The Comedy of Errors
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Summary
In Ephesus it is illegal to enter the land if you are a native of another land. The Duke was brought a merchant from Syracuse named Egeon who had committed such a crime. The punishment was execution and a ransom of thousand marks. The Duke let Egeon tell him his woeful story. A few years before Egeon had met his wife in Epidiamnum where she gave birth to identical twin boys. At the same time a woman of the lower class gave birth to identical twin boys as well, since she was so poor she gave her sons to Egeon and his wife to be attendants of their sons. On the way home the boat was struck by a horrible storm, in which Egeon’s family was torn apart. The elder twins were rescued with the mother and the younger twins were rescued by another ship with Egeon. When his son, Antipholus reached eighteen he went out searching for his lost twin, with his servant, Dromio with him. Now Egeon has come to Ephesus to find his son. The Duke took pity enough on Egeon to grant him one more day to collect the ransom money.
Also arriving in Ephesus are Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse. A merchant of the city greets them and warns them of the laws forbidding them to be there. Antipholus gives Dromio money for rooms at an inn, Dromio returns very quickly and tells Antipholus that his wife is angered that he is late for dinner. This is really the servant of his brother, Dromio of Ephesus, and each of them are mistaking the other for his companion. Antipholus of Syracuse beats Dromio of Ephesus for his dishonesty and sets off to the inn to see if the money had been paid. Dromio of Ephesus goes home to his mistress, Adriana and tells her that her husband will not come home to her; he flat out says that he doesn’t know her. Adriana is enraged even more, believing Antipholus (of Ephesus) is unfaithful to her and sends Dromio back to his master to force him to come home.
Antipholus (of Syracuse) meets up with Dromio (of Syracuse) who denies that he had spoken to Antipholus earlier. During their discussion Adriana finds them and scolds Antipholus (whom she mistakes for her husband) she and her sister, Luciana convince the two Syracuse men to come to their house for dinner. While they are inside having dinner the rightful Antipholus comes home with the goldsmith and a merchant for the midday meal . He finds his door locked on him, and when he calls for someone to open up, Dromio of Syracuse (haven been given the job of porter with instructions not to let anyone in) tells him that he may not come in. angered by his wife and believing her to be entertaining another man he goes to an inn and dines with the courtesan, promising her the gifts he was planning for his wife.
After dinner Antipholus of Syracuse talked with Luciana and falls in love with her. When he confesses his love she begs him to turn that love unto her sister. He spots Dromio (of Syracuse) running, who proclaims that a kitchen maid had claimed him to be hers. Antipholus asks him to go find a ship sailing home and get them on it as soon as possible so that they might escape from these insane surroundings. After Dromio left the goldsmith brings Antipholus a golden chain ordered by Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus (of Syracuse) promises him the money later. When the goldsmith runs into Antipholus of Ephesus and asks for the money. Antipholus requests that he have the chain first before he pays the goldsmith, and accuses the goldsmith for trying to rob him.
Antipholus sends Dromio (both of Ephesus) to buy a rope end so he can beat his wife. The goldsmith has Antipholus arrested for trying to cheat him out of money. Then the other Dromio returns and tells Antipholus that they were booked on the boat that was leaving the city the soonest. Antipholus beats Dromio of Syracuse for being sent for one thing but returning having done something completely different. After his blows stop Antipholus (of Ephesus) sends Dromio (of Syracuse) to Adriana for money to bail him out of jail. Dromio is confused why his master wants money of the women that they dinned with to bail him out but goes as fast as he can to Adriana’s.
Dromio (of Syracuse) gives Antipholus (of Syracuse) the money he had obtained from Adriana, both were horribly confused and didn’t understand what the other was talking about. The courtesan that Antipholus of Ephesus had dined with appears and demands the gold chain that Antipholus is wearing, saying that he promised it to her. She also states that she had let him wear her king and now she wanted it back. Antipholus, of course, doesn’t have her ring and believing her mad he flees from her. The courtesan believes that Antipholus is insane and goes to tell Adriana that he is so. The goldsmith catches up with them as they are on the way to their ship. He accuses Antipholus of cheating him out of his money and escaping from the officer that had been leading him to jail. Antipholus and Dromio (of Syracuse) run away from the goldsmith as well.
Meanwhile Dromio of Ephesus returns to Antipholus of Ephesus, who is still under arrest, and gives him the rope end that he sent for. Antipholus thrashes him soundly for not returning with the bail money. Adriana, Luciana, the courtesan and Dr. Pinch arrive and Adriana explains to the officer that the two men are insane and that he should bestow them into Dr. Pinch’s care. Soon after Dr. Pinch leaves with Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse enter with their swords drawn. Everyone thinks that they are the madmen and have escaped from Dr. Pinch. Adriana orders them to be bond, but they escapes into the priory, the Abbess of which will not let them be perused. The Duke and Egeon come to the priory for Aegeon’s execution, Adriana asks the Duke to make the Abbess bring out Antipholus and Dromio. Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus come now, having escaped Dr. Pinch, which confuses the present party because they believe them to still be in the priory. Egeon recognizes Antipholus (of Ephesus), but mistakes him for the other Antipholus, he appeals to him for ransom money. Antipholus (of Ephesus) denies him it claiming to have never seen him before. The Duke is told of all the strange things that Antipholus and Dromio have been doing in the past day.
The Abbess enters with the other set of twins, and after some explaining the truth comes out and all misunderstandings are cleared up. Antipholus of Syracuse once again declares his love for Luciana, and the Abbess reveals herself a Emilia, the mother to the twin Antipholus who, after ransoming their father live life as a happy family once again.
The Comedy of Errors is a slapstick comedy, the idea of which came from a Roman playwright. The characters aren’t as rounded as Shakespeare’s later comedies, and there are they many interweaving plot lines as there are in most of Shakespeare’s other works.
Antipholus and Dromio – (1.2.19-21) about Dromio (of Syracuse) “Antipholus [of Syracuse]: A trusty villain, sir, that very oft, / When I am dull with care and melanchol7y, / Lightens my humor with his merry jests.” – Even though Antipholus beats Dromio quite a bit, he still thinks of him as a companion. These lines refer to the Syracusans, but I believe that they also apply to their twins.
Adriana and Luciana – (2.1) – This whole scene seems to rotate around the characters of the sisters. Adriana is hot tempered and jumps to conclusions, where Luciana is mild-tempered and keeps her sister from getting out of hand.
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