Research task (Historical Analysis):
Write an analysis of the institution of Roman slavery as it is depicted in Plautus' comedy *Pseudolus.* Using the play as a primary source, the analysis must situate its portrayal of the slave protagonist and his interactions within the wider, historically grounded legal and social framework of the Roman Republic. The argument should explore how Plautus' comedic representations of slave agency, deception, and the master-slave relationship both reflect and subvert the realities of Roman slave society and its underlying ideologies.

Evaluation rubric:
criterion: The response's thesis clearly addresses the key themes of the play (i.e., the institution of Roman slavery, different representations of slave agency in the play, master-slave relationships in Rome)
weight: 5
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response's thesis clearly juxtaposes the legal reality of Roman slavery with its subversive comedic representation on stage
weight: 5
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response frames the lack of manumission (i.e., release from slavery) for Pseudolus as a mechanism of ideological containment.
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response analyzes the character of Ballio as a socially despised target in the play because of his role as a greedy and abusive pimp, embodying corruption and moral depravity.
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response addresses Phoenicium's silence and objectification as a reflection of the reality for female slaves.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response accurately defines the legal status of a Roman slave as property under Roman law.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response highlights the concept of the master's absolute power in practice (defined as the master's authority over the slave's body and actions or equivalent statement).
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes Pseudolus taking on another role (i.e., poet, general, etc.) as a form of self-fashioning.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response does not use the play itself as its primary source but instead relies heavily on derivative works and analyses (e.g., blog posts, online articles, etc.) to support its reasoning.
weight: -4
axis: Instruction Following

criterion: The response explains Segal’s ‘safety valve’ theory (i.e., that Roman comedy provides audiences with a temporary release from social tensions and frustrations by allowing them to laugh at the subversion of authority and social norms, before ultimately restoring order).
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response explains Richlin's "slave theater" theory which posits an audience composed of a lower status population.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses the historical context of the play's premiere (191 BCE).
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes the incompetence of Simo as a foil to Pseudolus.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes the ineffectuality of Calidorus as a foil to Pseudolus.
weight: 3
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response explains peculium (the property/money that a father/master allows a subordinate to manage/use) as a mechanism of slave control.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response explains the scope (i.e., functions, limits, etc.) of manumission as a social institution.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses Pseudolus' breaking of the fourth wall (e.g., to outline his schemes and intentions) to address the audience.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response engages with scholarly critiques of the cited frameworks (e.g., discusses limitations of the Saturnalian model/academic rebuttals to Richlin's thesis).
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response compares the methods of Pseudolus to at least one other Plautine trickster slave (i.e. Palaestrio from Miles Gloriosus).
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response identifies specific actions undertaken by Simia in the play (i.e., impersonating Harpax, delivering money to Ballio, etc.).
weight: 4
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response compares Plautus' depiction of Pseudolus as less psychologically subdued than slaves in the comedies of a different author, such as Terence.
weight: 3
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response analyzes the play's use of dramatic structure to enhance characterization.
weight: 3
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes the economic value of the "20 minae" mentioned in the play by placing the sum within the historical context.
weight: 1
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: The response explores the function of Macedonian soldier beyond being a dupe.
weight: 1
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response explores nuance in the key latin (i.e., pater, servus callidus, etc.) terms through linguistic analysis (i.e., phonetics, morphology, etc.).
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response presents the play's events as a historically accurate depiction of daily slave life (e.g., Pseudolus' freedom of interaction with Simo and other slave masters).
weight: -4
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response contains a major factual error about the plot of Pseudolus.
weight: -5
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response critiques the use of Plautine comedy as a direct historical source.
weight: 4
axis: Explicit Criteria

criterion: The response discusses the influence of Pseudolus (i.e., the use of deception, trickery, mistaken identity, and role-playing as central devices) on later western literature (e.g., Shakespearean plays such as Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, and Molière’s Scapin the Schemer a.k.a. Les Fourberies de Scapin)
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response analyzes the theme of Roman anxiety regarding Hellenistic cultural influence.
weight: 2
axis: Implicit Criteria

criterion: The response contrasts the failed agency of characters with freedmen status with the competence of the slave.
weight: 1
axis: Synthesis of Information

criterion: Bad formatting practices (presence of line breaks in the middle of sentences)
weight: -2
axis: Communication Quality