Menandrian plays feature stock characters like the young lover, cunning slave, and stern father. These characters drive the plot through their interactions and conflicts, creating comedic situations and misunderstandings that entertain audiences.

Menander's comedies follow a familiar structure, with exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution. The plays are known for their use of irony, role reversals, and realistic portrayals of human emotions, setting them apart from earlier Greek comedies.

Character Types in Menandrian Plays

Stock characters in Menander's plays

• Young lover (adulescens) serves as the protagonist driven by love and desire facing obstacles in pursuing their love interest
• Cunning slave (servus callidus) demonstrates loyalty to the young lover by devising schemes to help the lover achieve their goals often outwitting other characters in the process
• Stern father (senex) represents authority and tradition often opposing the young lover's desires with a strict and unyielding demeanor
• Courtesan (meretrix) acts as the love interest of the young lover and can either hinder or help the lover's goals depending on the situation
• Parasite (parasitus) plays the role of a flatterer and hanger-on often associated with wealthy characters providing comic relief through their gluttonous and sycophantic behavior

Plot Structures and Conventions in Menandrian Comedy

Conventions of Menandrian comedy

• Exposition introduces the main characters and their relationships establishing the central conflict or obstacle that drives the plot forward
• Rising action presents complications and misunderstandings that arise as characters devise schemes to overcome the obstacles they face
• Climax marks the peak of the central conflict where schemes and deceptions are revealed leading to a turning point in the story
• Resolution brings the conflicts to a close often through recognition or reconciliation uniting lovers and reconciling families in a satisfying conclusion
• Conventions include the use of stock characters and situations frequent use of coincidence and chance encounters and happy endings with lovers united and conflicts resolved

Irony and role reversals

• Irony takes various forms in Menandrian comedy
  • Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more than the characters creating suspense and anticipation
  • Situational irony arises when outcomes differ from expectations subverting the audience's assumptions
  • Verbal irony involves characters saying the opposite of what they mean often for comedic effect
• Misunderstandings play a central role in driving the plot and creating humor
  • Mistaken identities and false assumptions lead characters to act on incomplete or incorrect information
  • Miscommunication between characters results in confusion and misinterpretation of intentions
  • Misinterpretation of events or intentions causes characters to draw incorrect conclusions and make poor decisions
• Role reversals subvert traditional power dynamics and social hierarchies
  • Slaves outsmart their masters using their wit and cunning to gain the upper hand
  • Children defy parental authority asserting their independence and challenging traditional family structures
  • Women assert their independence and agency defying societal expectations and gender roles

Character depth vs earlier comedy

• Realistic portrayal of human emotions and motivations sets Menandrian comedy apart from earlier Greek comedy
  • Characters are driven by relatable desires such as love, ambition, and self-interest making them more accessible to audiences
  • Inner conflicts and moral dilemmas are explored adding depth and complexity to the characters' experiences
• Multidimensional characters transcend the limitations of stock archetypes
  • Stock characters are given more depth and nuance allowing for a wider range of emotions and behaviors
  • Characters are capable of growth and change over the course of the play demonstrating a capacity for learning and adaptation
• Contrast with earlier Greek comedy highlights the innovations of Menandrian comedy
  • Aristophanic comedy focused on political satire and caricature using exaggerated and absurd characters for comedic effect
  • Menandrian comedy emphasizes domestic life and relationships exploring the humor and drama of everyday situations
  • Shift from broad, slapstick humor to more subtle, character-driven comedy reflects a changing audience and cultural context