Reviews for Plutus

The average rating for Plutus based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-08-28 00:00:00 Ray Rain Menander's plays are light comedic material later expanded on by Plautus, Terrence, Shakespeare, Sheridan and others. He is part of the tradition that led to the comedy of manners and later to farce. (But no twins, as far as I know.) They are generally safe - conservative, non-political, and traditional. His works are mildly entertaining, but not required reading except for historians of drama. Dyskolus/The Grouch/Old Cantankerous *** - This is an entertaining play with the title character being the most interesting person. A young man must win over a misanthrope in order to win the girl he loves. The play plots his conversion from a misanthrope to one grudgedly human. The Girl from Samos *** - I'm not sure why this is called the Girl from Samos, when the Girl from Samos is not the main character. She's an important character, but far from the most important. Anyway, this is a farcical drama spinning around the parentage of an infant. The Penn edition provides a poetic telling but is not afraid to fill the many gaps in the plays (other than The Grouch). Where these supplements are added, we are not told. I don't mind someone trying to bring to life these fragmented plays, but I'd like to know where I'm reading Menander, and where I'm not.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-03-31 00:00:00 Michelle Decarvalho What I learned is how hard it is to translate Greek plays in poetic fragments into readable English. Menander is for all time - a comedian who inspired the commedia dell'arte, Moliere and Shakespeare