Júpiter, madly in love with Alcmena (Alcmene), sets up a stratagem imagined by Mercúrio (Mercury): while the beautiful woman laments the absence of her husband, the general Anfitriaõ (Amphitryon), who has gone to war, the god disguises himself as her husband and goes to see her. As for the servant Cornucópia, she is talking with Mercúrio, disguised as her husband Saramago. When Saramago arrives and announces his master’s return, he sees Mercúrio, disguised as him: disconcerted, he cannot guide his master when he asks him how the news was received in the house. Juno, Júpiter’s wife, decides to avenge herself for his infidelities. Calling herself Felisarda, she comes down to Alcmena’s house; Júpiter has just left. When the real Anfitriaõ returns, even Juno is fooled and believes that he is in fact her husband Júpiter. The scene also leads to a series of misunderstandings between Anfitriaõ and his wife, who believes that she saw him the day before, and between Saramago and Cornucópia, who reproaches him for his rudeness. Determined to keep the ruse going, Júpiter goes as far as deceiving the soldiers and usurps Anfitriaõ’s military victory. The nymph Iris, disguised as Corriola, attempts to find out the truth by seducing Saramago. Tirésias, in love with Juno, who is pretending to be the daughter of Anfitriaõ’s enemy, agrees to help her: they will take revenge against their husbands. The couples quarrel and reconcile: jealous when she hears the romantic conversations between Saramago and Iris, Cornucópia is forced to think about her own unfaithfulness with the other Saramago. In the meantime, Júpiter reconciles with Alcmena, who was angry with him after a quarrel about the real Anfitriaõ. Mercúrio stops Anfitriaõ from coming by refusing to recognise him: this leads to a violent struggle between the master and his “valet”; when the real Saramago arrives, he is beaten. Anfitriaõ and Saramago break through the door and force Júpiter to leave the house: Anfitriaõ comes face to face with his lookalike. The two suitors are about to kill each other, but they are interrupted by Alcmena, who faints. The scene is paralleled by a confrontation between Mercúrio and Saramago, in front of Cornucópia, who also faints and turns into a dwarf. When Saramago discovers Tirésias and Juno’s love affair, the goddess turns him into an olive tree: Mercúrio and Cornucópia knock down its fruits, then Júpiter engraves the name of his beloved on it, before giving Saramago his original body back. Júpiter meets Alcmena, who is sleeping by the fountain. He is challenged by Anfitriaõ. Mercúrio testifies on behalf of his master, against the real Anfitriaõ. The couple is in a predicament: Tirésias sentences Alcmena to death for her infidelity; doing so, he obeys Juno; Anfitriaõ is put in prison, where he beats Saramago for being the cause of his misfortune. However, the gods intervene, so that the play has a happy ending. Juno frees the prisoners; then, when Alcmena is about to be sacrificed, Júpiter reveals the truth: the stage transforms into an empyrean.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

António José Da Silva (António José da Silva, aka O Judeu)

Portugal

Lisbon

Printed

Return from the war

Double

Identity

Usurpation

Encounter

Love

Jealousy

Fantasy

Mock-heroic

Comical

Burlesque

Parodistic

Title page and summary of Amphitryaõ (1759)

Portuguese

ou Júpiter e Alcmena

Amphitryon

Husband

Jupiter (Jove)

Mercury

Tiresias

Captain

Servant

Alcmene

Wife

Juno

Maid

Iris

Music

Love duet

Chorality

Transforming one character into another

Love rivalry

Clouds

Flying machine

Misunderstanding

Blow-with-a-stick

Duel scene

Fainting

Change of head on sight

Change of size on sight

Sleeping character

Confinement

Revelation

Deus ex machina

Avista

Anfitriaõ

The King Ponto is planning the weddings of his sons: Proteu (Proteus) will marry Dórida, the princess of Egnido, and Nereu (Nereus) will marry Cirene (Cyrene), whose father Políbio has introduced as the Princess of Beócia (Boeotia). Proteu is lamenting his fate because he is in love with Cirene. He tries to convince his father to let him marry her instead of Dórida. Meanwhile, Nereu is happy to be marrying a princess of royal blood; but he cannot appreciate Cirene’s beauty, and she reproaches him for it. Caranguejo introduces himself as a minister of Venus and tries persuading Maresia to marry him; having made a vow of chastity to Diana, she refuses. During a royal hunt, Cirene demands that the King cancel her marriage; as for Dórida, she thinks that Proteu is not eager enough to marry her. A wild boar attacks Maresia; it is in fact Caranguejo, who transforms back into his human form to kiss her. Cirene falls asleep on a mountain covered with flowers, which is in fact one of Proteus’s forms: when the young prince transforms back into himself, Cirene is in his arms. The King decides to bring the two weddings forward to pacify the two princesses. Cirene asks Nereu to love her for herself and not for her lineage, but he cannot do so. As for Proteu, he wishes that Cirene were not a princess so that he could be free to love her. Cirene confesses to her father Políbio that Proteu loves her, and she explains that her marriage with Nereu will be unhappy because she is pretending to be someone she is not. Políbio refuses to change his plans. Sitting on a chair which is in fact Caranguejo, Maresia ends up in the servant’s arms. Cirene is watching the clock into which Proteu has transformed to confess his love to her. While she is about to reveal that she is not a princess, her father interrupts her. Proteu and Políbio fight. Cirene intervenes; Proteu wounds her and, hopeless, tries to kill himself. Políbio confiscates his dagger and is then accused of attempted murder. Cirene demands that Políbio be freed, but the King says that he will only free her if Nereu agrees. Proteu, who transformed into a vase of flowers, decides to die to give Cirene satisfaction. Despite the latter’s pleading, Nereu refuses to agree to Políbio’s release. Maresia is arranging flowers; they are in fact Caranguejo, who begs her to marry him. As Nereu has Políbio taken to the temple of Astraea to put him to death, Proteu arrives with arms to free the prisoner. The brothers duel. Proteu is captured on orders of the King, but he then transforms into the King himself. At the temple, where the sacrifices are to be made, Cirene reveals her true identity. Nereu cancels their marriage, and Proteu proposes to her. The play ends with three weddings: Nereu marries Dórida; Proteu marries Cirene; and Caranguejo marries Maresia.

Metamorphosis

Impossible love

Hunting

Wedding

Seduction

Pastoral

Lyrical

As Variedades de Proteu (1737)

Daughter

Princess

Proteus

Nereus

King

Neptune

Father

Disguised character (false identity)

Hunting scene

Macaronic Latin

Sword fight

Sword thrust

Fight with an animal

Transforming scenery

Object coming to life

Unveiling

Final wedding

As Variedades de Proteu

Proteus’s Metamorphoses

Rugantino, dressed as a judge, welcomes Rosetta, who wants to file a complaint. She asks him who made him judge and mocks him. After threatening to throw her behind bars and to cut her tongue, she is quiet. Rugantino then turns to face the audience, all puffed up with pride, and says: “Che bella cosa! Ieri stavo a Piazza Navona a venne' le callalèsse, e Goggi?... so' ggiudice” (what a wonderful thing! Yesterday I was on the Navona square to sell boiled chestnuts, and today?...I am a judge!).

Glove-puppet

Santangelo Gaetano (aka Ghetanaccio)

Italy

Rome

Printed excerpts

Justice

Arrogance

Satirical

Romanesco

Rugantino

Rosetta

Address to the public

[Rugantino giudice]

Rugantino judge

Doctor Sassafras is pleased to have a client as hypochondriac as Steinreich. This rich and selfish man forbids his niece Marie from continuing to see his secretary Schreiber, whom he dismisses. Steinreich envisions a more beneficial match for his niece. Doctor Sassafras makes a deal with the devil to summon Death. Schreiber then attempts suicide, but a gravedigger saves him, as Death is detained in Sassafras’ enchanted chair. The Devil realises that his pact with Sassafras is detrimental to him and breaks their contract. Death comes fetch the doctor, who turns to God and hopes for His mercy. In the meantime, Steinreich converted: he has become charitable and, most importantly, no longer opposes Marie and Schreiber’s union.

String marionette

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Germany

Munich

Medicine

Knödel

Drink

Surgery

Prestige

Wealth

Champagne

Misery

Forced marriage

Hypochondria

Vanity

Cemetery

Faust

Bible

Suicide

Sentimentalism

Religion

Farcical

Pathetic

Title page in the original edition of Pocci's comedies

German

oder Doctor, Tod und Teufel

Doctor

Kasperl

Secretary

Death

Devil

Peasant (man)

Domestic servant

Gravedigger

Apparition

Parody of formal language

Dialect as a social marker

Versified passages

Allegory

Light effects

Pact with the devil

Song

Monologue

Off-stage voice

Philosophical dialogue

Doctor Sassafras

An elderly woman lives in a cabin near a wood, with a teenager who believes himself to be her grandson. Some bandits steal a case holding documents on the young man’s life. The elderly woman explains to him that he is of royal blood; he decides to go avenge his parents. With the help of a powerful wizard and of other characters he met on his way, the Prince overcomes the tyrant who had taken over the kingdom, and is acknowledged by his mother. The performance ends with a big celebration.