Comedy

Stock characters were very important in Roman comedy. A stock character is one that the audience will be familiar with and that is used in many plays. Some examples are a braggart soldier, a strong victorious soldier, a clever and scheming slave, a strict father, a playboy son, a cheap slave dealer, and a cook. They were greatly used by Plautus. Stock characters could sometimes even be recognized by their speeches. The costumes they wore varied with the type of show but were used to identify the type of character. Over time these outfits became more realistic. The standard costume base was a tunic and cloak. At first masks were common because actors would play multiple characters and the masks made them easier to distinguish. Over time the comedic masks became grotesquely exaggerated