. non placet mi | cena quae bilem movet.<br />

The follow<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>es of <strong>the</strong> Dis exapaton correspond to this greet<strong>in</strong>g:<br />

103 MO. ca‹re, Sèstrate.<br />

SO. kaˆ sÚ.<br />

(MO. Oh, Sostratos,<br />

Hello! SO. (bleakly) Hello.)<br />

In l<strong>in</strong>es 534-5 Plautus has placed a double aside by each of <strong>the</strong> two characters, <strong>in</strong><br />

which <strong>the</strong>y comment on <strong>the</strong> partner (type IIb), before actually greet<strong>in</strong>g each<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r. Then he takes over <strong>the</strong> short Greek greet<strong>in</strong>g. And after that, he adds <strong>the</strong><br />

motif of <strong>the</strong> welcome banquet—<strong>and</strong> also <strong>the</strong> refusal of <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vitation by <strong>the</strong> person<br />

addressed. He has transformed four Greek words <strong>in</strong>to four long l<strong>in</strong>es conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />

37 words. But his style is not simply verbose, cosy, or even sentimental. On <strong>the</strong><br />

contrary, it is sharp <strong>and</strong> aggressive. The anti<strong>the</strong>tical structure is especially<br />

remarkable <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g pairs: sodalis—hostis; cena detur—non placet mi<br />

cena. It is a dialogue of contrasts, as <strong>the</strong> expression contra et contollam gradum<br />

demonstrates. The partners cap <strong>the</strong> words of <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, first <strong>in</strong> asides <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n<br />

directly. If one takes <strong>in</strong>to account that Plautus has transformed <strong>the</strong> simple iambic<br />

trimetres of <strong>the</strong> Greek <strong>in</strong>to sonorous versus quadrati, 38 it is obvious that he<br />

composes an—Italic—argument. 39 The l<strong>in</strong>es are structured <strong>and</strong> configured <strong>in</strong> a<br />

dipodic way. Thus one source of Plaut<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>vention becomes clear: he takes over<br />

forms of oral speech, whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> Fescenn<strong>in</strong>i 40 or <strong>the</strong> Atellanae 41 have <strong>in</strong>spired<br />

him.<br />

36<br />

Exactly this, however, is claimed by Ba<strong>in</strong> 1977, 154: ‘Even so <strong>in</strong> what follows questions ... of<br />

<strong>the</strong> relationship of <strong>the</strong> Roman play to its orig<strong>in</strong>al have for <strong>the</strong> most part been ignored.’<br />

37<br />

Aga<strong>in</strong>, this is claimed by Ba<strong>in</strong> 1977, 155: ‘If a motif hi<strong>the</strong>rto unattested <strong>in</strong> Greek <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong><br />

is frequently to be found <strong>in</strong> Plautus, we may suspect that it is <strong>in</strong> fact Greek <strong>in</strong> orig<strong>in</strong>. If it is also to<br />

be found <strong>in</strong> Terence, suspicion hardens <strong>in</strong>to virtual certa<strong>in</strong>ty. We must always remember how<br />

much <strong>New</strong> <strong>Comedy</strong> was available to Plautus <strong>and</strong> Terence <strong>and</strong> how little, comparatively speak<strong>in</strong>g,<br />

is available to us.’<br />

38<br />

On <strong>the</strong> non-literary tradition of versus quadrati <strong>in</strong> Rome see Gerick 1996, 27-42.<br />

39<br />

Cf. Wallochny 1992, 182-3.<br />

40<br />

Cf. Gerick 1996, 29.<br />

41<br />

Cf. Gerick 1996, 50-56. On preliterary Atellanae see Frass<strong>in</strong>etti 1953, 73.<br />

13


ECKARD LEFÈVRE, ASIDES IN NEW COMEDY AND THE PALLIATA<br />

The situation is not different <strong>in</strong> most o<strong>the</strong>r passages. With regard to Euclio’s<br />

numerous asides dur<strong>in</strong>g Megadorus’ speeches <strong>in</strong> Aulularia III 5 und III 6 one can<br />

po<strong>in</strong>t to <strong>the</strong> fact that scholars regard <strong>the</strong> greater part of <strong>the</strong>se scenes as Plaut<strong>in</strong>e<br />

<strong>in</strong>vention. 42 For that reason alone already, specific adaptation of Greek techniques<br />

is to be considered unlikely.<br />

42 Cf. Lefèvre 2001a, 76-83.<br />

14


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16

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