I read this play as part of Shakespeare Reading Month hosted by Allie over at A Literary Odyssey.
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The Comedy of Errors. _Wikimedia Commons_.
In this play, we have two sets of twins, both sets each confusingly named Antipholus and Dromio. Egeon of Syracuse and Emilia, the parents of the two Antipholus twins, were travelling for business at that time when Emilia gave birth. It also happened that at the inn they were staying in, a poor woman also gave birth to twins. Egeon bought the twins to be brought up as slaves for each of his sons.
On their return journey, they were unfortunate victims of a shipwreck. Egeon was able to take one Antipholus and one Dromio while his wife also did the same. They were both saved by different ships, one bound for Corinth and the other for Epidaurus. When Antipholus of Syracuse grew up, he took his slave Dromios with him to find his brother and mother. Egeon followed suit and unbeknownst to both father and son, they were both in Ephesus which also happens to be the location of the other set of twins. And here begins the many set of errors described in the play.
My thoughts on the play?
It was okay. I did not hate it but I did not love it that much either. But it was definitely funny. It was really funny to read the scenes where friends and family mistake one for the other. This play also had a very happy ending, which was nice.
Another thing about this play is that it is a very physical comedy. It involved slapping around both of the Dromios. Both Antipholus twins had that in common, hurting their slaves. One exception was that Antipholus of Ephesus was married to Adriana. The wife also inflicts pain on the slave.
Adriana also has a sister, Luciana. They are very different as Adriana is rather shrewish while Luciana thinks that wives should be servants to their husbands. Here are a few of Luciana’s statements:
A man is master of liberty
Time is their master; and when they see time
They’ll go or come
and
Why, headstrong liberty is lash’d with woe.
There’s nothing situate under heaven’s eye
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,
Lords of the wide world and wild watery seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of more preeminence than fish and fowls,
Are masters to their females, and their lords:
Then let your will attend on their accords.
Its also funny that Antipholus of Syracuse would somehow just go have dinner with his alleged wife when he in fact knows that he has no wife. I also found the discussion between Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse of the features of the cook of Antipholus of Ephesus in geographical locations to be funny.
While reading the play, I couldn’t help but think about why the people around them couldn’t tell them apart? Well, they had the same physical traits but what about their clothes? But whatever, it wouldn’t be a comedy otherwise. 
Some of my favorite passages
Antipholus of Syracuse:
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
Dromio of Ephesus:
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 stomach;
You have no stomach having broke your fast;
Antipholus of Syracuse
Thank me, sir, for what?
Dromio of Syracuse
Marry, sir, for this something that you gave me for nothing.
Antipholus of Syracuse
I’ll make you amends next, to give you nothing for something.
Dromio of Ephesus
Say what you will, sir, but I know what I know;
That you beat me at the mart, I have your hand to show:
If the skin were parchment, and the blows you gave were ink,
Your own handwriting would tell you what I think.
Miranda, by John William Waterhouse [Public domain or Public domain] (
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