When reading Ancient Roman plays, you’ll find that the Ancient Romans used stereotypical archetypes of characters that were used over and over in Ancient Roman plays. In fact, these characters were so recognizable; the audience knew who these characters were, just by looking at them. Here are some characters that you may have frequently seen in Ancient Roman plays.
The Senex is a character that depicts an old man. This type of character typically lusts after younger women and often fails in the end. An example of this character is Megadorus , in the play Aulularia by Plautus. Audience members will identify this character by his white, long sleeves and red wig. Sometimes the character will also carry a long staff.
The Servi was the slave. Contrary to the status of real slaves in Ancient Rome, slaves in Ancient Roman plays were often the stars of a play. Actors who played the slaves had more dialogue than the other characters and were the ones driving the plot of the story. The slaves were characterized by wearing scarves.
The actor that played the Parasitus or parasite was dressed in long, black sleeves. The parasite is usually some sort of beggar, flatterer or deceiver. The parasites in Ancient Roman plays were often involved in some kind of intrigue, and causing complications for the other characters. In the play Miles Gloriosus by Plautus, Artotrogus is the name of the character that plays the parasite.
The Meretrix or prostitute is dressed in yellow, with an elaborate wig. An example of this character is Philaenium, in the play Asinaria by Plautus. The prostitute can either be a woman with a heart of gold, or conniving and deceptive. Sometimes the prostitute will provide the comic relief of the play. Early on in Ancient Rome, female roles, (like the prostitute) were often played by men.
The Adulescens was the protagonist or adolescent youth of the play. Sometimes the adulescens was a soldier. This character was dressed in crimson robes with a dark wig. The adulescens was often timid, wealthy and in love with some maiden. The adulescens usually had a smart slave that would advise him on matters.
