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THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.

(WRITTEN ABOUT 1591.

INTRODUCTION.

This is Shakespeare's one farcical play. Its sources of laughter lie almost wholly in the situa tionsand incidents, hardly at all in the characters. The spectator of the play is called upon to accopt much that is improbable and all but impossible; not, as in A Midsummer Night's Dream, for the sake of freer play of imagination, and because the world pictured by the poet is a fairy-world of romantic beauty and grotesqueness, but for the sake of mere fun and laughter-stirring surprises. So cleverly, however, are the incidents and persons entangled and disentangled, so rapidly does surprise follow surprise, that we are given no time to raise difficulties or offer objections. The subject of the comedy is the same as that of the Menacchmi of Plautus-mistakes of identity arising from the likeness of twin-born children. How Shakespeare made acquaintance with Plautus has not been ascertained; possibly through William Warner's translation of the Menacchmi, seen in manuscript before its publication in 1545; more probably through an earlier play, not now extant. To the twins of the Menacchmi, Shakespeare has added a second pair of brothers, the twins Dromio. This does not make the improbability of the whole seem greater, but rather the reverse; for the fun is doubled, and where so much is incredible we are carried away and have no wish but to yield ourselves up to belief in the incredible for the time being, so as to enter thoroughly into the jest. Shakespeare added other characters-the Duke Solinus (when he can he always introduces a duke), Egeon, Balthazar, Angelo, the Abbess, and Lauciana; and he alters the character of the married brother, Antipholus, from the repulsive Menacchmus of Plautus, with whom we can have little sympathy, into a person who at least is not base and vicious. The scene he transfers from Epidamnum to Ephesus, that city which had an evil repute for its roguery, licentiousness, and magical practices, a city in which such errors might be supposed to be the result of sorcery and witchcraft. (See Act I., Sc. II., L. 97-102.) To Shakespeare belongs wholly the serious background, from which the farcical incidents stand out in relief-the story of the Syracusan merchant who almost forfeits his life in the search for his lost children, and finally recovers both the lost ones and his own liberty. The date of the play cannot be exactly determined, but it is certainly one of the very earliest. what part of her body stands about the ki.chen-wench, who is so large and round that she has been compared to a globe; and Dromio answers: "In her forehead, armed and reverted, making war against her heir." (Act III., Sc. 11., L. 125-127). France was in a state of civil war, fighting for and against her heir, Henri IV., from August, 1589, until shortly before his coronation in February, 1594. In 1591, Henri received the assistance of troops from England, commanded by the Earl of Essex.

"In

France?" asks Antipholus of Syracuse, questioning Dromio

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The enmity and discord which of late
Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your
duke

We came aboard.

To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,
Who wanting guilders to redeem their lives
Have seal'd his rigorous statutes with their
bloods,

11

A league from Epidamnum had we saild,
Before the always wind-obeying deep
Gave any tragic instance of our harm :
But longer did we not retain much hope;
For what obscured light the heavens did grant
Did but convey unto our fearful minds
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which though myself would gladly have em-

Excludes all pity from our threatening looks.
For, since the mortal and intestine jars
Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,
It hath in solemn synods been decreed,
Both by the Syracusians and ourselves,
To admit no traffic to our adverse towns
Nay, more,

If any born at Ephesus be seen
Atany Syracusian marts and fairs;
Again if any Syracusian born
Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,
His goods confiscate to the duke's dispose,
Unless a thousand marks be levied,
Toquit the penalty and to ransom him.
Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundred marks ;
Therefore by law thon art condemned to die.
Ege. Yet this my comfort: when your
words are done,

braced,

70

Yet the incessant weepings of my wife,
Weeping before for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,
That mourn'd for fashion, ignorant what to

fear,

Forced me to seek delays for them and me.
And this it was, for other means was none :

20 The sailors sought for safety by our boat,
And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us
My wife, more careful for the latter-born,
Had fasten'd him unto a small spare mast, 80
Such as seafaring men provide for storms;
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other;
The children thus disposed, my wife and I,
Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fix'd,
Fasten'd ourselves at either end the mast;
And floating straight, obedient to the stream,
Was carried towards Corinth, as we thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,
Dispersed those vapors that offended us;
And, by the benefit of his wished light,
The seas wax'd calm, and we discovered
Two ships from far making amain to us,
Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this:
But ere they came, -0, let me say no more!
Gather the sequel by that went before.

Mv woes end likewise with the evening sun.
Duke. Well, Syracusian, say in brief the

cause

29

Why thou departed'st from thy native home
And for what cause thou camest to Ephesus.
Ege. A heavier task could not have been

imposed

Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable:
Yet, that the world may witness that my end
Was wrought by nature, not Ly vile offence,
I'll utter what my sorrows give me leave.

In Syracusa was I born, and wed

Unto a woman, happy but for me,

And by me, had not our hap been bad.
With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased

By prosperous voyages I often made

41

To Epidamnum; till my factor's death

And the great care of goods at random left
Drew me from kind embracements of my

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Worthily term'd them merciless to us ! 100
For, ere the ships could meet by twice five
leagues,

We were encounter'd by a mighty rock;
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst
So that, in this unjust divorce of us,
Fortune had left to both of us alike
What to delight in, what to sorrow for.
Her part, poor soul! seeming as burdened
With lesser weight but not with lesser woe,
Was carried with more speed before the wind;
And in our sight they three were taken up 111
By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.
At length, another ship had seized on us ;
And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,
Gave healthful welcome to their shipwreck'd

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131

At eighteen years became inquisitive
After his brother and importuned me
That his attendant-so his case was like,
Reft of his brother, but retain'd his name-
Might bear him company in the quest of him:
Whom whilst I labor'd of a love to see,
I hazarded the loss of whom I loved.
Five summers have I spent in furthest Greece,
Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,
And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought
Or that or any place that harbors men,
But here must end the story of my life;
And happy were I in my timely death,
Could all my travels warrant me they live. 140
Duke. Hapless Ægeon, whom the fates

have mark'd

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Dro. S. Many a man would take you at your word,

And go indeed, having so good a mean. [Exit. Ant. S. A trusty villain, sir, that very oft, When I am dull with care and melancholy, 20 Lightens my humor with his merry jests. What, will you walk with me about the town, And then go to my inn and dine with me?

First Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants,

Of whom I hope to make much benefit;
I crave your pardon. Soon at five o'clock,
Please you, I'll meet with you upon the mart
And afterward consort you till bed-time:
My present business calls me from you now.
Ant. S. Farewell till then I will go lose

myself

30 And wander up and down to view the city. First Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit. Ant. S. He that commends me to mine own content

Commends me to the thing I cannot get,
I to the world am like a drop of water
That in the ocean seeks another drop,
Who, falling there to find his fellow forth,
Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself :
So I, to find a mother and a brother,
In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.

Enter DROMIо of Ephesus.

40

Here comes the almanac of my true date. What now? how chance thou art return'd so soon?

To seek thy life by beneficial help :

Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus; Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum, And live; if no, then thou art doom'd to die. Gaoler, take him to thy custody.

Dro. E. Return'd so soon! rather approach'd too late :

Gaol. I will, my lord.

Age. Hopeless and helpless doth Ægeon

wend,

The capon burns, the pig falls from the spit,
The clock hath strucken twelve upon the bell;
My mistress made it one upon my cheek:
She is so hot because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold because you come not home;
You come not home because you have no stom-

But to procrastinate his lifeless end. [Exeunt.

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There's nothing situate under heaven's eve
But hath his bound, in earth, in sea, in sky:
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fowls,
Are their males' subjects and at their controls:
Men, more divine, the masters of all these, 20
Lords of the wide world and wild watery seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more pre-eminence than fish and fowls,
Are masters to their females, and their lords.
Then let your will attend on their accords.
Adr. This servitude makes you to keep
unwed.

Luc. Not this, but troubles of the marriagebed.

Adr. But, were you wedded, you would bear some sway.

Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey. Adr. How if your husband start some other

where?

30

Luc. Till he come home again, I would forbear.

Adr. Patience unmoved! no marvel though she pause;

They can be meek that have no other cause.
A wretched soul, bruised with adversity,
We bid be quiet when we hear it cry;
But were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
As much or more we should ourselves com-

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I greatly fear my money is not safe.

[Exit.

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АСТ П.

SCENE L. The house of ANTIPHOLUS of

Ephesus.

Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA.

Adr. Neither my husband nor the slave return'd,

Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. E. Nay, he's at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness.

Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? know'st thou his mind?

Dro. E. Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine

That in such haste I sent to seek his master ! Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock,

ear:

Lue. Perhaps some merchant hath invited him.

Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he so doubtfully, thou couldst not feel his meaning? 51 Dro. E. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubtfully that I could scarce understand them.

Adr. But say, I prithee, is he coming home? It seems he hath great care to please his wife. Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is horn-mad.

Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain!
Dro. E.

I mean not cuckold-mad;

But, sure, he is stark mad. When I desired him to come home to dinner, 60 He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold : ''Tis dinner-time,' quoth I; 'My gold!'quoth he:

'Your meat doth burn,' quoth I; 'My gold!' quoth he:

'Will you come home?' quoth I; 'My gold!" quoth he.

'Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?'

'The pig,' quoth I, 'is burn'd; "My gold!' quoth he:

'I know,' quoth he, 'no house, no wife, no

A sunny look of his would soon repair :
But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale 100
And feeds from home; poor I am but his stale
Luc. Self-harming jealousy! fie, beat it
hence !

Adr. Unfeeling fools can with such wrongs dispense.

I know his eye doth homage otherwhere;
Or else what lets it but he would be here?
Sister, you know he promised me a chain ;
Would that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quarter with his bed!
I see the jewel best enamelled

Will lose his beauty; yet the gold bides still,
That others touch, and often touching will 111
†Wear gold: and no man that hath a name,
By falsehood and corruption doth it shame.
Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,
I'll weep what's left away, and weeping die.
Luc. How many fond fools serve mad jeal-
ousy!
[Exeunt.

SCENE II. A public place.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse.

Ant. S. The gold I gave to Dromio is laid up
Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful slave
Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out
By computation and mine host's report.
I could not speak with Dromio since at first
I sent him from the mart. See, here he comes.

'My mistress, sir,' quoth I; 'Hang up thy mistress!

I know not thy mistress; out on thy mistress!' Luc. Quoth who?

Dro. E. Quoth my master :

70

mistress.'

So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders;
For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.

Enter DROMIO of Syracuse,

Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch

him home.

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across.

Dro. E. And he will bless that cross with

That thus so madly thou didst answer me? Dro. S. What answer, sir? when spake I

other beating:

such a word?

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Ant. S. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt,

And told'st me of a mistress and a dinner;
For which, I hope, thou felt'st I was displeased.
Dro. S. I am glad to see you in this merry
vein:

If I last in this service, you must case me in leather. [Exit. Luc. Fie, how impatience loureth in your face!

Adr. His company must do his minions grace,

Whilst I at home starve for a merry look.
Hath homely age the alluring beauty took
From my poor cheek? then he hath wasted it:
Are my discourses dull ? barren my wit? 91
If voluble and sharp discourse be marr'd,
Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard:
Do their gay vestments his affections bait ?
That's not my fault: he's master of my state:
What ruins are in me that can be found,
By him not ruin'd? then is he the ground
Of my defeatures. My decayed fair

20

What means this jest? I pray you, master, tell me.

Ant. S. Yea, dost thou jeer and flout me in the teeth? Think'st thou I jest? Hold, take thou that, and that. [Beating him. Dro. S. Hold, sir, for God's sake! now your jest is earnest :

Upon what bargain do you give it me?
Ant. S. Because that I familiarly sometimes
Do use you for my fool and chat with you,
Your sauciness will jest upon my love
And make a common of my serious hours.

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