Pseudolus - Book Report/Review Example

He says what he wants and does not seem to have the need to have a hidden agenda. Pseudolus needed to be craft and inventive because he had no other choice. Calidorus was in despair and had no money. Without resorting to his intelligence it would have been all hopeless. As it was his craftiness was not evil or despicable though, because it was in the service of love. There was no thought of personal gain, or to inflict harm. If anything there was nothing much to like about Ballio, selling his women and pimping women to rich men like he did.

He was a terrible master to his slaves and servants (Plautus 222-223). He bossed his women around and told them to get as much material goods from their clients, so that he could have them for himself. He threatened to put some of his women in the whorehouse (Plautus 223-224). Contrast that to the noble aims of Pseudolus and Calidorus. Pseudolus wanted nothing for himself, but sincerely wanted to help Calidorus. Not having any money in his possession, he schemed to get money not for himself but to ransom Phoenicium.

Though a slave he acted nobly. We find his cunning and his craftiness charming as a result. We end up rooting for Pseudolus the trickster (Plautus 217-221). The language in Pseudolus is probably best represented by the language of Pseudolus and the lines coming from Ballio. Ballios language is coarse and somewhat offensive. He uses the language of the streets. It is unrefined and has no regard for decency whatsoever. He is a pimp after all. He does not hide his lack of moral scruples, especially with regard to selling women for profit.

His language either berates others, or else his language is one made out of graphic threats: “pegged up, not to a bull, but to a butchers frame” (Plautus 224); “more like asses than any man I ever saw” (Plautus 221); “wake up those weary carcasses” (Plautus 222). There are many such crass references to gross physical things, animals