The Self Tormenter: Fathers and Sons and Lovers

Episode 38

A look at 'The Self Tormenter' by Terrence. Written in 162 or 163 BCE this is the story of disagreements between fathers and sons over the choice of women and how a clever slave almost wins the day.

A synopsis of the pay with some comments about the Prologue, the action of the play and the general style.

The way Terence changes the standard stock characters and makes them more rounded characters than anything we have seen before, including how the portrayal of the clever slave and the courtesan are more subtle than in previous plays.

Some of the issues with the play.

How Terence continued to use metatheatre and how he changed it.

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