Plautus’s Casina

Casina, Plautus’s last and perhaps most innovative play, arouses, only to subvert, audience expectations. The prologue leads the spectators to believe that the plot will end with the recognition and marriage typical of New Comedy. Instead, it ends with a farcical transvestite wedding, and humiliation of the representative of patriarchal order, the “old man stock-type,” or senex. The audience initially sees in the female lead, Cleostrata, an antagonistic “bossy pants” wife (uxor dotata), contrasted to her neighbor, an obedient “good-wife” type. But both women end up playing the role of tricky slaves (callidi serui), and, together with a female and male slave, conspire to deceive and humiliate the old man (senex). This conspiracy is strikingly reminiscent of the diverse set of people—slaves, free, and women—who had gathered to worship Bacchus, whose cult was suppressed in 186 bce. The comedy thus reflects contemporary concerns and addresses male anxieties: the threat of uprisings among the oppressed, and the increasing independence of women in their marriages. The plot runs as follows. Both Senex (“Lysidamus” in some editions) and his son lust for Casina, a foundling raised by Cleostrata, Senex’s wife. To secure Casina for himself without his wife knowing, Senex chooses his enslaved foreman, Olympio, to marry the girl, on the understanding that, Olympio, once wed, will hand Casina to his owner. Cleostrata, though, is aware of her husband’s plans. To wrest Casina from him, she aims to give Casina to the enslaved armor bearer Chalinus. Senex tries to persuade Chalinus to relinquish Casina to his proxy, Olympio, while Cleostrata attemps to prevail upon the enslaved foreman (uilicus) to give the girl up. Neither owner convinces, so both Lysidamus and Cleostrata agree to draw lots to decide who marries the girl. Olympio wins. Cleostrata duly prepares for the marriage. In the meantime, the arms bearer, Chalinus, overhears Senex and Olympio plotting the tryst, which will take place at the neighbor’s house. Cleostrata, informed of these plans, now sets out to frustrate them. In three tricks of increasing complexity, she and her now-ally, Myrrhina, keep Senex and Olympio away from Casina, frustrating the old man’s opportunity for a night of carousing and forced sex with Casina. The final trick is a sham marriage featuring the cross-dressing Chalinus playing the role of Casina. Duped into believing Chalinus is Casina, Olympio and Senex try to rape “her,” but each man is roughed up by the ‘bride’. The men burst out of the trysting place humiliated, as Myrrhina and Cleostrata watch. Cleostrata permits Senex to regain his status as paterfamilias. The epilogue announces that Senex’ son will marry Casina, discovered to be the daughter of the next-door neighbors.