Romulus the Great (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Friedrich Dürrenmatt
- First Published: 1958
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Tragicomedy
- Time of Work: March 15-16, 476
- Setting: The villa of Emperor Romulus in Campania
- Genres: Drama, Farce, Parody, History play, Tragicomedy
- Subjects: France or French people, War, Nationalism, Kings, queens, or royalty, Corruption, Conformity, Greek or Roman times, Pacifism, Fifth century
- Locales: Campania, ancient
Characters Discussed
Romulus Augustus, the emperor of the Western Roman Empire and a chicken breeder. Romulus is an imperturbable man quite capable of focusing his full attention on his breakfast even as the empire collapses around him. At first, he appears to be a humorous fool whose sole interest is his chicken raising. In the course of the play, however, he reveals that his do-nothing attitude has been calculated carefully to destroy an empire that he believes has become tyrannical and corrupt. Rome’s conquest by the Germans is, for him, a just punishment. At the same...
[The entire page is 880 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
