Below, Martin supplies a summary of the development of Roman comedy to Terence's time, and then goes on to discuss the sources, themes, characters, and style of the The Brothers.

An Italian educator, philosopher, and author, Croce developed a highly influential theory of literary creation and a concomitant critical method. In defining the impetus and execution of poetry, Croce conceives of the mind as capable of two distinct modes of thought, which he terms cognition and volition. Cognition mental activity is theoretical and speculative, while volition is the mind's practical application of ideas originating in the cognitive realm. Croce's literary theories had a prof...

In the following excerpt from his reconsideration of Terence, Norwood presents a detailed examination of the plot structure of Terence's comedies.

Norwood was an American classical scholar whose books include Greek Comedy (1932) and Pindar (1945). In the following excerpt from his well-regarded monograph on Terence, he summarizes Terence's career, praising especially the playwright's humanist impulse and declaring him "the most Christian writer of pagan antiquity."

Sandbach is a well-known English classicist. In the following essay, he explores Terence's plays in the light of their Greek models, asserting that, while in some ways Terence did "enrich"Menander's comedies, his style has been "too equable, [lacking the ebb and flow which gives life to the Greek poet's writing and enables him to mirror every kind of emotion."]

In the following excerpt, Forehand provides an introduction to the plot, themes, and characters of The Mother-in-Law.

Goldberg is the author of several articles on Terence and a monograph, Understanding Terence (1986). In the following essay, he explores Terence's role in the demise of Roman comedy, arguing that "Terence had made it too alien to be taken seriously at Rome."

Radice was an English educator who, as joint editor of the Penguin Classics series, translated such works as Pliny's Letters, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, and Desiderius Erasmus's Praise of Folly. In the following excerpt, she presents an overview of Terence's career.

In the following essay, Ludwig attempts a balanced assessment of the effects of Terence's adaptations and translations of Greek sources. He finds both dramatic gains and losses.

Duff was an English classical scholar whose books include A Literary History of Rome: From the Origins to the Close of the Golden Age (1909) and Writers of Rome (1923). In the following excerpt from the revised edition of the former work, he provides an overview of Terence's plays and style.

Perry was an American educator and author. In the following excerpt, he examines the themes of Terence's plays in the context of Roman comedy, concluding that he refined the plots and characters that he borrowed from other playwrights to make them more serious and more humane.

In the excerpt below, Konstan contends that The Mother-in-Law interrogates the traditional Roman values of amor and pietas (love and filial duty) and in the process "challenges and confounds their customary meanings. "

Below, Copley discusses Terence's dramatic method and his treatment of several literary motifs in his comedies.

Below, Brothers surveys characterization and plot devices in The Self-Tormentor, and also explores some of Terence's sources for the play.

In the excerpt below, Brothers provides an overview of The Self-Tormentor, discussing its relationship to its Greek source, its plot, and its characterization.

In the following excerpt, Forehand first summarizes his conclusions about the style and themes of Terence's plays, then discusses Terence's influence on later drama.

In the excerpt below, Knorr contends that the courtesan Bacchis in The Self-Tormentor "actually has a good core below the surface of a grabbing prostitute."

A German-born classical scholar, essayist, and translator, Hamilton is best known as an explicator of ancient cultures for the modern reader. Her studies include The Roman Way (1932) and Spokesmen for God: The Great Teachers of the Old Testament (1949). Below, she compares the style of Terence with that of his predecessor, Plautus.

Echard was one of the most respected translators of the works of Terence. Here, he presents an overview of Terence's style and works, noting that his only real fault was a lack of comic vision.

In the essay below, Levin focuses on the two-level plot structure tracing parallel love affairs that is characteristic of several of Terence's plays.

In the following excerpt from his highly-regarded study of Roman comedy, Duckworth explains the notion of contaminatio (imitation of earlier authors) as it applies to Terence.

Gassner, a Hungarian-born American scholar, was a great promoter of American theater, particularly the work of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. He edited numerous collections of modern drama and wrote two important dramatic surveys, Masters of Modern Drama (1940) and Theater in Our Times (1954). In the following excerpt from the revised edition of the former work, Gassner discusses Terence's place in the development of Roman theater, pointing out that "he not only knew his limitations bu...

A highly versatile man of letters, Graves was an English poet, novelist, translator, and critic. He was first associated with the Georgian war poets during World War I, but afterward followed a more nontraditional yet highly ordered line, being influenced during the 1920s and 1930s by the American poet Laura Riding. Working outside the literary fashions of his day, Graves established a reputation which rests largely on his verbal precision and strong individuality as a poet. He is also considered a great p...

A German historian, writer, and politician, Mommsen is known for his authoritative work in several areas of Roman studies, particularly Roman law. His Römische Geschichte (1856; The History of Rome), acclaimed as a masterful synthesis, reflects Mommsen's conviction that history should be made intelligible and relevant to the reader. Mommsen received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1902. In the following excerpt, he presents a brief overview of Terence's contribution to Roman literature...

Mackail was an English critic, biographer, and educator whose books include The Springs of Helicon (1909) and Studies in Humanism (1938). Here, he comments on Terence's position in the history of Roman literature, noting that, while his style is not colorful, it exemplifies the best stylistic qualities of his era.

In the following excerpt, the anonymous reviewer points out that, although Terence suffered from a lack of recognition because his plays did not satisfy popular audiences in his time, he remains "a well of Latin undefiled."

In the following excerpt, Webbe lavishly praises Terence's style and language, advising that, if his readers wish to improve their conversational skills, they need only read Terence as a guide.

Meredith was a respected nineteenth-century British poet, novelist, and critic. His creative works, though they are considered to lack a philosophical framework, reflect the ideas of his age: they embody a profound belief in evolution and in the essential goodness of humanity. In the following excerpt, he briefly comments on Terence, focusing especially on his "beautiful translucency of language."