The Arbitration: Introduction
This chapter focuses on Menander's play titled The Arbitration, which begins with the arrival of a young man named Charisios who was then informed by his slave Onesimos that during his absence his wife Pamphile has given birth to a baby. It examines Charisios's decision to flee his home and be entertained every night by a music girl after realizing his wife's baby could not be his. It also explores Charisios' behaviour, which was described as a vain attempt to blot out the pain of his discovery and the pain from the very course of action he has taken. The chapter discusses Charisios's stage appearance, which was dominated by a reality that was difficult to gauge as it was bitten by self-recrimination in a situation far removed from normality. It mentions how Pamphile is personified as the victim of the males who surround her, which is seen as a contradiction to her name that means 'Dear to all'.