THE DRAMATIC VALUES IN PLAUTUS

Menschen, der ihn lenkt, frohlich rauschend dahin eilt, uber ­
sprudelnd von einer Fulle erheiternder Scherze und schi11ernder
Spielereien!' ,
In curious contrast to this fulsome outpouring stands the
expressed belief of Lamarre24 that the character of Ballio overshadows
that of Pseudolus. In support of this view he cites Cicero
(Pro Ros. Com. 7.20), who mentions that Roscius chose to play
Ballio.
Lorenz in his enthusiasm exalts the Epid. to an ideal of comic
excellence (Introd. Ps. p. 27). He even goes so far as to contend
that Plautus lives up to the following characterization :25 "Nicht
bIos durch naturgetreue and lebhafte Charakterschilderungen und
durch eine komisch gehaltene, abel' die Grenzen des Wahrscheinlichen
und des Graziosen nicht uberschreitende Zeichnung des
taglichen Lebens so11 del' Dichter des Lustspiels seine Zuschauer
interessiren und ihr heiteres Gelachter hervorrufen, sondern auch
so reiche Anwendung zu geben, durch die es in den Dienst einer
sittlichen Idee tritt, und so gleichsam die moralische Atmosphare
zu reinigen."
Such emotional superlatives merely create in the reader a
cachinnatory revulsion . . ' Yes, Plautus was great, but he was great
in a far different way. He approached the Rabelaisian. It is doubtful
if "die Grenzen des Graziosen" lay within his purview at all.
The treatment of Lamarre cited above contains26 a highly
meritorious analysis of the Plautine characters, discussed largely
as a reflection of the times and people, both of New
LAMARRE Comedy and of Plautus, without imputing to our
poet too serious motives of subtle portrayal. But
he too ascribes to Plautus a latent moral purpose: "En faisant
rire, il veut corriger" !27
This sounds ominously like an echo from Naudet2S who, in the
course of lauding Plautus' infinite invention and variety of
NAUDET embroidery, would translate him into a zealous social
reformer by saying: "L'auteur se proposait de faire
beaucoup rire les spectateurs, mais il voulait aussi qu'ils se cor-
'4La litterature latine depuis la fondation de Rome (Paris, 1899), Bk. II.
chap. 3· sec. IS, p. 362.
"Introd. to ed. l11ost., p. 37. 26Bk. II, Ch. 4.
27Lamarre, op. cit., Bk. II, Ch. 4, Sec. 12 , p. 475·
28Theatre de Plaute (Paris, 1845), Introd. p. 18.
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