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A Study Guide |
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Plot Summary By Michael J. Cummings...© 2003 . .......Once upon a time, Aegeon says, his wife gave birth to twin boys in Epidamnum (in present-day Albania) during one of Aegeon’s business trips to that city. Aegeon then purchased another pair of twin sons from a poor woman. These twins were to be the slaves of his own sons. When he and his wife were sailing back to Syracuse with the quartet of boys, a storm wrecked their ship. Two other ships came to the rescue. One, bound for Epidaurus, Greece, picked up Aegeon, one son, and one slave boy. The other picked up his wife and the other two boys. Aegeon says he saw it sail away in the direction of Corinth, Greece. Thus, each set of twins was split up and carried off in different directions. .......Eighteen years passed. Antipholus, the son rescued with Aegeon, then embarked on a search for his lost twin brother, accompanied by his slave, Dromio. However, when Antipholus did not return, Aegeon embarked on a search for him. After five years, the search took Aegeon to Ephesus–and to his present sorry circumstances. After hearing this tale, the duke expresses sympathy but says he cannot change the law. Aegeon must beg or borrow the required sum. .......Meanwhile, unknown to Aegeon, Antipholus has just arrived in Ephesus, still looking for his brother. Wisely, Antipholus declares that he is from Epidamnum in order to avoid arrest. Antipholus has come to the right place, for his twin brother is indeed in Ephesus with the second slave–and a wife, Adriana. Here is where the play turns into a “comedy of errors,” for the brother of Antipholus is also named Antipholus, and the brother of Dromio is also named Dromio. Of course, no one in Ephesus is aware that there is one Antipholus who looks exactly like another Antipholus and one Dromio who looks exactly like another Dromio. .......Antipholus of Syracuse sends Dromio of Syracuse to an inn called the Centaur, where they are to lodge and deposit a bag of gold. Dromio is to remain there until Antipholus arrives after scouting the city. Bemoaning the seemingly impossible task of finding his brother, who could be anywhere on earth, Antipholus says, “I to the world am like a drop of water / That in the ocean seeks another drop” (1. 2. 37-38). Dromio of Ephesus comes on the scene. Taking him for his own Dromio, Antipholus asks him why he has returned so soon from the Centaur. Dromio of Ephesus, of course, takes Antipholus of Syracuse for Antipholus of Ephesus and tells him he is late for supper, saying: The meat is cold because you come not home;.......Antipholus inquires about the money that was to be deposited. Believing Antipholus is referring to sixpence he used to pay for a crupper (a leather strap that attaches a horse’s tail to the saddle), Dromio of Ephesus says he gave the money to a saddler. Antipholus thinks Dromio is jesting and demands to know where the gold is. Dromio says he knows nothing of gold. When Antipholus strikes him, the slave returns home. There, Adriana scolds him for returning without her husband (Antipholus of Ephesus). .......After Dromio of Syracuse returns from depositing the gold, he denies having called his master to supper. By this time, both men think Ephesus is bewitched. Antipholus of Syracuse observes: They say this town is full of cozenage,.......Then Adriana appears with her sister Luciana. When Adriana scolds the bewildered Antipholus for not returning to supper, he denies knowing her. Adriana then hauls him off to her home. While Antipholus of Syracuse is dining with Adriana, Dromio of Syracuse guards the door. .......Antipholus of Ephesus then arrives for supper with his slave and two guests, Angelo, a goldsmith, and Balthazar, a merchant. But they can’t get in because the door is locked. So Antipholus of Ephesus takes his party for dinner to the house of a pretty courtesan. He plans to give her a gold chain intended for his wife and tells Angelo, who made the chain, to fetch it. Meanwhile, Antipholus of Syracuse  falls
in love with Luciana and tries to woo her. However, she rejects his advances,
believing that he is her brother-in-law. (Remember, Luciana is the sister
of Adriana, the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus.) At the same time, Dromio
of Syracuse falls prey to the clutches of a greasy kitchen maid who means
to marry him. Thoroughly convinced now that Ephesus is a city of witchery,
Antipholus of Syracuse decides to leave town and sends Dromio to inquire
about a ship. When Angelo returns with the chain, he gives it to the wrong
Antipholus (Antipholus of Syracuse).
.......Later Angelo demands payment for the chain from the right Antipholus, who says he never received the chain. Angelo has him arrested. Dromio of Syracuse returns to report that he has found a ship, but he tells Antipholus of Ephesus, not Antipholus of Syracuse. The Ephesian, who remains under arrest, then orders Dromio to get money from Adriana to bail him out of jail. However, when he returns with the money, Dromio of Syracuse gives it to Antipholus of Syracuse instead of the jailed Antipholus of Ephesus. After the courtesan shows up and demands the gold chain promised to her, he refuses to part with it. The courtesan then tells Adriana that her husband is mad. Back at the jail, Dromio of Ephesus shows up and is amazed to learn that he is supposed to have bail money. Adriana, Luciana, and the courtesan appear with a Doctor Pinch, who declares the jailed Antipholus insane after feeling his pulse. Adriana then bails her husband out, and he and his slave are led away to be locked up at home. .......While Antipholus of Syracuse and his Dromio are on their way to the ship, Angelo confronts Antipholus and demands the money for the gold chain. Swords are drawn. When Adriana, Luciana, and the courtesan appear, Adriana thinks Antipholus of Syracuse is her husband and orders him and his slave to be bound and taken to her house. They escape into a nearby priory. There, the abbess takes them under her protection. .......At this time Duke Solinus is passing by as he accompanies Aegeon to the place of execution. Adriana appeals to the duke for justice. Antipholus of Ephesus and his Dromio appear and they also appeal for justice. When the abbess then produces Antipholus of Syracuse and his Dromio, all of the astonished company put together the pieces of the puzzle. The abbess, it turns out, is Aegeon’s long lost wife. Antipholus of Ephesus is reconciled with his wife, and Antipholus of Syracuse is betrothed to Luciana. Aegeon receives a pardon from Duke Solinus. .  Characters...........................................................................................................Shakespeare Films on DVD, VHS 2 Protagonist: Antipholus of Syracuse. One may also fairly argue in favor of another major character as the protagonist or maintain that there is no protagonist. However, Antipholus of Syracuse is the central character in the major event of the play: the quest for persons lost at sea. He actively seeks them and, in so doing, occupies center stage and generates the comic episodes. His brother, Antipholus of Ephesus, is a passive observer or participant in these episodes. Aegeon, the father of Antipholus of Syracuse, catalyzes the action in the opening act, but he plays no major role in the events leading up to the family reunion at the end of the play. Antagonist: Mischievous Fate, in the form of coincidence and mischance. Foils: Adriana, a shrew; her sister, Luciana, a good-natured lady . Solinus: Duke of Ephesus. Aegeon: Merchant of Syracuse. Antipholus of Ephesus, Antipholus of Syracuse: Twin brothers who become separated as children by a shipwreck. They are the sons of Aegeon and Aemilia. Dromio of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse: Twin brothers who become separated as children by a shipwreck. One is the attendant of Antipholus of Ephesus and the other the attendant of Antipholus of Syracuse. Balthazar: Merchant. Angelo: Goldsmith. Aemilia (Abbess): Wife of Aegeon. Adriana: Wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. Luciana: Adriana’s sister. Luce: Servant of Adriana. First Merchant: Friend of Antipholus of Syracuse. Second Merchant: Creditor of Angelo. Minor Characters: Courtezan (courtesan), gaoler (jailer), officers, servants . Setting . The action of the play takes place in Ephesus (in present-day western Turkey, near Izmir), an important Greek trading center in ancient times. It was the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Over time, it fell under the rule of various peoples, including the Cimmerians, Lydians, Persians, Macedonians, and, beginning in 189 B.C., the Romans. A Christian community flourished there in the First Century A.D. After its destruction by Goths in 262 A.D., it was rebuilt but never recaptured its ancient importance. By the 14th Century A.D., it became a ghost town. Ruins of the ancient temple are a tourist attraction today. . Themes . Unbending–even obstinate–loyalty brings families together in times of crisis. This serious message underlies the comedy. Aegeon and his son, Antipholus of Syracuse, refuse to give up on their lost family members, even after years of searching for them. In the end, the entire family is reunited. Persistence pays. Aegeon, Antipholus of Ephesus, and Dromio of Ephesus are all reunited with their loved ones after a long and unrelenting search. Coincidences and mix-ups are part of everyday life and not magical or supernatural occurrences . The Comedy of Errors features two sets of twins: (1) Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse and (2) Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. Dromio of Ephesus is the slave of Antipholus of Ephesus, and Dromio of Syracuse is the slave of Antipholus of Syracuse. Antipholus of Ephesus is unaware that he has a twin brother, Antipholus of Syracuse. And Dromio of Ephesus is unaware that he also has a twin brother, Dromio of Syracuse. Coincidences and mix-ups occur when all the twins converge in Ephesus. Antipholus of Ephesus mistakes Dromio of Syracuse for Dromio of Ephesus. And Dromio of Syracuse mistakes Antipholus of Ephesus for Antipholus of Syracuse. And so on. What is the meaning of all of these mix-ups? Apparently Shakespeare was attempting to debunk belief in witchcraft and sorcery, widely prevalent in his time. Here's why: During the play, the characters attribute the confusing mix-ups to the work of magicians and sorcerers. Ephesus appears to be bewitched. But by demonstrating that coincidences and mix-ups are part of everyday life, Shakespeare was showing his audiences that strange and seemingly inexplicable developments can occur under normal circumstances. Perhaps if Shakespeare had written the play in our time, the 21st Century, he would have tried to debunk belief in flying saucers, haunted houses, or the "miracle cures" of charlatan televangelists. . Type of Play . The play is a comedy that veers toward farce and burlesque. It is sometimes classified as a "comedy of intrigue" or a "comedy of situation." The latter, like the modern TV situation comedy, relies heavily on mix-ups and sometimes slapstick. . Plotting and Characterization .. The Comedy of Errors relies primarily on plot rather than characterization to achieve its effect. What happens next is more important than what a character thinks or feels or says. There is no deep probing of a character's intellect or emotions, no attempt to fathom a character's soul. It is circumstance or situation that counts. However, at least one character, Duke Solinus, undergoes a significant change. At the beginning of the play, he is a rigid legalist who, in spite of his expressed sympathy for Aegeon's plight, is unwilling to bend the law. At the end of the play, he forgives all offenses. It is interesting to note that the play does maintain the unities established by ancient Greek playwrights–namely, that a drama should have a single line of action that takes place on a single day and in a single place. . Climax .. The Comedy of Errors reaches its climax in the last act when all of the principle characters assemble at the priory and the abbess produces Antipholus of Syracuse and his Dromio while the other Antipholus and Dromio and standing nearby. All of the astonished company then put together the pieces of the puzzle and the confusion ends. The abbess, it turns out, is Aegeon's long lost wife. Antipholus of Ephesus is reconciled with his wife, and Antipholus of Syracuse is betrothed to Luciana. Aegeon receives a pardon from Duke Solinus. Hyperbole Enlivens Humor In Act III, Shakespeare blends hyperbole and metaphor in a hilarious scene in which Dromio of Syracuse laments that a rotund cook is relentlessly pursuing him. After Antipholus of Syracuse asks him to identify her, Dromio says, Marry, sir, she’s the kitchen-wench, and all grease; and I know not what use to put her to but to make a lamp of her and run from her by her own light. I warrant her rags and the tallow in them will burn a Poland winter; if she lives till doomsday, she’ll burn a week longer than the whole world. (3. 2. 88)Shakespeare then turns the woman into an extended metaphor in which he mocks nations and government policies. Describing her as being so fat that she is as wide as she is tall, Dromio says that “she is spherical, like a globe; I could find out countries in her.” Here is the rest of the dialogue: ANTIPHOLUS In what part of her body stands Ireland?Epigrams . In the dialogue of The Comedy of Errors and other Shakespeare plays, characters sometimes speak wise or witty sayings, or epigrams, couched in memorable language. Among the more memorable sayings in The Comedy of Errors are the following:
Aegeon addresses the Duke, using an oxymoron (pleasing punishment) to refer to the pregnancy of Aegeon’s wife. For
slander lives upon succession,
Ill
deeds are doubled with an evil word. (3. 2. 21)
The
venom clamours of a jealous woman
Role of Religion . Although Roman Catholicism was banned in England in Shakespeare's time, he presents the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors as a wise and admirable person, perhaps suggesting to the English that the outlawed religion had merit. (Shakespeare himself was reared as a Roman Catholic by devout Roman Catholic parents.) . Dates and Sources . Date Written: Early 1590's Probable Main Sources: The Menaechmus Twins, by Plautus (254?-184 B.C), and possibly, Amphitruo, by Plautus First Performance: Probably December 28, 1594, at Gray's Inn in London. Gray's Inn was one of four "Inns of Court," establishments for educating members of the legal profession. The other inns of court were Lincoln's Inn, the Inner Temple, and the Outer Temple. Number of Words in Complete Text: Only 16,258 in the public-domain text. The Comedy of Errors is Shakespeare's shortest play. . Study Questions and Essay Topics 1.
Adriana and her sister, Luciana, express opposing views on the role of
women. Luciana believes women should submit to the will of ....men,
who are “Lords of the wide world” (2. 1. 23). Write an essay that examines
the role of women in society during Shakespeare’s ....time.
Notes 1. Heir: Henry of Navarre, or Henry de Bourbonne-Navarre. In 1584, on the death of the brother of the King of France, Henry became first in ....line to inherit the French throne. Because Henry was a Protestant, Roman Catholics opposed his succession. Subsequently, the ....French king and the Holy League, a Catholic Organization, forged a treaty banning Henry from the throne. Henry went to war against ....the French and won a crucial battle in 1587. Later, after becoming reconciled with the French king, he acceded to the throne of France ....after the death of the king. In Dromio’s line, the word heir not only refers to Henry of Navarre but also to the kitchen wench’s hair, in a ....pun. 2. Chalky cliffs: Teeth of the kitchen wench, an implied metaphor in which her teeth are compared to England’s white cliffs at Dover. 3. Rheum (pronounced ROOM): Discharge from the nose; mucus. 4. Armadoes of caracks: Armadas of carracks (galleons). |