Double Look: A Study of the Characterization of Doubles in Roman Comedy and Its Impact on the Presentation of Traditional Roman Values

This paper studies the effect of doubles on the characterization and message of Roman comedy. The first section studies literary devices used for characterization. The second examines the characterization of doubles in Terence's Adelphoe to discover how doubles can complicate usual characterization techniques. This section also focuses on how doubles affect the formation of identity for characters within the play. The last portion of this study centers around Plautus' Bacchides. It explores the way in which doubles subtly question traditional Roman morals.