The ancient Roman writer Plautus is one of the most important playwrights in Western Civilization. "The Pot of Gold and Other Plays" captures his genius with a collection of famous plays performed in the Roman theatre. Plautus adapted most of his plays from earlier Greek stories, making him essential in helping preserve the history and integrity of Greek theatre. What makes Plautus extraordinary, though, is that he kept the essence of the Greek shows while evolving the wordplay and language to fit the more modern Roman tastes. He refused to let the renovations of the story be compromised by ultimate life-lessons or other philosophical teachings; instead, Plautus focused on the every-day life of the every-day man. The plays also contained some of the earliest slapstick humor, making them significant in the history of the theatre. The plays contain well-known archetypes as well, such as the clever slave and the lusty older man. The influence of his works was not lost during history, as both Shakespeare and Moliere cite Plautus as major influences on their writing style. The famous wordplay and comedic relationships that typify Shakespeare were directly inspired by Plautus' works. "The Pot of Gold and Other Plays" will not only entertain with humor and originality, but will expose the reader to an important part of Western history.
