Pompeii - Theatre

Question 1

Who was the most famous Roman playwright?

Answer 1

Plautus - the most famous comic playwright. All of his plays are translations or adaptations of plays by Menander, a Greek playwright who lived in the 4th Century BC. 21/130 plays by Plautus have survived- they were performed on holidays such as religious festivals. The plays were often quite bulgur and looked down upon by some writers and early Christians.

Question 2

What did most plots of plays centre around?

Answer 2

Most plots centred o the tricks of a clever slave who would assist his young master in continuing a love affair. The slave often made a fool of the young masters father who would be trying to stop the affair. This aspect would appeal to the lower classes.
The girl was often a slave or prostitute - however by the end of the play she was eventually discovered to have her a free born Roman who was kidnapped during her childhood. This was often the climax of the play as she could now marry her lover.

Question 3

What costumes were used?

Answer 3

Father - white beards, white costume
Slave - red hair, short tunic + padded costume to add to the comic effect
Prostitute - yellow cloak
Young man - dark hair, multi-coloured costume

Question 4

How many people could the main theatre hold?

Answer 4

5000

Question 5

Describe the structure of the theatre in Pompeii

Answer 5

• stone seating
• 40cm per person
• cushions were often brought along
• huge awning which provided shade from the sun
• during intervals the audience was sometimes sprayed with scented water

Question 6

How was the seating divided?

Answer 6

Ima cavea:
•Composed of 4 rows for the local senators called Decurions - VIPs and sponsors even had their own arched entrance

Media cavea:
•Composed of 20 rows for the wealthier inhabitants of the town’s

Summa cavea:
•Composed of 4 rows where others could sit

Question 7

What was the Frons Scenae?

Answer 7

backdrop of the play, the scene was typically Athens.
In between the Frons Scenae and the seating was the orchestra, where musicians would perform between scenes and during the play to add more atmosphere.

Question 8

What were the audiences like

Answer 8

• Roman audiences were very vocal in expressing their views.
• If they became bored or if the play was too similar to the ones put on before, they would shout “we want bears! We want boxers!”
• If an actor mispronounced his lines or sang out of tune, he would be insulted and booed off stage
• If the audience enjoyed the play, they would clap loudly

Question 9

What were actors status in Pompeii?

Answer 9

Actresses were considered little better than prostitutes because they were exposing themselves onstage. Actors were not considered respectable in Ancient Rome and were often foreigners. However the most famous actors could earn enormous sums of money. Actors were often very popular amongst Roman women. E.g Paris, there was graffiti about him in Pompeii saying “Paris, pearl of the stage” and “Paris, sweet darling” he even had a fan club which signed itself “the comrades of Paris”