_ 160). This was probably no exaggeration.
When the padding takes the form of mutual "spoofing," the scene assumes an
uncanny likeness to the usual lines of a modern "high-class vaudeville
duo." Note Leonida and Libanus, the merry slaves of the _As._ in 297 ff.,
Toxilus and Sagaristio in the _Per._, Milphio and Syncerastus in the
_Poen._ (esp. 851 ff.), Pseudolus and Simia in _Ps._ 905 ff., Trachalio
and Gripus in _Rud._ 938 ff., Stichus and Sagarinus in the final scene of
the _St._, and in _Ps._ 1167 ff. Harpax is unmercifully "chaffed" by Simo
and Ballio. Or, in view of the surrounding drama, we might better compare
these roysterers to the "team" of low comedians often grafted on a musical
comedy, where their antics effectually prevent the tenuous plot from
becoming vulgarly prominent.
2. Inconsistencies of character and situation.
The Plautine character is never a consistent human character. He is rather
a personified trait, a broad caricature on magnified foibles of some type
of mankind. There is never any character development, no chastening. We
leave our friends as we found them. They may exhibit the outward
manifestation of grief, joy, love, anger, but their marionette nature
cannot be affected thereby. That we should find inconsistencies in
character portrayal under these circumstances, is not only to be expected,
but is a mathematical certainty.
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