The Comedy of Errors abbreviated

Synopsis


The play takes place long ago in the city of Ephesus, on the western seacoast of Turkey, where Egeon, a merchant from Syracuse, a city on the eastern seacoast of Sicily, finds himself, there searching for one of his identical-twin sons. Egeon, his wife (Emilia), their very young sons and their two “purchased” babies, the principals in the play, were separated, three by three, two to three decades ago, the result of a tragedy at sea, the two very young sons at the time being but babies. We know that for some considerable time Egeon and one of his sons lived together in Syracuse. But we don’t know what happened to his wife and the other son. We learn that Egeon’s son, Antipholus of Syracuse, the son he seeks, the son who had lived with him, left Syracuse five years ago to find his long-missing twin brother and his mother. Egeon and Emilia had “bought” two identical-twin boys at their birth from their very poor parents, right after the birth of their own sons. These identical twin boys were to be their sons’ servants. The play is one of Shakespeare’s great love stories, between Egeon and Emilia, the long separated couple. But maybe even more so, it is a family love story disguised as a farce. By giving each set of twin boys the same name, Shakespeare provided us with a unique and comical challenge.

The play begins as Egeon is arrested the day he arrives in Ephesus, unaware that relations between Syracuse and Ephesus had deteriorated to the point where a person from Syracuse, if found in Ephesus, would be sentenced to death. (Grief, Act 1, Scene 1) Egeon doesn’t put up much of a fight over his arrest, being discouraged and exhausted, searching the world as he was to find the son who for years had lived with him. He is sent to jail, to be put to death that night unless he can come up with a thousand marks to buy his way out of his predicament, a sum he doesn’t come close to having.

Egeon and Emilia’s identical twin sons were given the same name, Antipholus. For sake of clarity, Shakespeare called one Antipholus of Syracuse; the other, Antipholus of Ephesus. The young men who attend the sons also have the same name, Dromio. So, to make sure we didn’t get confused, Shakespeare named one of the attendants Dromio of Syracuse and the other, of course, Dromio of Ephesus.

Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, by mere coincidence, arrive in Ephesus the same day Egeon arrives. The brother and his man are there continuing their search for Antipholus of Syracuse’s brother and mother. Again by mere happenstance, many years ago, after the incident at sea, Antipholus of Syracuse’s mother and brother, and the brother’s “purchased attendant,” had arrived and settled in Ephesus. But the son and his attendant were but babies at the time of the separation at sea, when they, with Emilia, were, as Egeon tells us, “taken up by fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.” How these young men and Emilia ended up in Ephesus, the men not knowing she was there and she not knowing they were there remains a mystery.

Moving on with the story, soon after arriving in Ephesus, Antipholus of Syracuse gives Dromio of Syracuse some of his gold currency and asks him to “go bear it to the Centaur, where we host, and stay there.” Antipholus of Syracuse tells him that over the next hour “I’ll view the manners of the town.” (Introspection, Act 1, Scene 2) Dromio of Ephesus then enters and the confusion of identities begins. Dromio of Ephesus with a sense of urgency tells Antipholus of Syracuse, thinking he is his master, that his wife and her sister are eagerly waiting for him to come home for dinner, saying of Antipholus’ wife, “She is so hot because the meat is cold; the meat is cold because you come not home.” Antipholus of Syracuse is baffled, of course, asking “Tell me, and dally not: where is the money?”

Meanwhile, Adriana and Luciana (Antipholus of Ephesus’ wife and sister-in-law) commiserate about the nature and being of men, particularly their short-comings, and in particular the short-comings of Adriana’s husband. (Counsel, Act 2, Scene 1) Dromio of Ephesus returns to Adriana and she immediately asks “So, didst thou speak with him?” He tries to explain, saying “He is stark mad.” She says “Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home.” He exits. Adriana proceeds to tell Luciana how sorry she feels for herself. (Resentment, Act 2, Scene 1)

Separately, Antipholus of Syracuse is on stage, having gone to the Centaur to confirm that his gold is safe. Dromio of Syracuse then enters and the two of them argue over who is kidding whom, Antipholus of Syracuse, mistaking his Dromio for Dromio of Ephesus, saying such things as “Villain, thou didst deny the gold’s receipt and told’st me of a mistress and a dinner.” Adriana and Luciana then enter, Adriana being very upset, thinking he is her husband, saying “Some other mistress has thy sweet aspects.” (Spurned, Act 2, Scene 2) Misidentification reigns. But the men like the attention. Finally, Adriana takes Antipholus of Syracuse by the arm, saying “Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine,” and “Come, come, no longer will I be a fool, come sir to dinner,” and “Husband, I’ll dine above with you today.” She commands Dromio of Syracuse to “keep the gate,” saying “If any ask you for your master, say he dines forth, and let no creature enter.” The women are persuasive. The men accept the invitation. Antipholus of Syracuse aside says “Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell? Sleeping or waking, mad or well-advised?”

Meanwhile, Antipholus of Ephesus has invited Angelo, the goldsmith, along with his Dromio to join him at his home for dinner. Angelo is in the midst of creating a gold chain for Antipholus of Ephesus to give to his wife. When they arrive, an unseen Dromio of Syracuse denies them access. A very-angry-with-his-wife Antipholus of Ephesus tells Angelo “Get you home and fetch the chain. Bring it to the Porpentine. That chain will I bestow upon mine hostess there.” We really don’t want to know what the Porpentine is. His hostess is the Courtesan, a name given to mistresses of kings. Meanwhile, back at the dinner table, Luciana lectures Antipholus of Syracuse, suggesting he pay more attention to his wife, her sister. (Counsel, Act 3, Scene 2) All the while Antipholus of Syracuse tries to encourage Luciana to pay more attention to him, as he says such things as “your weeping sister is no wife of mine.”

Meanwhile, Angelo rushes home, gets the gold chain and quickly delivers it to Antipholus of Syracuse, who happens to be out for a walk, believing, of course, that he is Antipholus of Ephesus. Angelo, knowing how angry Antipholus of Ephesus has been, being denied access to his home, graciously suggests he pay for the chain later. Still upset over the incident at his home, Antipholus of Ephesus dispatches Dromio of Ephesus to buy a rope’s end. By this time, Angelo, needing the proceeds from the gold chain to repay a creditor, the Second Merchant, runs into Antipholus of Ephesus and suggests that maybe it is better if he pay him now, believing, of course, that he had just given him the gold chain. A generally frustrated Antipholus of Ephesus erupts angrily, yelling out that he never received the chain. Angelo has him arrested. Dromio of Syracuse rushes on to the stage telling Antipholus of Ephesus that he’s made plans for them to get away from the city by ship that night, he and Antipholus of Syracuse having discussed earlier that they believe the people of Ephesus must be conjurers and sorcerers. Preoccupied with the need to buy his way out of his arrest, Antipholus of Ephesus instructs Dromio of Syracuse to get gold from his home. Dromio of Syracuse freely enters Adriana’s home, she not knowing the difference between the two Dromios. She makes sure he gets the gold he needs as bail for her husband. He leaves.

Meanwhile Antipholus of Syracuse proudly strolls about town with the gold chain prominently displayed about his neck. Dromio of Syracuse sees him and mistakenly gives him the gold that Adriana had given him, meant, of course, as bail for Antipholus of Ephesus. The Courtesan then enters and asks Antipholus of Syracuse to give her the gold chain he’d promised her, but, of course, having no idea who she is, he refuses to part with it. She immediately rushes to Adriana to tell her what a dishonorable husband she has.

Meanwhile, Dromio of Ephesus returns to Antipholus of Ephesus and happily presents him with the rope’s end he’d just bought, just as instructed. Antipholus of Ephesus being infuriated, looking rather for the gold from his home that he needs for bail, promptly beats his Dromio with the rope’s end. Separately, Adriana, Luciana, the Courtesan and their friend, Pinch, a schoolmaster who works on the side as an exorcist, enter stage central. Listening to the struggle between Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus, the Courtesan says to Adriana “Is not your husband mad?” The group of them furiously argues over many of the misidentification issues they’ve been through. Adriana calls her husband a “dissembling villain.” He yells back “Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all.” She then yells at the police officers to have him arrested, saying “O bind him, bind him! Let him not come near me.” They do.

Meanwhile, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse enter, Antipholus of Syracuse with his sword drawn. All but the two men exit, frightened. Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse decide they absolutely must leave Ephesus promptly. They later encounter an angry Angelo, Second Merchant and Adriana. The two men decide their best option is to hide in the priory. Adriana sees the two of them run into the church property and tries to get the Abbess of the priory to release the men to her. Unaware of events, the Abbess protects the men inside, all the while giving Adriana a lecture. (Counsel, Act 5, Scene 1)

As one might have expected, at about this time, evening having arrived, the Duke enters leading Egeon to the gallows. Seeing the Duke, an infuriated Adriana begs the Duke to intervene on her behalf with the Abbess and to have her husband released. (Pleading, Act 5, Scene 1.1) Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus enter. Through all the commotion, Antipholus of Ephesus defends himself to the Duke, saying among things that he is not “disturbed with the effect of wine.” (Pleading, Act 5, Scene 1.2) Seeing his son, Egeon says to the Duke “haply I see a friend will save my life and pay the sum that may deliver me” believing “the friend” to be the son who lived with him in Syracuse for so many years. (Joy, Act 5, Scene 1) Antipholus and Dromio of Ephesus deny ever having seen him, Antipholus of Ephesus saying “I never saw my father in my life.” The Abbess (Emilia) enters with Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse, and all falls into place. Emilia recognizes Egeon as her long-lost husband. (Wife to Husband, Act 5, Scene 1) Adriana and Antipholus of Ephesus are reconciled. Antipholus of Syracuse declares his love for Luciana. Both sets of twin brothers greet each other, Dromio of Ephesus saying “We came into the world like brother and brother, and now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.” All is well. A party begins. It’s a beautiful ending to a beautiful story.


Principal Characters


Adriana
Adriana is Antipholus of Ephesus’s wife who is alternately angry and accepting, unaware of the unfortunate situation that has befallen her husband as a result of the serious misidentification issues connected with the unexpected arrival of his identical-twin brother, neither seen by the other since shortly after their births.

Antipholus of Ephesus
Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant, Dromio of Ephesus, often find themselves misidentified, innocently but seriously, by the arrival of his identical-twin brother and his man, also an identical-twin. Both sets of twins had been separated from each other since shortly after their births. Unaware that his brother is alive, much the less aware that he even had a brother, Antipholus of Ephesus gets locked out of his home by his wife, separated from his gold, arrested, and in other ways misused.

Antipholus of Syracuse
Antipholus of Syracuse, one of the identical-twin sons, and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, bought by Egeon for the benefit of his son shortly after the birth of his boys, arrive in Ephesus the same day Antipholus of Syracuse’s father arrives, Antipholus of Syracuse there searching for the long-lost brother he has only heard about. He and his man are consistently misidentified as the other’s brother, the two from Ephesus long being well established in the city. He falls for his brother’s wife’s sister, Luciana, adding to the confusion.

Egeon
Egeon, the father of identical-twin boys, separated through a terrible accident at sea from his wife and one of his sons shortly after the boys’ births, arrives in Ephesus, searching for the son who left him five years ago to search of his twin brother. Egeon is arrested soon after he arrives in Ephesus and is condemned to die that evening unless he can come up with adequate funds, which he doesn’t have, to buy his way out of the death sentence. He and his long-lost wife, Emilia, reunite at the end of the play.

Luciana
Luciana is Adriana’s sister. Through Luciana, Shakespeare distributes insights into personal and classic issues husbands and wives need to address; distributed by Shakespeare through the counsel she offers to both her sister and Antipholus of Syracuse, believing him to be her sister’s husband.

 A portrait of William Shakespeare