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==Dramatic treatments== * ''Amphitryon'' was the title of a lost tragedy of [[Sophocles]], but most others who have used this story have rendered comic treatments instead. [[Plautus]], the Roman comedian, used this tale to present ''[[Amphitryon (Plautus play)|Amphitryon]]'', a [[burlesque]] play. The dramatic treatment by Plautus has enjoyed a sustaining presence on the stage since its premiere. It was the only play by Plautus that was still performed during the Middle Ages, albeit in a modified form. It was staged regularly during the Renaissance, and was the second ancient comedy to be translated into the English language. * Plautus' play inspired several other theatrical works during the 16th century, including three Spanish language plays, two Italian plays, and a comedy in Portuguese by [[Luís de Camões]]. In 1636 [[Jean Rotrou]] translated Plautus' work into a successful French language production, ''Les Deux Sosies''. This work inspired [[Molière]]'s highly successful ''[[Amphitryon (Molière)|Amphitryon]]'' (1668). From Molière's line "''Le véritable Amphitryon est l'Amphitryon où l'on dîne''," the name Amphitryon has come to be used in the sense of a generous entertainer, a good host; the Spanish word for "host" is in fact "anfitrión" and in Portuguese it is "anfitrião". Several other continental versions inspired by Plautus followed Molière, including a Christianized version by [[Johannes Burmeister]]. * The first English language work that was loosely based on Plautus was an interlude in ''Jacke Juggler'' (ca. 1550). [[John Marston (poet)|John Marston]]'s ''What You Will'' (1607) was also partly based on Plautus. The first large scale work where Plautus was the chief source was [[Thomas Heywood]]'s ''The Silver Age'' (1613). [[John Dryden]]'s 1690 ''[[Amphitryon (Dryden)|Amphitryon]]'' is based on [[Molière]]'s 1668 version as well as on Plautus. Notable innovations from Dryden's adaptation include music by [[Henry Purcell]] and the character of [[Phaedra (mythology)|Phaedra]], who flirts with Sosia but is eventually won over by Mercury's promises of wealth. A modern comic adaptation was made by George Maxim Ross in the 1950s under the title ''Too Much Amphitryon.'' * In Germany, [[Heinrich von Kleist]]'s ''Amphitryon'' (1807), which began as a translation of [[Molière]]'s [[Amphitryon (Molière play)|''Amphitryon'']] (1668) but developed into an original adaptation of the myth in its own right, remains the most frequently performed version of the myth, with Kleist using Alkmene's inability to distinguish between Jupiter and her husband to explore metaphysical issues; [[Giselher Klebe]] wrote in 1961 his opera ''[[Alkmene (opera)|Alkmene]]'' based on this play. Other German dramatic treatments include [[Georg Kaiser]]'s posthumously published ''Double Amphitryon'' (''Zweimal Amphitryon'', 1943) and [[Peter Hacks]]'s ''Amphitryon'' (1968). * In France, [[Molière]]'s [[Amphitryon (Molière play)|''Amphitryon'']] (1668) is the most famous and seminal treatment of the myth. It was also the subject of a play by [[Jean Giraudoux]], ''[[Amphitryon 38]]'' (1929), the number in the title being Giraudoux's whimsical approximation of how many times the story had been told onstage previously. It was adapted into English by [[S. N. Behrman]] and enjoyed a successful run on Broadway in 1938. Plautus' version was the basis of [[Cole Porter]]'s 1950 musical ''[[Out of This World (Broadway)|Out of This World]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|website=Porter in Order|title=Out of This World|author=Michael H. Hutchins <!-- BOT GENERATED AUTHOR --> |url=http://www.geocities.com/Porterguide/out.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025014949/http://geocities.com/porterguide/out.html |archive-date=2009-10-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1991 it was the basis for the [[Jean-Luc Godard]] film ''[[Hélas pour moi]]''. * The classic 1935 Nazi-era but anti-Nazi film version, ''[[Amphitryon (film)|Amphitryon]]'', was based on Kleist. * The comic opera Amfitrion by the Croatia composer [[Boris Papandopulo]] (composed in 1937) which premiered in 1940. * The musical ''[[Olympus on My Mind]]'' is based on Kleist's adaptation of the play. * Irish author [[John Banville]]'s play ''God's Gift'' (Gallery Books, 2000) is a version of Kleist's ''Amphitryon''. *The late Mexican writer [[Ignacio Padilla]]'s novel ''Amphitryon'' (2000), is a loose retelling of the ancient myth set in Nazi Germany and Europe, largely exploring the complex subjects of identity, time, and memory. The English translation is titled ''Shadow Without a Name'' (2003).
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