Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus Essay

Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus - Essay Example There is a homoerotic and incestuous undertone to the union of the brothers at the end of the play that contributes to the production of humor. This paper shall seek to analyse these aspects of the play and why these can or cannot be used in a modern play. Erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus The erotic elements in The Brothers Menaechmus contribute greatly to the comedy that is an intrinsic part of the play. The presence of a wife and a mistress and the confusion that ensues is something that is a stock situation that is used for humor in many plays. Plautus combines this with the presence of the twin brothers who look exactly like each other to create situations that are not only funny but also educative and subversive of contemporary ideas of appearances and reality. Subversion occurs at another level, where the homoerotic element is hinted at. However, it is not developed fully and is turned into another occasion for laughter and the production of comedy. The name Erotium i n itself lends itself to suggestive explanations that produce situations that are worthy of laughter to an audience that heard the dialogues in the original Latin that the play was written in. The recourse that Menaechmus takes is that of taking refuge in the arms of his mistress. His wife remains an insignificant character as opposed to the prostitute. His wife is not even provided with a name in most translations.