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?©, Wilton Wallace, 1884-1949

"The Dramatic Values in Plautus"

_) It's the Persian fashion."
The second point in this category is own cousin to the above. We should
label it persistent interruption and repetition. An excellent instance is
_Trin._ 582 ff., when Stasimus, Lesbonicus and Philto have just hatched a
plot. Philto departs.
"LES. (_To Stasimus._) You attend to my instructions. I'll be there
presently. Tell Callicles to meet me.
ST. Now you just clear out! (_Pushes him after Philto._)
LES. (_Calls out as he is being shoved away._) Tell him to see what has to
be done about the dowry.
ST. Clear out!
LES. (_Raising his voice._) For I'm determined not to marry her off
without a dowry.
ST. Won't you clear out?
LES. (_Still louder._) And I won't let her suffer harm by reason.----
ST. Get out, I say!
LES. (_Shouts._)--of my carelessness.
ST. Clear out!
LES. It seems right that my own sins--
ST. Clear out!
LES.--should affect me alone.
ST. Clear out!
LES. (_Mock heroically._) Oh father, shall I ever behold you again?
ST. Out, out, out! (_With a final shove._) (_Exit Lesbonicus._) At last, I
've got him away! (_Breathes hard._)"
The fun, if fun there be, lies in the hammer-like repetition of "I modo,"
a sort of verbal buffoonery. A clever actor could din this with telling
effect. The device is employed several times. In _Most._ 974 ff. the word
is _aio_, in _Per._ 482 ff. _credo_, in _Poen.


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