{"product_id":"9781350020542","title":"Plautus: Casina","description":"\u003cstrong\u003ePlautus: Casina\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): David Christenson\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the first volume dedicated to Plautus' perennially popular comedy \u003ci\u003eCasina \u003c\/i\u003ethat analyses the play for a student audience and assumes no knowledge of Latin. It launches a much-needed new series of books, each discussing a comedy that survives from the ancient world. Four chapters highlight the play's historical context, themes, performance and reception, including its reflection of recent societal trends in marriage and property ownership by women after the Punic Wars, and its complex dynamics on stage. It is ideal for students, but helpful also for scholars wanting a brief introduction to the play.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e C\u003ci\u003easina\u003c\/i\u003e pits a husband (Lysidamus) and wife (Cleostrata) against each other in a struggle for control of a 16-year-old slave named Casina. Cleostrata cleverly plots to frustrate the efforts of her lascivious elderly husband, staging a cross-dressing 'marriage' that culminates in his complete humiliation. The play provides rich insights into relationships within the Roman family. This volume analyses how \u003ci\u003eCasina\u003c\/i\u003e addresses such issues as women's status and property rights, the distribution of power within a Roman household, and sexual violence, all within a compellingly meta-comic framework from which Cleostrata emerges as a surprising comic hero. It also examines the play's enduring popularity and relevance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e“David Christenson is one of the most sensitive and sophisticated interpreters of Roman comedy, and \u003ci\u003ePlautus: Casina\u003c\/i\u003e is every bit as good as you expect ... The book is clear, well-written, and easy reading, and certainly the best introduction to Plautus' play now available anywhere.” - \u003ci\u003eThe Classical Outlook\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Christenson's reading of Casina justifies the popularity of this highly entertaining yet provocative comic drama of Plautus and illustrates its allure to audiences and actors across time.”  - \u003ci\u003eCJ Online\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This accessible and smart companion includes deft accounts of comic performance and nuanced discussions of social and historical context that bring Plautus’ play vividly to life for modern audiences.'” — \u003ci\u003eCatherine Connors, Professor of Classics, University of Washington, USA.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781350020542\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":40690212143310,"sku":"9781350020542","price":74.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_52ee9e16-0983-4c17-8b10-f69ab3b53d27.jpg?v=1640405756","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781350020542","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}