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Author: William Shakespeare

Title: Comedy of Errors

Edited by R.A. Foakes

Editorial: Methuen

Publication’s year: first 1962, reprinted 1963

Publication’s place: London and New York

Collection: The Arden Shakespeare

Dramatis personae:
Along this comedy appeared some characters from Syracuse and some from Ephesus:

o Antipholus of Syracuse: He is the son of Egeon and the twin brother of Antipholus of Ephesus. He has got a slave, Dromio of Syracuse, who travelled with him around the world.

o Antipholus of Ephesus: Hi is the son of Egeon and the twin brother of Antipholus of Syracuse. He is an important merchant in Ephesus. He is married with Adriana.

These two characters lost their parents when they were children when their boat sank.

o Dromio of Syracuse: He is Antipholus of Syracuse’s slave. He travelled with him around the world. He, as his Sir, has got a twin brother who is Dromio of Ephesus.

o Dromio of Ephesus: He is Antipholus of Ephesus’ slave. He has a twin brother, Dromio of Syracuse.

This two lost their parents as Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of Ephesus when the boat sank when they were young.

o Adriana: she is the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. She had bad temper and was jealous.

o Luciana: She is Adriana's unmarried sister and at the end the future wife of Antipholus of Syracuse.

o Egeon: He is the father of the two Antipholus and the Emilia’s husband. He is a Syracusan merchant. He has a problem with the Duke by which he is sentenced to death at the beginning of the play.

o Emilia: She is Egeon’s wife and Antipholus’ mother. She is the abbess of Ephesus.

o Balthasar: He is a merchant that have some problems with one of the Antipholus for a jewel.

Plot[1]:

Egeon, is condemned to death in Ephesus for violating the ban against travel between the two rival cities. Meanwhile he is waiting his execution, he tells the Duke his story in which he has come to Syracuse in search of his wife and one of his twin sons, who were disappeared when his ship sank. When this fact happened, Egeon only could safe one of his sons and one of his slave’s sons. The Duke allowed him a day to collect the money of the ransom to save his life. At the same moment his son Antipholus of Syracuse and his slave Dromio of Syracuse are visiting the city. This information is unknown by Egeon.

The two brothers have never seen before. Adriana were looking for her husband when mistakes Antipholus of Syracuse for him and drags him home for dinner, leaving Dromio of Syracuse to guard at the door and no admit no one. Shortly, the other Antipholus come back home and Dromio of Syracuse refuse his entry behind the door. Meanwhile Antipholus of Syracuse is trying to win over Luciana from who he is fallen in love. She tries to refuse him because she thinks that he is her brother-in-law.

But the confusion increases when a gold chain ordered by Antipholus of Epheso is given to Antipholus of Syracuse. Everybody thinks that the brother of Ephesus is crazy because everybody hears and see the other brother with the jewel and he is denying all the story. His wife asks Pinch to try to cure her husband. Meanwhile, Antipholus of Syracuse and his slave decide to leave the city, which they believe to be enchanted, as soon as possible. Bur Adriana found Antipholus of Syracuse and thinks that he is her husband that runs away from the prison. But Antipholus of Syracuse and his slave seek refuge in a nearby abbey. Everybody go there to take Antipholus of Ephesus but suddenly Antipholus appears meanwhile they are knocking the abbey’s door. When the abbess goes out she sees the other Antipholus and his husband that arrive with the Duke when everybody is knocking the abbey’s door. The situation is finally resolved by the Abbess who brings out the set of twins and reveals herself to Egeon. Antipholus of Ephesus reconciles with Adriana; Egeon is pardoned by the Duke and reunited with his wife; Antipholus of Syracuse fell in love to Luciana and two Dromios remain one with the other.

Spaces:

These are the places were the plot take part:

- Dukes’s palace

- Public Square

- The street in front of Antipholus of Ephesus’ house

- Antipholus of Ephesus’ House

- One street in Ephesus

There are no difference between the scenes that happen inside or outside. None of these are enough described to have a really idea about the difference.

Time:

All the story happen at the same day. We only have a moment when Egeon is talking about the past, when he has the accident and his slip sank.

About the rest of the plot we have no conscience about the time, although we know that one thing happen between the other because the characters allude to the past of time.

Literary and stylistic resources[2]:

- Anachronism àAntipholus “now as I am Christian” (act 1 scene 2)

- Anachronismà Dromio “o for my beads, I cross for a sinner” (act 2 scene 2)

- Play on words à Dromio “horn” (act 2 scene 2)

- Latinism à Dromio “ergo” (act 4 scene 3)

Other aspects:

There is a Shakespeare’s contemporaneous political aspect. In the act 3 scene 2 Shakespeare alluded to a war between France and Guisa’s Dukes.

Critic opinion:

This comedy is very funny but I found something that in my opinion is very unpleasant, this is how Antipholus batter his servant. This, from the point of view of our society is very wrong. Today we have many problems like this by xenophobia that are judged and these persons are punished. Although is not the same example that appear in the comedy, is in essence the same because is a type of batter. So, this fact that appears in the comedy is something delicate in our society now.

Academic year 2007/2008
© a.r.e.a./Dr.Vicente Forés López
© Carmen Mora Vives
mamovi3@alumni.uv.es
Universitat de València Press