'Heautontimorumenos; the Self-Tormentor' Summary

The play opens with Menedemus, an elderly man, lamenting his son Clinia's absence, who was banished due to Menedemus's strictness. Menedemus's neighbor Chremes, who has a son named Clitipho, attempts to reunite father and son. Clitipho is in love with Bacchis, a courtesan, and Chremes secretly hopes to arrange a marriage between Clitipho and Antiphila, Clinia's love. Meanwhile, Clinia returns, disguised, and witnesses his father's grief. He then reveals his identity to his father, leading to a powerful scene of reconciliation. However, the play's complications continue as Clitipho, in a hilarious turn of events, is discovered to be in love with Bacchis. The play concludes with both fathers accepting their sons' choices, demonstrating the importance of forgiveness and understanding in family dynamics.