Final answer:
Plautus, an influential Roman playwright, used inventive plots full of farcical elements and wordplay to satirize cultural shortcomings, contributing to the tradition of Roman comedy that entertained and influenced audiences from ancient Rome to the Elizabethan era.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plautus, born around 200 BC, utilized all kinds of wordplays and had fantastical plots to satirize errors in culture. His works, reworking Greek comedies for Roman tastes, included stock characters and unlikely mistakes, contributing to the development of Commedia Dell'arte and influencing Shakespeare.
As Roman comedy's evolution was influenced by the Greek tradition, Plautus and his contemporary Terence adapted Greek comedic forms into the Roman fabula palliata. Their comedies, popular among Romans, steered clear of political commentary, focusing instead on farcical antics and romantic entanglements. The physical comedy and social satire in Plautus's plays mirrored those in Aristophanes' work, making use of devices such as misunderstandings, coincidences, and violation of social hierarchy. These elements of comedy have persisted across centuries, from classical Greek to Shakespearean and even to contemporary theatre.
Despite the criticisms from conservative voices like the Emperor Augustus, the comedic arts, including mime, flourished in ancient Rome. Performers often enjoyed a level of impunity, managing to voice criticisms of even the emperor through their acts.