Tricky slave

Tricky slave

The tricky slave is a clever, lower-class person who brings about the happy ending of a comedy for the lovers. He is cleverer than the upper-class people about him, both the lovers and the characters who block their love, and typically also looking out for his own interests; in the New Comedy, the tricky slave or "dolosus servus" aimed to get his freedom by assisting his young master in love. [Northrop Frye, "Anatomy of Criticism", p 173, ISBN 0-691-01298-9]

Besides the actual slaves of classical theater, he also appears as the scheming valet in Renaissance comedy, called the "gracioso" in Spanish. The zanni of Commedia dell'arte are often tricky slaves, as are Jeeves in P. G. Wodehouse's work and Figaro.

In fairy tales, the same function is often fulfilled by fairy godmothers, talking animals, and like creatures.

Northrop Frye identified him as a central portion of the Myth of Spring comedy and a type of eiron character.

References

External links

* [http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/dherring/ap/consider/frye/indexspring.htm analysis of Frye's work]


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