LCL 61: 4-5
- Casina Rugantea is located in one of the buildings that form the entrance of Borgo Vittorio, one of the main streets in the neighborhood adjacent to the Vatican City. Historical vestibule of St. Peter's and the Vatican palaces, the Borgo district has retained its popular appeal, so much so that several senior prelates choose to live in this part of the city (among others, Cardinal Ratzinger.
- Plautus' Casina is a lively and well composed farce. The plot, which concerns the competition of a father and his son for the same girl and the various scurrilous tricks employed in the process, gives full scope to Plautus' inventiveness and richly comic language.
- The plays Casina, Amphitryon, Captivi and Pseudolus provide an introduction to the world of Roman comedy. As with all Focus translations, the emphasis is on a handsomely produced, inexpensive, readable edition that is close to the original, with an extensive introduction, notes and appendices.
Four essential classic plays with an introduction by the editor The comedies of Plautus and Terence are all that survive to us of a great age of Roman comedy theatre. Collected here are four important plays that offer a unique insight into everyday life in ancient Rome, whilst maintaining a pivotal influence over the theatre of the present day. 'La CASINA' is offering all you can expect to spend the most peaceful and enjoyable vacation you had ever fantasized. The perfect blend of peaceful country-side-life- style and beach excitement. Ask for our special offer if you are just a couple: 25% NEW at La CASINA: AC in the BedRooms.
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joy her. Lysidamus also has a proxy: his slave Olympio, whois a somewhat crude overseer on the family's country estate.
Casina Plautus Summary
As Cleostrata, the wife of Lysidamus, has her suspicions,she supports her son and Chalinus. Since she raisedCasina, whom a slave brought home when he saw her beingabandoned as a baby, she has a certain right to give herin marriage to whomever she wants. But Lysidamus ashead of the household can overrule her. Naturally, he doesnot want his wife to be suspicious of his true motives, sohe first tries to persuade her to give Casina to Olympio bydiscrediting Chalinus. When Cleostrata remains intransigent,Lysidamus promises Chalinus his freedom shouldhe give up; Cleostrata does the same with Olympio. However,both slaves resist the temptation to give in. In theend Lysidamus, who does not dare to overrule his wife directly,decides to resort to casting lots as to who is goingto marry Casina. This scene (ll. 353–423), during whichLysidamus makes several Freudian slips by saying that hewants to marry the girl, must go back to Diphilus, whonamed his play for it; but it is clear that Plautus has introducedchanges. For instance, in New Comedy there are atmost three speaking actors onstage, but in this scene thereare four: Lysidamus, the two slaves, and Cleostrata. Sincethe three men are necessary in the scene, it is likely thatCleostrata is the person that Plautus added. At the end ofthe scene, Olympio and Lysidamus win and Cleostrata hasto prepare the wedding.
Things take a turn for the better when Chalinus overhearsa conversation between Lysidamus and Olympio.Lysidamus plans to tell his wife that he will accompany thecouple to their country estate. In reality they intend to go
4next door; Lysidamus has persuaded his neighbor Alcesimusto send over his wife Myrrhina, a close friend ofCleostrata, so that she can help with the wedding preparations.Alcesimus wants to send everyone off so thatLysidamus can sleep with Casina in his house before theyall go to the countryside. Chalinus immediately tells hismistress everything, and she can now counteract her husband'splans.
Cleostrata begins to stir up trouble for her husband bytelling him that Alcesimus refused to send his wife over,while telling Alcesimus, who is actually keen to help Lysidamus,that his wife is not needed. The ensuing argumentbetween Lysidamus and Alcesimus does not last long,though, and Myrrhina goes next door. Next Pardalisca, aslave girl working for Cleostrata, comes out, seemingly inpanic. She tells Lysidamus that Casina has a sword and intendsto kill her future husband. Again Lysidamus, fearingfor his life, makes Freudian slips. Then the wedding preparationsare drawn out for so long that Lysidamus decidesto leave with the couple without having a wedding dinner.The women bring out a very special bride—Chalinuswearing a concealing veil.
It has sometimes been argued that the wedding involvinga male bride is a Plautine insertion. It is true that anumber of ritual elements have a distinctly Roman character,and these must be Plautine. For instance, the bride isadmonished to cross the threshold carefully in order toavoid stumbling, a bad omen (ll. 815–17); and more generally,Greek brides were not given advice for their marriedlife on the big day, while Chalinus/Casina gets much advice,albeit unrealistically anti-male. On the other hand,there are Greek elements in the ceremony that must go
5
Find related works
| Casina | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Plautus |
| Characters | Olympio - slave of Lysidamus Chalinus - slave of Cleostrata Cleostrata - wife of Lysidamus Pardalisca - maid of Cleostrata Myrrhina - wife of Alcesimus Lysidamus Alcesimus Citrio - cook |
| Setting | a street in Athens, before the houses of Lysidamus and Alcesimus |
Casina is a Latinplay by the early RomanplaywrightTitus Maccius Plautus.
Casina Summary Meaning
Plot[edit]
Casina Summary
The action takes place on the streets of Athens, and all the characters are Greek. The plot revolves about a beautiful girl, Casina, who is being fought over by two men. She was abandoned at the door of Lysidamus and his wife Cleostrata, and has been raised as a servant. Euthynicus, son of Lysidamus, has fallen in love with Casina and wants to marry her. As the wedding approaches, however, Lysidamus desires Casina for himself, and devises an elaborate ruse to get Euthynicus out to the country and have Casina marry his servant Olympio instead. Lysidamus would then be able to have sex with Casina whenever he wanted, and she would be the wife of his servant in name only: she would be concubine to Lysidamus, without his own wife Cleostrata finding out. Cleostrata opposes his plan, and wants Casina to marry her slave Chalinus, who would stand in for Euthynicus until his return from the country.
The conflict between father and son becomes a battle between husband and wife. To resolve the situation, Cleostrata first proposes to draw lots (the play is also known as The Lot-Drawers), but Lysidamus wins. Cleostrata and her servants then devise one scheme after another to keep Lysidamus from collecting his prize. Cleostrata discovers that her husband plans to sleep with Casina before Olympio takes her home. She dresses her servant Chalinus as Casina and humiliates both Olympio and Lysidamus by taking advantage of the darkened bedroom in her neighbor's home where Lysidamus' affair was to take place. In the dark, Olympio reaches under the dress of 'Casina' and realizes that there has been a trick. Lysidamus has been beaten by his wife, and his sins have been exposed to the public. Cleostrata takes him back and life returns to normal. There follows a brief epilogue in which it is explained that Euthynicus will return from the country will indeed marry Casina, who was really a free-born Athenian when she was taken into the family.
Casina Summary Graphic Organizer
Many of the characters in Casina are stock characters of Greek and Roman comedy, such as the old man chasing after the young slave woman.
Translations[edit]
- Henry Thomas Riley, 1912: Casina full text
- W. Thomas MacCary and M. Willcock, 1976
- James Tatum, 1983
- David M. Christenson, 2008 Review in BMCR
- Wolfang de Melo, 2011 [1]
References[edit]
Casina Play Summary
- ^Plautus; Translated by Wolfgang de Melo (2011). Plautus, Vol II: Casina; The Casket Comedy; Curculio; Epidicus; The Two Menaechmuses. Loeb Classical Library. ISBN067499678X.
External links[edit]
LCL 61: 4-5
- Casina Rugantea is located in one of the buildings that form the entrance of Borgo Vittorio, one of the main streets in the neighborhood adjacent to the Vatican City. Historical vestibule of St. Peter's and the Vatican palaces, the Borgo district has retained its popular appeal, so much so that several senior prelates choose to live in this part of the city (among others, Cardinal Ratzinger.
- Plautus' Casina is a lively and well composed farce. The plot, which concerns the competition of a father and his son for the same girl and the various scurrilous tricks employed in the process, gives full scope to Plautus' inventiveness and richly comic language.
- The plays Casina, Amphitryon, Captivi and Pseudolus provide an introduction to the world of Roman comedy. As with all Focus translations, the emphasis is on a handsomely produced, inexpensive, readable edition that is close to the original, with an extensive introduction, notes and appendices.
Four essential classic plays with an introduction by the editor The comedies of Plautus and Terence are all that survive to us of a great age of Roman comedy theatre. Collected here are four important plays that offer a unique insight into everyday life in ancient Rome, whilst maintaining a pivotal influence over the theatre of the present day. 'La CASINA' is offering all you can expect to spend the most peaceful and enjoyable vacation you had ever fantasized. The perfect blend of peaceful country-side-life- style and beach excitement. Ask for our special offer if you are just a couple: 25% NEW at La CASINA: AC in the BedRooms.
Go To Section- Display:
joy her. Lysidamus also has a proxy: his slave Olympio, whois a somewhat crude overseer on the family's country estate.
Casina Plautus Summary
As Cleostrata, the wife of Lysidamus, has her suspicions,she supports her son and Chalinus. Since she raisedCasina, whom a slave brought home when he saw her beingabandoned as a baby, she has a certain right to give herin marriage to whomever she wants. But Lysidamus ashead of the household can overrule her. Naturally, he doesnot want his wife to be suspicious of his true motives, sohe first tries to persuade her to give Casina to Olympio bydiscrediting Chalinus. When Cleostrata remains intransigent,Lysidamus promises Chalinus his freedom shouldhe give up; Cleostrata does the same with Olympio. However,both slaves resist the temptation to give in. In theend Lysidamus, who does not dare to overrule his wife directly,decides to resort to casting lots as to who is goingto marry Casina. This scene (ll. 353–423), during whichLysidamus makes several Freudian slips by saying that hewants to marry the girl, must go back to Diphilus, whonamed his play for it; but it is clear that Plautus has introducedchanges. For instance, in New Comedy there are atmost three speaking actors onstage, but in this scene thereare four: Lysidamus, the two slaves, and Cleostrata. Sincethe three men are necessary in the scene, it is likely thatCleostrata is the person that Plautus added. At the end ofthe scene, Olympio and Lysidamus win and Cleostrata hasto prepare the wedding.
Things take a turn for the better when Chalinus overhearsa conversation between Lysidamus and Olympio.Lysidamus plans to tell his wife that he will accompany thecouple to their country estate. In reality they intend to go
4next door; Lysidamus has persuaded his neighbor Alcesimusto send over his wife Myrrhina, a close friend ofCleostrata, so that she can help with the wedding preparations.Alcesimus wants to send everyone off so thatLysidamus can sleep with Casina in his house before theyall go to the countryside. Chalinus immediately tells hismistress everything, and she can now counteract her husband'splans.
Cleostrata begins to stir up trouble for her husband bytelling him that Alcesimus refused to send his wife over,while telling Alcesimus, who is actually keen to help Lysidamus,that his wife is not needed. The ensuing argumentbetween Lysidamus and Alcesimus does not last long,though, and Myrrhina goes next door. Next Pardalisca, aslave girl working for Cleostrata, comes out, seemingly inpanic. She tells Lysidamus that Casina has a sword and intendsto kill her future husband. Again Lysidamus, fearingfor his life, makes Freudian slips. Then the wedding preparationsare drawn out for so long that Lysidamus decidesto leave with the couple without having a wedding dinner.The women bring out a very special bride—Chalinuswearing a concealing veil.
It has sometimes been argued that the wedding involvinga male bride is a Plautine insertion. It is true that anumber of ritual elements have a distinctly Roman character,and these must be Plautine. For instance, the bride isadmonished to cross the threshold carefully in order toavoid stumbling, a bad omen (ll. 815–17); and more generally,Greek brides were not given advice for their marriedlife on the big day, while Chalinus/Casina gets much advice,albeit unrealistically anti-male. On the other hand,there are Greek elements in the ceremony that must go
5Find related works
| Casina | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Plautus |
| Characters | Olympio - slave of Lysidamus Chalinus - slave of Cleostrata Cleostrata - wife of Lysidamus Pardalisca - maid of Cleostrata Myrrhina - wife of Alcesimus Lysidamus Alcesimus Citrio - cook |
| Setting | a street in Athens, before the houses of Lysidamus and Alcesimus |
Casina is a Latinplay by the early RomanplaywrightTitus Maccius Plautus.
Casina Summary Meaning
Plot[edit]
Casina Summary
The action takes place on the streets of Athens, and all the characters are Greek. The plot revolves about a beautiful girl, Casina, who is being fought over by two men. She was abandoned at the door of Lysidamus and his wife Cleostrata, and has been raised as a servant. Euthynicus, son of Lysidamus, has fallen in love with Casina and wants to marry her. As the wedding approaches, however, Lysidamus desires Casina for himself, and devises an elaborate ruse to get Euthynicus out to the country and have Casina marry his servant Olympio instead. Lysidamus would then be able to have sex with Casina whenever he wanted, and she would be the wife of his servant in name only: she would be concubine to Lysidamus, without his own wife Cleostrata finding out. Cleostrata opposes his plan, and wants Casina to marry her slave Chalinus, who would stand in for Euthynicus until his return from the country.
The conflict between father and son becomes a battle between husband and wife. To resolve the situation, Cleostrata first proposes to draw lots (the play is also known as The Lot-Drawers), but Lysidamus wins. Cleostrata and her servants then devise one scheme after another to keep Lysidamus from collecting his prize. Cleostrata discovers that her husband plans to sleep with Casina before Olympio takes her home. She dresses her servant Chalinus as Casina and humiliates both Olympio and Lysidamus by taking advantage of the darkened bedroom in her neighbor's home where Lysidamus' affair was to take place. In the dark, Olympio reaches under the dress of 'Casina' and realizes that there has been a trick. Lysidamus has been beaten by his wife, and his sins have been exposed to the public. Cleostrata takes him back and life returns to normal. There follows a brief epilogue in which it is explained that Euthynicus will return from the country will indeed marry Casina, who was really a free-born Athenian when she was taken into the family.
Casina Summary Graphic Organizer
Many of the characters in Casina are stock characters of Greek and Roman comedy, such as the old man chasing after the young slave woman.
Translations[edit]
- Henry Thomas Riley, 1912: Casina full text
- W. Thomas MacCary and M. Willcock, 1976
- James Tatum, 1983
- David M. Christenson, 2008 Review in BMCR
- Wolfang de Melo, 2011 [1]
References[edit]
Casina Play Summary
- ^Plautus; Translated by Wolfgang de Melo (2011). Plautus, Vol II: Casina; The Casket Comedy; Curculio; Epidicus; The Two Menaechmuses. Loeb Classical Library. ISBN067499678X.
External links[edit]
