A review by msand3
Menaechmi; Or, The Twin-Brothers by Plautus

3.0

The play that inspired Shakespeare’s [b:The Comedy of Errors|82356|The Comedy of Errors|William Shakespeare|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328543324s/82356.jpg|525707] is a classic Plautine “switcheroo narrative.” (I want to claim that as a literary term of my own creation!) If it had been the first Plautus comedy I read, I think I would have liked it more, but since I’ve read about ten of his extant plays, it just feels like an average one that depends on a plot device that Plautus tends to overuse -- which is to say, it’s pretty much the only plot device he uses: the mistaken identity. As with his other work, the jokes drag on a little too long and the final scene of recognition feels rushed. I imagine this would be a fairly enjoyable play to see performed, but nothing classic beyond the Shakespeare connection.