Plautus was in his day, and continues to be, a wildly popular playwright. In this class we will read two of his plays, Menaechmi and Rudens, in Latin, and one or two others in English translation. While we will engage with theatrical, social and historical contexts, our main focus will be on seeing how these plays respond to the kind of close reading that is generally reserved for “higher” literature. Requirements: careful and thoughtful weekly preparation of ca. 100-200 lines of Latin/week; two essays; several 20-min. quizzes; final exam.  Fulfills L&S Breadth in Arts & Literature. CCN 32694