The Dramatic Values in Plautus

"The Dramatic Values in Plautus" by Wilton W. Blancké is a deep look into the plays of Plautus, a writer of comedies. The book goes over the common misunderstandings about Plautus and wants to show the real value in his work. It studies the way Plautus wrote his plays, the ideas he used, how critics have seen his work over time, and why his art matters even though some people have not liked it. Blancké looks at Plautus' jokes and the world he was writing in, hoping to explain why Plautus is an important figure in the world of plays. Blancké starts by talking about how people have often had the wrong ideas about Plautus, either praising him too much or putting him down unfairly. Blancké thinks we need to find a better balance in how we understand Plautus' plays. He says we should see Plautus as someone who mainly wanted to make people laugh, creating plays that would please a lively crowd, using funny and silly jokes like those in modern comedy. The start of the book plans for a complete look at Plautus' comedy to make the reader think again about the worth of laughter in his plays, instead of judging them for not having a higher artistic goal.