Heather L. Vincent

Many would agree that stataria does seem to mark something that is uniquely Terentian. This chapter demonstrates the ways in which verbal and performative humor intersect in Terence. More specifically, the chapter argues that the appreciation of humor in Terence requires attention to a variety of tropes. Here the author looks at two tropes that operate at multiple narrative levels, and that bring language and performance into even closer contact. In addition to providing a humorous moment on stage, both metatheater and parody can lend coherence to the overall comic architecture of the play by linking scenes, motifs, and elements of the plot. A final characteristic of Terence's language critical to the construction of comedy, and one which often goes hand‐in‐hand with metatheater, is his penchant for reported speech. Terence's use of bilingual expressions and shifts in register, while sometimes subtle, display a nuanced and complex approach to verbal humor.