Hroswitha

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Hroswitha [ Hrotsvitha, Roswitha], Benedictine abbess of Gandersheim in Saxony, who in the 10th century, finding herself drawn by the excellence of his style to read the pagan plays of Terence and fearing their influence on a Christian world, set out to provide a suitable alternative. This she did in six original prose plays modelled on those of Terence, but dealing with subjects drawn from Christian history and morality—Paphnutius, Dulcitius, Gallicanus, Callimachus, Abraham, and Sapientia. They were intended for reading rather than production, but the use of miracles and abstract characters links them with the later mystery and morality plays. The Latin is poor, but the dialogue is vivacious and there are some elements of farce. The plays were published in 1923 in an English translation, and Paphnutius, which deals with the conversion of Thaïs, was produced in translation in London in 1914 by Edith Craig (see CRAIG, GORDON).

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Hroswitha." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Hroswitha." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Hroswitha.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Hroswitha." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Hroswitha.html

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