Pseudolus

While Pseudolus watches, Simia speaks with Ballio. After brief insults, Simia says his master has sent him to bring this sealed letter. When Ballio asks Simia his master’s name, Simia, who doesn’t know the name of the Macedonian soldier, tricks Ballio into saying it himself. Ballio recognizes the seal and opens the letter, which says that Harpax is bringing the money and that Ballio should send the prostitute with him. Ballio tells Simia to follow him, so that they can make the exchange.

Alone, Pseudolus says he has never seen “a worse human being, / A more deviously wicked fellow than this Simia!” (1017-18). He says Simia is “so awfully damn good he scares me!” (1019). He worries that Simia will turn his “wily weapons against [him]” (1021), that Simia will disappear or “join the enemy” (1027), that Simo will catch them in their scheme, and that Harpax will show up before Simia is able to leave with Phoenicium. Pseudolus nervously considers how long it’s taking for Simia to emerge, saying his “heart has packed its bag and is all ready / To seek exile right out of my chest” (1033-34).