Andria (comedy)
Roman comedy by Terence From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Roman comedy by Terence From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andria (English: The Woman from Andros) is a Roman comedy adapted by Terence from two Greek plays by Menander the first being Samia and the other being Perinthia. It was the first play by Terence to be presented publicly, and was performed in 166 BC during the Ludi Megalenses.[1]
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By the time of Cicero, roughly a century later (56 BC), the play had become well-known as the source of (or along with) the line "Hinc illae lacrimae!" ("hence those tears!"; act 1, scene 1, v. 126), as the orator made use of this latter in a speech (Pro Caelio) defending his erstwhile student Marcus Caelius Rufus; and even thirty-six years thence—in 20 BC—the play and the phrase were evidently still popular enough that Horace could quote it in his Epistulae I and expect the allusion to be recognized.
Andria became the first of Terence's plays to be performed post-antiquity, in Florence in 1476, and it was adapted by Machiavelli, whose Andria was likewise the author's first venture into playwriting and was the first of Terence's plays to be translated into English ca. 1520. The second English translation was by the Welsh writer Morris Kyffin in 1588.
According to the ancient commentator Donatus, the characters of Charinus and Byrrhia were not in the original Menander play, but were copied by Terence from a different Menander play (the Perinthian) so that Philumena would not be left without a husband when Pamphilus married Glycerium.[2] Another part of the Perinthian apparently used by Terence was the dialogue in the first scene, with the substitution of the freedman Sosia for the old man's wife. It seems that the original Andrian of Menander began with a soliloquy.
Pamphilus has a secret relationship with Glycerium (the eponymous but unseen girl from Andros) and has made her pregnant. But meanwhile his father has arranged for him to marry Chremes's daughter Philumena. However, following Pamphilus' behaviour at the funeral of Glycerium's sister Chrysis, a woman of loose morals, Chremes withdraws his permission for the union.
Wishing to publicly shame his son for his dalliance with a woman of low birth, Simo pretends that not only will the match still go ahead but that it is scheduled for that same day. Pamphilus, on the advice of the cunning slave Davus, who has learnt of Simo's scheme, accepts the proposal willingly in order to wrong-foot his father. However, the plan goes wrong, since Simo persuades Chremes to again accede to giving his daughter away. This leaves Pamphilus in an awkward position as he has promised Glycerium's sister Chrysis on her death bed to protect Glycerium, Glycerium is pregnant with their child and in addition Pamphilus' friend Charinus is in love with Philumena. Davus faces the three-way wrath of Pamphilus (for his advice), Charinus (for causing the loss of his beloved) and Simo (for double-dealing between him and his son).
The situation is saved by the fortuitous arrival of a stranger from Andros called Crito. He tells the protagonists that Glycerium was not Chrysis' natural sister. She had been left in her family's care when her uncle Phania, while searching for his lost brother, was shipwrecked on Andros and died. Chremes realises that Phania was his brother and therefore he himself is Glycerium's true father. He gives Glycerium's hand in marriage to Pamphilus which leaves Philumena free to marry Charinus and absolves Davus from fault.
The poet defends himself against his critics who have accused him of adding parts of Menander's play the Perinthian Girl to his Andrian Girl.
Simo tells his freedman Sosia that the nuptials he is preparing for his son Pamphilus are a sham. When Sosia enquires as to the purpose of the sham, Simo tells him of Pamphilus' shameful secret attachment to Glycerium, the sister of a harlot. While Chremes had previously been so impressed by Pamphilus' moderate and upright behaviour he had offered his daughter unprompted; but following the uncovering of the affair between Pamphilus and Glycerium at Chrysis' funeral he has withdrawn his offer. Simo is outraged that Pamphilus does not feel abashed by his private admonition of Pamphilus' behaviour and is continuing with the appearance of the nuptials so that he will be seen as publicly defying his father. He also hopes he might draw out the roguish plotting of Pamphilus' slave Davus.
Davus comes out talking to himself and is overheard by Simo. Having made himself known he is told by Simo to ensure the planned nuptials go to plan, as any hint that Davus' scheming had caused the wedding's cancellation will result in Davus being severely punished. After Simo's departure Davus vows to undermine Simo's plan. He also reveals that in order to curry favour with Simo, Glycerium has concocted a story that she is a free-born citizen of Athens who was shipwrecked as a child on Andros and thus is not of base birth. Davus heaps scorn on this idea.
Glycerium is soon to give birth. Mysis leaves her mistress' house to make some preparations for this when she overhears Pamphilus bemoaning the fact that his marriage to Philumena is still going ahead. Mysis reveals herself to him. Pamphilus earnestly repeats that he will not desert Glycerium. Mysis leaves to find a midwife.
Charinus and Byrrhia talk, Byrrhia confirms the rumour that Pamphilus is still proceeding with the marriage to Philumena. Charinus declares his love of Philumena and as he is unsure why Pamphilus is going ahead with the match he vows to go and beg him at least to delay. Byrrhia warns him not to as it might appear to Pamphilus that Charinus is effect telling him that he will cuckold him at the first opportunity.
Charinus catches up with Pamphilus and begs him to break-off or delay the wedding. Pamphilus tells him that he would love nothing better than acquiesce to this request and is endeavouring to bring about its termination. Charinus is relieved by this. He dismisses Byrrhia for his poor counsel. Davus approaches them and they surmise from his happy disposition that Davus is unaware of their fated heartbreak. Davus tells them that in fact the planned nuptials are a ruse and that he has checked Chremes' house and there is no sign of preparations. Charinus leaves happy that he will have his beloved Philumena.
Davus counsels Pamphilus to accept Simo's wish to marry. This will cause the match to be publicly ended by Chremes. As a disclosed libertine Simo will be willing to let him marry Glycerium rather than no one at all. Pamphilus agrees but asks Davus to ensure his father does not discover that he has agreed to bring up Glycerium's child.
Simo enters to set his trap. Byrrhia enters and hides himself as he is under orders to watch Pamphilus' movements in regard to Philumena. Simo tells Pamphilus he must marry today. Pamphilus surprises him by agreeing. Byrrhia believes that Pamphilus is betraying his master.
Simo collars Davus and voices his suspicions of Pamphilus' volte face. Davus parries these queries and the accusation that Davus is somehow plotting against him. Davus says that any unhappiness Simo might have detected was due to Simo's mean expense on the celebrations.
Simo and Davus overhear Mysis and Lesbia, who in the course of their conversation reveal that Pamphilus has made a pledge to support Glycerium's child. Simo believes that this is a ruse concocted by his son to anger Chremes and thereby end his wedding to Philumena. While they are talking, they hear a cry while Glycerium gives birth to a son.
Simo accuses Davus of advising his master in this deception. Davus denies this. To avoid suspicion as to his true plans, Davus tells Simo this is a plan by Glycerium to keep the attentions of his son and the next move of Glyceium's servants will be to place the new-born son on Simo's doorstep so as to prevent the wedding.
Simo meets Chremes in the street. Chremes asks why there is a rumour about town that their children will still be wed. Simo implores Chremes to reagree to the match. He reveals that, as Davus has said, Glycerium is faking a birth in order to get back together with Pamphilus. Believing Simo appraisal of the situation Chremes agrees. Simo meets Davus and thanks him for helping with his plans. He 'reveals' the nuptials had been a sham and says if they now go ahead it is wholly due to Davus' good advice. Davus privately berates himself. Pamphilus searches for Davus seeking to imprison or kill him for putting him in an intractable situation. Davus implores him to let him redeem himself and promises to come up with something to stop the wedding, but no plan comes to mind.
Charinus on hearing that the wedding will proceed believes that his friend has betrayed him taking Philumena only because he had revealed his love of the girl. He comes on Davus and Pamphilus and accuses his friend. Pamphilus says that it was not his doing but down to the plotting of Davus. Facing a two-time wrath Davus doubles his promise that, somehow, he will extricate Pamphilus from the union. Mysis enters telling Pamphilus that Glycerium needs his presence. Davus tells Charinus that he has a plan but there may not be enough time to pull it off, but he should go and wait in his house.
Davus bids Mysis to stay a moment, and returns with the child. He tells her to place it on the doorstep of Simo's household. Davus retires into the background as Chremes comes onto the scene, and then reappears after Chremes has seen what Mysis was doing. Chremes hides himself not realising that Davus knows he is present. Davus berates a confused Mysis for her actions, saying that it would be terrible if Chremes had come on the scene and not him. Chremes reveals himself and says the wedding is off.
Crito arrives in Athens, and on learning of Chrysis' death berates his ill fortune because, as Glycerium is in reality an orphan, he is Chrysis' closest relative and will need to take a case to law to claim her estate ahead of Glycerium who will no doubt be defended by some gallant protector.
Chremes berates Simo for enticing him into giving permission for the wedding again. Simo mollifies his rage saying what he saw was a ruse orchestrated by Glycerium and that Davus had even warned him beforehand that this would be attempted in order to break the wedding off. They then spy Davus exiting Glycerium's house. They ask him why he was there. Davus replies that he was attending Pamphilus and that there is news that claims Glycerium is an Athenian citizen. Not believing him Simo has Davus arrested. Pamphilus arrives and Simo berates him for breaking his word. Pamphilus responds that he will indeed break his word but that his father ought to listen to Crito's story before he scolds him. Crito tells all present that Glycerium is the niece of an Athenian nobleman shipwrecked on Andros while searching for his brother. Chremes reveals that he was that brother and, approving of the match, gives a dowry of ten talents.
The majority (98%) of lines in the Andria consist of the following metres:[3]
Many Roman comedies, such as Terence's Phormio, have a clear metrical structure, with sections generally in the order A = iambic senarii, B = other metres, C = trochaic septenarii.[4] The Andria does not follow this scheme exactly. In several places the iambic senarii are preceded not by trochaic septenarii, but by iambic octonarii and once by iambic septenarii. There are no fewer than 11 polymetric passages with different metres (ia8, ia4, tr7, tr8, tr4) following each other in rapid succession. (The Andria has 90 changes of metre, which is more than any other Terence play.)
The Andria also differs from Plautus's plays by its unusually large use of the iambic octonarius metre. Another unusual feature is that it contains a short passage (481–484) in bacchiac quaternarii and another passage (626–639) in various cretic metres, which Terence otherwise mostly avoided.[5]
The different metres are used for different purposes, reflecting the emotional content of the words. The iambic senarii passages are used for narrative and giving background information. They are also used five times in short sections to emphasise a point or give important information. Trochaic septenarii move the plot forward. Iambic octonarii are common when characters express their anxieties. Iambic septenarii, the "metre of love", are used especially in passages singing about love and marriage. The bacchiac metre, used briefly when the midwife Lesbia comes out of the house, is a solemn metre often sung by women characters.
Compared with a Plautus play such as Epidicus, Terence's Andria has many more changes of metre. Thus the metrical scheme is:
Overall, however, there is a similarity of plot. In both a wily slave tricks his master and his master's friend; in both, the plan goes badly wrong, but the slave escapes punishment in the nick of time by a lucky chance. In the end, in both plays the two old men are placated, a long-lost daughter is found, and the young man of the house gets to keep his girlfriend.
Sosia – "Moderation in all things" (Act 1, Scene 1).
Sosia – "...compliance raises friends, and truth breeds hate" (Act 1, Scene 1).
Simo "Hinc illae lacrimae" (Latin for "hence [the reason for] those/these tears") verse 126 (Act 1, scene 1)
Simo – "All who like mistresses dislike the thought of marriage" (Act 1, Scene 2).
Charinus – "...charity begins at home" (Act 4, Scene 1).
Thornton Wilder, an American writer, wrote The Woman of Andros, a novel based on Terence's Andria, which presents a fable about the emptiness of the classical world on the brink of profound changes provoked by the birth of Jesus.[citation needed]
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