Life in the Roman world of Nero and StPaul . Fig. 82.—Comic Masks. Much more in demand were theatrical perform-ances lower kind. These were farces, interludes,. Fig. — Scene from Comedy. or character-pieces, and dumb-shows known aspantomimes. The farce was a loosely constructedform of fooling comedy, containing much of the 272 LIFE IN THE ROMAN WORLD chap. ready Italian impro\isation or gag, and regularlyintroducing the four stock characters which havelasted with little disguise for so many was an old grandfather, the forerunner ofthe modern pantaloon; a cunning sharp
Life in the Roman world of Nero and StPaul . Fig. 82.—Comic Masks. Much more in demand were theatrical perform-ances lower kind. These were farces, interludes,. Fig. — Scene from Comedy. or character-pieces, and dumb-shows known aspantomimes. The farce was a loosely constructedform of fooling comedy, containing much of the 272 LIFE IN THE ROMAN WORLD chap. ready Italian impro\isation or gag, and regularlyintroducing the four stock characters which havelasted with little disguise for so many was an old grandfather, the forerunner ofthe modern pantaloon; a cunning sharper; a garru-lous glutton with a fat face (known as Chops);and an amorous Simple Simon. Sometimes typesof foreigners or provincials were introduced, withcaricatures of their dress and language, after themanner, and probably with the veracity, of the stageScotchman, Irishman, or Frenchman. All these partswere played in masks. The interlude again was a slight piece with verylittle plot, and composed in a large measure ofbuffoonery, practical jokes, hitting and slapping, anddancing. Topical allusions and contemporary carica-tures were freely introduced, and the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectchurchhistory, bookye
