Berkeley Undergraduate Journal of Classics

In Roman New Comedy, each role is a caricature informed by societal expectations: the passive matrona, the grouchy uir, the abused but patient young uxor, the egotistical adulescens, and the self-serving meretrix. Hecyra stands out among Terence’s plays because it is unclear whether he is reinforcing or deconstructing these familiar stereotypes. Most scholars focus on the role of women, who are more involved in this play than any other by Terence. They seem to drive the plot forward and have more information than the men, but at the same time, they might be said to placate their husbands and sacrifice for their children. This begs the question, “Are the women in Hecyra acting unusually?” This paper will examine the expectations of women in New Comedy in relation to scenes where women in Hecyra might be said to be contradicting their prescribed roles. This discussion will prove that the wives are not acting in unexpected ways. Although they are active characters, they behave as is proper for mothers and wives. The question then becomes, “Why do the Hecyra women appear to be acting unusually to us?” To answer this, it will be necessary to look critically at the ways in which the women interact with the Hecyra men. As a result, it will become clear that it is not the women, but Pamphilus, the adulescens, himself who is defying gender expectations.