Casina

Acts

• Prologue

  Prologue. An old man and his son both desire the same slave girl, Casina. Each enlists a household slave to marry her by proxy.

  88 lines
• 1
  Act 1

  The wife Cleostrata discovers her husband's scheme. She allies with her son's slave to block the old man.

  63 lines
• 2
  Act 2

  A lottery decides which slave will marry Casina. The old man's candidate wins — but Cleostrata has a plan.

  485 lines
• 3
  Act 3

  The wedding preparations are sabotaged. The women arm themselves with kitchen implements and terrorise the male household.

  324 lines
• 4
  Act 4

  The bride is prepared — but it is not Casina. A male slave has been dressed in bridal clothes. The old man's assignation goes catastrophically wrong.

  124 lines
• 5
  Act 5

  The old man is beaten and humiliated by the 'bride'. He begs his wife's forgiveness. Casina turns out to be freeborn. Order is restored — after a fashion.

  193 lines