Personae Comicae

The eight plays in this book will bring laughter and fun to any Latin classroom. The characters and incidents are based on Plautus’ plays, and occasionally some of Plautus’ original lines are interwoven. Suitable for a second year latin class, the text is simplified grammatically so that students can focus more on enjoying the humor in the Latin and less on untangling the grammar. Moreover, the words are set in a more rigid meter than Plautus would employ, making it easier to read aloud or memorize lines. Whether a class is just translating the plays, or performing them in Latin, or performing them in English for younger classes, Personae Comicae shows off the lighter side of Latin, which is often seen as all intellectual. Here, using colloquial Latin, Personae Comicae reaches and interacts with students in a way that Cicero cannot. As short skits, these eight plays are ideal for class performance, whether as a dramatic reading or performance by the students.