Menander and New Comedy: Dyscolus
About Menander
Menander, this dude from way back, was a famous playwright in ancient Greece. They called him the top dog of Greek New Comedy, which was the last hurrah of funny plays in Athens. Back in the day, his plays didn't make him a megastar, even though he churned out over 100 of them. He only managed to snag eight wins at the big drama festivals in Athens.
By the time Menander came along, comedy had shifted its focus from politics to everyday life. The chorus, those singing and dancing folks, took a backseat and only popped up between acts. The actors still wore masks, but they got fancier to match the wide range of characters you'd find in a comedy about manners. It made it easier for the audience, who didn't have playbills, to know who was who. Menander was a master at portraying characters like strict dads, young lovers, gold-digging ladies, scheming slaves, and more.
He was one of the most popular writers in antiquity, but his work was lost during the Middle Ages and is now known in highly fragmentary form, much of which was discovered in the 20th century. Only one play, Dyskolos, has survived almost completely.
One of Menander's plays, "Dyscolus," really showed off his skill at light-hearted comedy. There's this grumpy dude named Knemon who's a total misanthrope. It's hilarious. Menander was also a champ at creating clashes and contrasts between characters and their moral principles. His plays "Perikeiromenē" and "Second Adelphoe" are prime examples. They're his crowning achievements.
The Romans, Plautus and Terence, loved Menander's work so much that they adapted a bunch of it. His influence spread like wildfire through European comedy from the Renaissance onwards. Those Roman adaptations are like missing puzzle pieces that give us a glimpse into Menander's lost plays. Sadly, we don't have a complete collection of his works, except for "Dyscolus," which was first printed in 1958 from some ancient papyrus leaves found in Egypt.
We don't know much about Menander's life, but the tidbits we have are juicy. He was supposedly rich and came from a fancy family. Rumour has it that he studied under Theophrastus, a philosopher who followed Aristotle. In 321, Menander debuted his first play called "Anger." He scored a prize in 316 with "Dyscolus" and finally won big at the Dionysia festival the next year. By 301, the dude had written over 70 plays. He probably hung out in Athens for most of his life and turned down offers to go to Macedonia and Egypt. Apparently, he met his end by drowning while swimming at the port of Athens called the Piraeus. What a way to go!
Menander once said, "He who labors diligently need never despair, for all things are accomplished by diligence and labor." — Menander
Dyskolos (316 BC)
Context:
So, there's this ancient Greek comedy called Dyskolos, also known as The Grouch or The Misanthrope. It's the only play by Menander, an old-time playwright, that's survived pretty much intact. It won Menander a top prize when it was first performed in Athens way back in 316 BC.
For a long time, we only had bits and pieces of the play, like quotes here and there. But in 1952, they found this old manuscript in Egypt, dating back to the 3rd century, that had almost the whole thing. It's called the Bodmer Papyri and Oxyrhynchus Papyri. Thanks to that, we finally got to read the whole play when it was published in 1958 by this dude named Victor Martin.
The story is about this rich young guy named Sostratos. He falls head over heels for this girl from a small village. Problem is, the girl's dad, Knemon, is one grumpy old man. He's hard to approach and always in a bad mood. But Sostratos doesn't give up. He ends up helping Knemon's stepson, Gorgias, rescue the old man from a well. That act of heroism wins Knemon's heart, and he agrees to let Sostratos marry his daughter. And get this, Sostratos even manages to convince his own dad to let him arrange a marriage between his sister and Gorgias.
Now, here's the cool part. This play, Dyskolos, inspired a French playwright named Molière. He only knew the basic idea of the play because they hadn't found the whole thing yet. But it still influenced him when he wrote his play, The Misanthrope, in 1666.
Characters
PAN
KHAIREAS, slave of Sostratos
SOSTRATOS, son of a welathy Athenian
PYRRHIAS, slave in Sostratos’ town house KNEMON (‘The Grouch’)
MYRRHINE, daughter of Knemon
DAOS, slave of Gorgias
GORGIAS, Knemon’s stepson
SIKON, a hired cook
GETAS, slave in Sostratos’ country house
SIMICHE, slave of Knemon
KALLIPIDES, father of Sostratos
MOTHER OF SOSTRATOS
Plot Summary:
In the beginning, we meet Pan, the god of the woods, who tells us about the neighboring farms. Knemon is a grumpy guy who lives with his daughter, Myrrhine, and their servant Simiche. On the other side, Gorgias works with his slave Daos, and Knemon's wife has taken refuge there.
Sostratos, a rich Athenian, falls in love with Myrrhine thanks to Pan's tricks. He sends his slave Pyrrhias to talk to her father, but Pyrrhias comes running back, chased by a madman. Sostratos decides to wait for Knemon himself and asks his poor companion Chaireas to come back the next day.
Knemon appears, grumbling about trespassers, and Sostratos tries to talk to him, but Knemon is unfriendly and goes inside. Sostratos decides to seek help from his father's clever slave, Getas.
Meanwhile, Myrrhine comes out to get water from the nymphs since their water-pot broke. Sostratos offers to help her and goes with her to the temple.
Daos, Gorgias' slave, sees Sostratos giving the jar to Myrrhine and assumes he has bad intentions. He rushes to inform Gorgias, her half-brother.
A group of drunk Pan-worshippers enters, dancing and having fun.
In Act 2, Gorgias returns from the fields with Daos. Sostratos tells them he couldn't find Getas and explains his love for Myrrhine. Gorgias warns him that Knemon is misanthropic and only wants a poor farmer for his daughter. Daos suggests Sostratos should work in the fields to impress Knemon, lending him a hoe. Sostratos agrees and they go to the fields.
The cook Sikon arrives, followed by Getas carrying a load of cushions. They discuss a sacrifice that Sostratos' mother wants to make because of a bad dream. Sikon promises Getas a good meal. They go to the temple together.
In Act 3, Knemon plans to work in the fields, but Sostratos' mother and her followers arrive for a sacrifice, irritating Knemon. Getas asks to borrow a cooking pot, but Knemon refuses. Sikon also asks, but Knemon angrily hits him with a strap. Sostratos returns from the fields, tired. Getas complains about the work and Sostratos invites Gorgias and Daos to the feast to win them over.
Knemon's servant-woman, Simiche, laments dropping the water jar in the well, and Knemon angrily chases her inside. Sostratos arrives with Gorgias and Daos. Sostratos tells Knemon about the rescue from the well, and Knemon realizes his misanthropy and decides to change. He adopts Gorgias as his son and agrees to Sostratos marrying Myrrhine. Sostratos' father, Kallipides, arrives, and they discuss the weddings.
In Act 5, Sostratos persuades his father to let Gorgias marry his sister. After some hesitation, Kallipides agrees, promising dowries. They decide to have the weddings the next day. Simiche calls out Knemon, who is reluctant at first, but they help him join the party. Getas and Sikon tease Knemon by pretending to borrow things. Finally, they carry Knemon into the temple. Everyone celebrates and looks forward to the weddings.
Analysis:
During Menander's time, Aristophanes' Old Comedy had given way to New Comedy. This happened after Athens lost its political independence and importance due to defeats by Philip II of Macedon and the death of Alexander the Great. Freedom of speech was no longer a thing, and state-sponsored dramatic festivals were a thing of the past. The audience consisted mostly of educated and leisurely people.
In New Comedy, the prologue became more important. It was usually spoken by a character or a divine figure and set the stage for the play, often giving away the happy ending and reducing suspense. Comedies had five acts with irrelevant interludes performed by a Chorus. Dialogue was spoken in everyday language, not sung. The plays had universal themes and realistic plots, with few references to specific Athenians or events.
New Comedy relied on stock characters representing social types, like the strict father, kind old man, reckless son, country bumpkin, heiress, bully, parasite, and courtesan. Masks were used with distinct features, not individualized ones. Characters dressed like average Athenians, and exaggerated props like phalluses were no longer used. Colors were associated with specific character types.
The cast lists in New Comedy were long, and actors played multiple short roles in one play, with quick costume changes.
The character of Knemon, a misanthropic and grumpy loner, represents a whole class in New Comedy. Menander believed that Knemon's disposition shaped him, not just his circumstances. Even though Knemon realizes by the end of the play that people need each other, he doesn't change his nature and remains unpleasant and anti-social.
Menander stands out for portraying a variety of individualized and sympathetic slaves. He didn't see them as mere tools or for comic relief. He treated slaves as human beings worthy of attention, just like free individuals. Slaves in the play had their own motivations within the framework set by their owners' actions and intentions. They didn't direct events but had an impact on them.
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