Date of Award

5-1938

Degree Type

Bachelors Essay

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Philosophy

First Advisor

Ruth Klein

Second Advisor

William M. Lamers

Abstract

At the first glance any connection between the modern comedies we see on our Broadway stages and the plays the ancient Romans saw in their elaborately decorated theatres, seems improbable. If it were possible for us to attend the Imperial theatre in New York today and see a modern production, then fly backwards some two thousand years and attend a Roman play, we would see a great many resemblences. For one thing the stage settings might be a great deal alike, as many of our modern architectual and stylized sets resemble the Roman stage without its elaborate ornaments. Next we turn to the plots, the themes, and the meters, and we find a definite parallel. Suddenly our attention Is attracted to the characters and although their costumes do not correspond to ours there is such a similarity in type that we cannot help but be amazed, for there is a Roman parasite working for a free meal, 2 and here 18 a publicity agent who In a little more subtle manner is practically doing the same thing.

Comments

A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the School of Speech, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Philosophy in Speech, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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