Casina

Roles

• Lysidamus - Senior (>50), Male

About this piece

Lysidamus professes his love for Casina

Summary

Casina is the beautiful servant at the house of an old married couple, Lysidamus and Cleostrata. She was abandoned at their door as a child and raised as a servant. Casina is the love interest of both Lysidamus and his son Ehthynicus. Also their slaves Olympio and Chalinus fight over her. Lysidamus wants his slave Olympio to marry her so that she can become his concubine. Cleostrata, wanting her son to marry Casina, plans to have her slave Chalinus marry her so that when her son comes back from the country, he will be able to have her. Eventually Cleostrata discovers her husband's plan and humiliates him and Olympus by having Chalinus dress up as Casina and meet them in a darkened room. She beats Lysidamus but eventually forgives him. At the end Euthynicus comes back from the country and marries Casina. In this scene Lysidamus appears for the first time in the play. He talks about the greatness of love in general and then professes his love for Casina.

Tone

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