Atreus Callidus: The Tragic Afterlife of Plautus's Comic Hero

abstract:

This article argues that the model of the Plautine seruus callidus underpins Seneca's Atreus, whose similarities to the clever slave include verbal mastery, metatheatrical plotting, eavesdropping, and cultivating a special relationship with the audience. Analysis of these parallels is situated in the broader frame of theater history to show how comedy can influence tragedy and how the Thyestes' blend of tragic and comic material makes Atreus Seneca's most distinctive and enduring character. The paper's final section addresses Atreus's afterlife, examining how Shakespeare reimagines the Senecan protagonist's tragicomic mix in the characters of Hamlet and Iago.