Amphitruo (Plautus)
Amphitruo ( Latin form of the Greek name Amphitryon ) is a tragic comedy by the Roman poet Plautus .
The piece, the exact date of which is not certain, deals with the myth of Jupiter's cohabitation in the form of Amphitruo with Amphitruo's wife Alcumena ( Alcmene ).
Alkmene, ignorant and without personal guilt, commits adultery because she sleeps with Jupiter in the form of Amphitruus, while the real Amphitruo is still on a campaign. Jupiter is supported by his son Mercur, who also slips into the shape of another and, as Sosia, Amphitruo's servant, causes further confusion. The play shows features of a comedy of confusion . The conflict is resolved by Jupiter's intervention as deus ex machina after Alcumena gives birth to the hero Hercules .
The material was later adapted frequently, including by Rotrou , Molière , Heinrich von Kleist , Jean Giraudoux and Peter Hacks .
Arrangements for musical theater
- Out of This World . Musical. Libretto : Dwight Taylor and Reginald Lawrence based on the comedies Amphitryon 38 by Jean Giraudoux and their American adaptation by Samuel Nathaniel Behrman , which are based on Plautus. Music and lyrics: Cole Porter . Premiere December 21, 1950 at the New Century Theater in New York
- Amphitruo or One Long Night . Opera in five acts. Libretto : Walter Hoffmann based on Plautus, music: Peter Freiheit . Premiere June 18, 1977 in Bernburg