“Curculion” Plautus in brief summary
Curculion means “Bread worm”. This is the nickname of a one-eyed freeloader, he took root, a cunning and a glutton who leads the intrigue in this comedy. His breadwinner and patron is an ardent young man in love; the girl that this young man loves belongs to the evil pimp, and it needs to be redeemed as soon as possible. There is no money, and the lover can not get them; all hope of a clever Curculion. The young man sent him to another city – to borrow from his friend, and he secretly makes his way to his amiable. The superintendent is sick, the young man is greeted by the porter, with a jug of wine ready for anything. The old woman sings the glory of guilt: “Ah, wine, ah, wine, the best gift for me! ..” The young man sings the serenade of the door hinges that will open the door and let his beloved go to him: “Hey, hooks, hooks, soul! .. “The old slave looks, as lovers kiss, and grumbles: “It’s good to love sensibly, but madly –
Curculion is light, he is already running on stage: “Hey, acquaintances, strangers, get out of the way, get out of the way!” / I must serve, whoever is caught, beware, / To not knock him down with a chest, head or foot! Be king, be the master, be it from the police, / Be the boss, be a tyrant, be an idler slave, – / All will fly from my road head to the street! .. “
They grab him, hold him, treat him, they ask him questions. It turns out that all the noise – in vain: no money, but there is hope for a trick. In the nearby town of Curculion, he happened to meet a boastful warrior who, it turns out, too, was noticed by the same girl and already conspired with a procurer about her purchase. The money for this lies in the preservation of the money-changer, which will give them to the one who presents to him as a conventional sign a ring with a warrior’s seal. Curculion got into the company with the warrior, they ate, drank, began to play dice, one less fell, another
The work begins. Having densely eaten, Curculion is to the money-changer with a letter sealed with that very signet: a fighter with a sword cutting an elephant. The letter says: I am a warrior of such and such kind, I instruct the money changer to pay the pimp so much and so much to the pimp, and give the redeemed girl to the bearer of this letter. “And who are you?” “I am his servant.” – “Why did not he appear himself?” – “The case is busy: puts a monument to his exploits – how he defeated Persia and Syria, Objorie and Opivaniyu, Aivia and Vinokuria: half the world in three weeks.” – “Well, if so, then I believe that you are from him: another such nonsense will not come up.” And, stopping the interrogation, she changed pays money to the procurer, and he leaves with Kurkulion behind the stage – to the girl.
An unexpected pause: an empty scene comes out of the chorus, the owner of an actor’s troupe, and talks to the audience. This is all that remains of the choir, which once occupied so much space in comedies. Horag teases the audience: “Do you want me to tell you where to find someone at the forum?” Such a temple is a liar, such a thing has a bitch, a well has noodles at the well, a dandy channel at the channel, hooks at the trial, and at the same time, … “Meanwhile, the pimp handing the girl Kurkulionu, and he, pleased, leads her to his master, looking forward to a hearty dinner as a reward.
Suddenly there is a boastful warrior – he slept, grabbed his ring, hurries to the money-changer – there is already no money, he hurries to the pimp – the girl is gone. “Where can I find Curculion, a worm of a waste?” / “Look in the grain of wheat, there you will find at least a thousand!” / “Where is he? Where is he? Help, dear audience! / Who will find it will help – I will give a reward! ..”
And his ring – a fighter, with a sword cutting an elephant – at Curculo, and the girl looks and is surprised: exactly the same ring was at her father! The warrior rushes, rushes to the young man: “Give me my slave!” “She’s free,” the young man declares. “If you want, we’ll go to court, just say first: is this your ring?” -“My”. – “And where do you get it from?” From Father. “And what was the name of your father, and your mother, and your wet nurse?” -“So that”. “Dear brother,” the girl shouts, rushing to the warrior’s neck: “Did not you have a sister who was lost in her childhood?” There is a joyous recognition: what happiness, that the gods did not allow the marriage of a brother and sister! The marriage of a young man and a girl is a foregone conclusion; now you need to deal with a pimp – how he dare to trade a free girl? He is frightened, the girl even pities the old man: “
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