The Role of Slavery in Roman Comedy Essay Example for Free

The Role of Slavery in Roman Comedy Essay A Greek comedic playwright named Menander wrote a play with the same title. Since Menander’s version is lost, historians aren’t sure how original Terence’s version is. We can suspect that at least some of Terence’s version is merely a translation or a very slightly edited form of Menander’s. One of the most recurring themes in Greek and Roman Theater is that of the master and the slave. Almost every play by Plautus contained â€Å"the cunning slave† who outwitted or ridiculed his master’s action. George Duckworth described this relationship saying, â€Å"It is hardly possible that in real life ancient slaves had as much freedom as the slaves of Roman comedy, nor could they have been as outspoken and as impudent,† (Duckworth 288). Themes such as this sought to diminish the harsh reality of slavery and racism through comedy. Because Plutarch and Terence depicted slaves more as free men than as prisoners, their comedies fought the traditional ideas of slavery and discrimination. Before discussing slavery in Roman plays, it is important to know the customs of the Roman Theater. All Roman citizens attended the theater for free, because either the city funded the play, or a wealthy, individual citizen paid for the production. These individuals might be running for an upcoming election, so they provided entertainment to the Roman people to gain favor with them. The better the play, the better their reputation would be. In general, the Romans of the time, combat and bloodshed were of the utmost desires for entertainment. The more realistic and gruesome the event, the more they enjoyed themselves. At the time, women were not allowed to have roles in the theater, and in the beginning stages of Roman Theater, women could not even attend the productions. Young boys played the female roles instead. But most interestingly, slaves usually made up the entire cast of a Roman production. There are twenty surviving plays written by Plautus. The first instance of a slave acting out of character is in the play Captivi. In this play, Philopolemus, an Aetolian is captured and sold into slavery under an Elean doctor. His father, Hegio proceeds to buy many Elean slaves to trade for his son. He ends up buying a well-known Elean named Philocrates, who is accompanied by his own slave, Tyndarus. Hegio plans to send the master back to Elis to facilitate the trade. But Tyndarus and Philocrates switched identities, which would have caused the deal to fall through. Hegio is infuriated, and orders Tyndarus to the quarries. David Konstan explains the theme of this play as, â€Å"the conflict between a stern, conventional father and a son driven to defiance by the irresistible force of erotic passion. A common figure in these plays is the household slave, who risks the displeasure of his senior master†¦in order to advance the amatory interests of the junior,† (Konstan 59). Instead of the general storyline, Philocrates is the senior master because he is the original owner of Tyndarus. Hegio is the junior master because he has only recently obtained Tyndarus. Hegio still holds all power over Tyndarus, though, and this act of defiance would normally be punished with death for the perpetrator. Instead, Hegio is convinced by Tyndarus that his actions were purely out of loyalty, and not to offend Hegio. Hegio respects this and decides to let him live. Another famous play by Plautus that contains the role of the cunning slave who is not punished justly is Rudens. Gripus, the slave of a poor man that lives on the coast comes across a treasure chest while fishing, and dreams of what he will do with his spoils, explaining that he will buy his freedom and become a tyrant with his immense wealth. Another slave, Trachalio comes along, though, and claims that if Gripus doesn’t split the treasure with him, then he will report Gripus to the original owner of the treasure. Gripus argues that the treasure is his because the sea belongs to no one, and consequently that which is recovered from the sea belongs to the finder. Trachalio suggests they settle the argument by talking to Gripus’ owner Daemones. Daemones sides with Trachalio, who wanted the treasure not for himself, but for the original owner, Palaestra. Daemones then chides Gripus for his selfishness, â€Å"Daemones angrily sends him into the house and complains about the poor quality of slaves; luckily, he reflects, Gripus didn’t meet another like himself, or both would have been implicated in the crime,† (Konstan 84). Trachalio is the cunning slave in this example, and he, like Tyndarus, is not motivated by selfish reasons, but by doing what is right. This is the reason why the cunning slave is celebrated in Roman Theater. Duckworth describes the attitude of this slave as, â€Å"the freedom and insolence of the comic slaves, their immunity from serious punishment, their happy-go-luck existence†¦combine to paint a picture of slave life that bears little relation to reality,† (Duckworth 290). In his essay entitle Comic Shackles, Ulrike Roth elaborates on this point saying, â€Å"But Geta’s concern is not evidence for the employment of chained labour on the land. Both Plautus and Terence, then, do not employ the image of the chained slave for work on the land of Roman slave owners,† (Roth). The slaves don’t actually suffer any torture throughout the course of the productions. In reality, the Roman master surely would have punished his slave for even the most minor mistakes, just to keep his reputation as a man in power. Duckworth says that, â€Å"however much the slaves of comedy refer to whips and chains, to the mill and the quarry and the cross, they seldom experience them in the plays. The frequent use by slaves of epithets like mastigia, furcifer, uerbero, verbereum caput, as terms of banter or abuse does not mean that the slaves are necessarily referring to punishments which they or their fellow-slaves have themselves undergone,† (Duckworth 290). Plautus and Terence do not want to show the truth about slavery of the time in their productions. This may be so that they didn’t insult anyone by generalizing what â€Å"most† Romans did. If a play was poorly received, then the citizen who invested in the production would likely destroy the name of the playwright. Duckworth explains that, â€Å"when the intrigue is directed against a pompous soldier or a rascally leno, the slave’s machinations have the approval of the other characters and the sympathy of the spectators. Such trickery is successful and there is no question of punishment,† (Duckworth 288). When the audience is on the side of the trickster, there is no need for punishment in the eyes of the audience. This technique is essential in Roman theater. It makes the slave, a degenerate type in the eyes of most Romans, the hero of the play; an integral part in the outcome of the story. Just like in Miles Gloriosus. Plautus writes about the character of Palaestrio as another example of this motif. He plots and schemes against his new master Pyrgopolynices in order to return the kidnapped Philocomasium to his former master, Pleusicles. Pleusicles hides with an old man next door after receiving a letter from Palaestrio about their location. Palaestrio crafts an opening in the wall so that the girl can visit her true love behind the soldier’s back. The plan almost fails when another slave sees the girl with another man, but through his craftiness Palaestrio manages to convince him it was the girl’s visiting twin sister. He then enlists the help of a courtesan to stand in for the neighbour’s wife and seduces the soldier so he will set the girl free. The ruse is successful, and Palaestrio escapes with his old master and the girl. The freedom that Palaestrio has in this play is something to be desired by all slaves. The fact that he could find paper to write a letter to his master in secret and that he could even write at all is hard to imagine of a slave during this time period. But his defiance of the unjust soldier Pyrgopolynices is admired by the audience because he is one of the main characters. This depiction of the life of a slave is not one of reality, but it does make for good entertainment. The pardoning of slaves and the cunning slave are two important motifs in Roman theater. Duckworth states, â€Å"Angry threats†¦are not to be taken seriously. They are more useful in portraying the comic aspects of a young man’s impatience or an old man’s wrath than in throwing light upon the relation of master and slave in antiquity,† (Duckworth 289). The slave is usually meant to be a beloved character that either encourages the main character to do what is right or is the main character himself.

Disability Worldwide Essay -- Health, Diseases

INTRODUCTION When a person is growing inside of the womb, he or she automatically possess unique gifts or talents that could potentially change the way of life. Blessed with all their beautiful bodily features that operate towards perfection, love and acceptance from their families, peer groups, and communities surround them. They gain respect as individuals and can make their own decisions in life. However, that is not the case with all people. Some were born with one or no limbs, and they cannot function properly without assistance. Others with brain abnormalities, body disfigurement, and etcetera. Instead of earning respect from their community, they are targets for alienation, abuse, and social stigmatization. Disability is something they cannot rid themselves of: It is a part of them. The main goal of the disabled is for their communities to accept them as â€Å"unique individuals.† DEFINITION OF DISABILITY Disability is best defined as a â€Å"state of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like† (Webster Multilingual Dictionary, 2006). Not all disabilities resulted in birth; accidents or illnesses are one of the other reasons. LEVETICUS 21:17-23: BIBLICAL CONCEPT How does the bible interpret disability? In one passage referred to as ‘†Leviticus,† the Lord spoke: â€Å"Speak to Aaron, saying: No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God. For any man who has a defect shall not approach: a man blind or lame, who has a marred face or broken hand, or is hunchback or a dwarf, or a man who has a defect in his eye, or eczema or scab is an eunuch. No descendant of ... ...m from the center because they felt that it was not of use to him and his mother was home from the hospital to care for him. Nick told the staff that he spends the majority of his time in the bedroom and is carried upstairs without his wheelchair. His social worker has made many attempts to see Nick, but to no avail. Although the social worker and staff show great concern over Nick’s welfare, there was nothing they could do to assist him because he was no longer a minor and he had to be the one to make a complaint about his care or request alternative living arrangements. Despite the rules and regulations, some were meant to be broken in cases like this. It was as if the agency turned a blind eye to the situation or could not go beyond their job description. If the organizations, agencies, or families could or would not assist them, where else can they turn to?

Life Is Beautiful (Film) -Speech

Good morning everyone. My name is Joshua Orefice, in the early part of my childhood life is beautiful, living in Arezzo, Italy with my loving mother and father, Guido and Dora, but things take a turn for the worst with the occupation of my hometown by German forces. On my fifth birthday my Mother, Father, Uncle Eliseo and myself were forced onto a train bound for a concentration camp.At the time I was confused, unaware of the true nature of the camp and completely oblivious to the vile actions that really occurred at this place of death. In order to protect me from a world that was not fit for five year old boy, my father had to think fast on his feet to turn the hard truth into a mere game. In the camp, my father would hide me from the Nazi guards, sneak me food and would always try to humour me.In an attempt to keep up me spirits, He convinced me that the camp was just a game, in which the first person to get 1,000 points wins a  tank. He told me that if I cried, said that I was hungry or complained about missing my mother, I would lose points, while if I was quiet and remained hidden from the camp guards I would earn points. In a similar fashion he also convinced my young self that the guards are also a part of the game and that were angry because they want the tank for themselves.My father maintained this story right up to the end of his life, and as the Americans advance on the camp and their tanks come closer to rolling over the hill, my father was forced to make the greatest sacrifice in order to ensure my safety and that I can be again reunited with my mother. Despite him knowing that his death was inevitable, at our final moment he still upheld his positive attitude and protected from the evils of mankind. From this journey I can now look back on what my father taught me, that love, family and imagination can conquer all. Life is beautiful.

The Challenges Of Math And Science Classes Essay - 1169 Words

When I was young, I anticipated, a creative person was the one who could compose rhyming poems and stories, who could draw beautiful pictures, or who could sing and dance effortlessly. I attempted to be creative several times. They were dull and lifeless. I now recognize my creativity is in STEM fields rather than in arts and humanities. I have enjoyed the challenges problems in math and science classes. And thinking to solve a problem in various ways is also being a creative. However, the school has a huge impact on choosing it. In Nepal, schools rarely conveyed us towards the path of creative writing. Most of our English syllabus included short/long questions answers from the chapters. The first creative writing I recall is the one from third grade. We were given the assignment to describe our home. I went little overboard and described that I had the magical tree whose leaves taste like candies and had four peacocks that would dance in the backyard. Residing in boarding school, we were provided with the limited amount of sweets and the limited amount of playtime that to depend on the occasions. Possibly that might be one reason for my strange description while another might be my age where I could write freely without anyone criticizing and commenting about it. Of all the writing, I reminisce this particular one because it is unique. Like Ken Robinson, a speaker of Do school kills creativity? said, â€Å"Kids are not frightened of being wrong† (Robinson, 5:42), I guess IShow MoreRelatedThe Challenges Of Math And Science Classes Essay968 Words   |  4 Pagescould compose rhyming poems and stories, who could draw beautiful pictures, or who could sing and dance effortlessly and I also wanted these skills, but it was impossible. Later, I found out, I was creative too. I enjoyed the challenges problems in math and science classes. And thinking to solve a problem in various ways is also being a creative. Hence, creativity can be learned in the fields tha t you are curious in and not from sitting in a lecture, but by learning and applying creative thinkingRead MoreHigh School For The Adult Learning Environment Of A Community College Essay1249 Words   |  5 Pagesalso a monumental challenge for any High School student who chooses to take part in the program. The challenges include leaving the rigidity and comfort of the High School for the adult learning environment of a community college, becoming a more active participant in one’s own learning, working hand in hand with students and staff of all ages and backgrounds, and more. Making the decision was very intimidating. Specifically, I was intimidated by taking college level math classes, as all throughoutRead MoreUsing Video Games in the Classroom1407 Words   |  6 Pagesfor a wide variety of different subjects, ranging from math, to science, to english and even in foreign language classes as many games that are made in different countries are in that countrys own languag e. Of Course games are almost always translated into different languages so that people worldwide could play them but a foreign language teacher wouldn’t find it too difficult to get ahold of a copy of a game in a foreign language. Music classes such as band or choir could even use video games suchRead MoreA Research On Stem Education886 Words   |  4 PagesScience, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM is critical to the future. STEM is everywhere and it is shaping our everyday experiences. Coming from a STEM focused high school I believe STEM is a very important educational tool to be implemented in the school systems and the earlier the introduction of the STEM teaching the better. I graduated from Hoover High School in Des Moines, Hoover is the leading STEM school in the state of Iowa (DMPS, 2015). Hoover has now set up new classroomsRead MoreAutobiographical Essay985 Words   |  4 Pagesexcited about school and made me want to learn. My education in Russia was cut short, however, when we moved to the United States. In the United States, education is a bit different from Russia. I immediately noticed that I was not challenged in math. In first grade in Russia, schoolchildren were learning multiplication, while first graders in the U.S. were still on addition. Naturally, I was disinterested in some parts of school, but learning English kept me considerably busy. Our family movedRead MoreThe Career Oath Of Forensic Meteorology868 Words   |  4 Pagescourt case? Not that many people know that Forensic Meteorology exists, what its’s requirements are, or even the fields of study. But even if they do know it exists, most likely, they don’t know it’s purpose in the judicial system or in the field of science. Forensic scientists are the newest career oath for both rookie weathermen and women; using their knowledge of the atmosphere and applying it in the court room. Forensic meteorology is a relatively new and booming derivative of the meteorologyRead MoreSchool Is Bad For Children Essay1485 Words   |  6 PagesKennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt (â€Å"School House to White House†). Can their success as leaders be attributed to school? Or would they have been successful without that education? School is where they were inspired and pushed to their limits. â€Å"The challenges of studying various subjects, completing homework, forming new ideas, participating in extracurricular activities, and making friends are part of the common heritage of an American education shared by everyone—including our Presidents† (â€Å"SchoolRead MoreMy Career Goals For The Field Of Engineering1564 Words   |  7 PagesE2/MITES/MOSTEC ESSAYS 1) What are your career goals? How might E2/MITES/MOSTEC help you attain these goals? I currently have several skills in many aspects in the field of engineering. Most of these skills are in the area of computer science with languages such as Java, C#, HTML, and JavaScript. Throughout my current exposure, I have learned engineering has several different possibilities in terms of choosing a major to focus in, and a career to pursue but have never completely experienced how eachRead MoreAsian, Female, and the Middle Class1385 Words   |  6 Pagesmathematics and science and lead to their high achievement in these subjects. I observed that all the Asian seniors were in AP Calculus class while 7 out of 23 white Americans and no African Americans were in the class. Two-thirds of the Pre-Calculus class and half of the AP Chemistry class were made up of Asian students. These facts are consistent with the data collected by Tyrone C. Howard. According to the chart, SAT Scores by Race and Ethnicity, 2008, Asian Americans’ average SAT score on the math sectionRead MoreAm erican Public Education Essay676 Words   |  3 Pagesabout the core classes. For instance, I started school in the US at age twelve, eighth grade, and was placed in college prep classes, even though English was my second language. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to travel and study in different countries like Afghanistan, India, and Yemen. The excellent schooling system of these countries, although they were considered third world countries in the eighties, had prepared me for a higher level of education. My academic challenges started when I took