Dramatis Personae
AEGEON: An old merchant of Syracuse.
AEMILIA: His wife, Abbess of Ephesus (unknown to him).
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS: Twin brothers, sons of Aegeon and Aemilia.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF EPHESUS: Twin brothers, servants to the Antipholi.
ADRIANA: Wife of Antipholus of Ephesus.
LUCIANA: Her sister.
THE DUKE OF EPHESUS: The city's ruler.
ACT I
SCENE I. A hall of justice in Ephesus.
Enter the DUKE OF EPHESUS, AEGEON, and officers.
DUKE
Merchant of Syracuse, plead no more; the law is strict:
Our cities are in discord, war and hate,
And any Syracusan found in Ephesus
Shall pay a thousand marks, or lose his head.
Thy time is up.
AEGEON
A heavier sentence is my tale and sorrow.
I lost my wife and both my twin-born sons,
And both their servants, twins as well,
In a great storm at sea, some twenty years ago.
I have wandered all the world to find my kin,
And now I find but death in Ephesus.
DUKE
What were the boys?
AEGEON
The one, my eldest, I did bind a servant to him,
A twin I bought from a poor woman at the inn.
The other, younger, I kept by my side.
The storm did split our ship, we were all lost,
Or so I thought. My second son, his servant, and I,
We floated on a mast, until rescued by a passing ship.
The other half was saved by fishermen.
DUKE
A wondrous tale of woe. Can you pay the fine?
AEGEON
No, my lord. My wealth is gone, my life is done.
DUKE
Then justice must be served. This is the law.
AEGEON
Then let the axe fall swift and end my pain.
Exeunt.
SCENE II. The Mart (public square) in Ephesus.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, DROMIO OF SYRACUSE, and a MERCHANT.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
The Duke is stern, the city full of laws
Against my people. We must be discreet.
My father's tale still echoes in my ears,
The loss of my dear brother, lost at sea.
I search for him, but fear I search in vain.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
We are in a place of magic and sorcery, they say.
Be wary, master, of illusions and of spells.
Men stare at us as if they know our names.
Enter DROMIO OF EPHESUS.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
My master, where have you been all this time?
Your wife is mad with rage, the dinner's cold!
You gave me money for the house, and now
You claim you gave me none!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
What means this madness, rogue? I know thee not!
I have no wife, no money given to thee!
Begone, you fool!
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
The devil is in him! He claims he knows me not!
My name is Dromio, servant to your honour,
Antipholus of Ephesus!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
I am Antipholus of Syracuse! A plague
Upon this town of witches and of spells!
(Antipholus of Syracuse beats Dromio of Ephesus.)
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
The devil beats me for not coming home!
I'll go to my mistress and report him mad!
Exit DROMIO OF EPHESUS.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Master, this is the magic that they speak of.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
This is a world of error and confusion.
We must be gone from this bewitched place,
But first, I'll walk the streets to clear my head,
And seek my brother in this land of ghosts.
Exeunt.
The Comedy of Errors, Once More: ACT II
ACT II
SCENE I. A street in Ephesus.
Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA, sisters.
ADRIANA
Where is your husband? He has not come home to dinner.
The man is mad, he beats his servant, Dromio.
LUCIANA
Sister, be patient. Men have business of the state.
ADRIANA
Business of the state? Or business with a whore?
I fear he strays, my gentle husband, my Antipholus.
Enter DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
Mistress, my master will not come to dinner.
He's walking on the mart, a melancholy man,
And knows not who you are, nor where his home is.
ADRIANA
Dromio, you fool! You lie! I know you lie!
Your master is playing the fool, and so are you!
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
I know no master, mistress, nor no wife.
I am Dromio of Syracuse, a stranger here.
My master is Antipholus of Syracuse,
And we are lost in this bewitched place.
ADRIANA
Witches! Sorcery! This is your excuse!
Come, sister, we shall find my husband,
And bring him home by force, if need be!
Exeunt ADRIANA and LUCIANA.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
The people here all know my name, my face.
They call me husband, master, friend, and lord.
The merchant offered me a chain of gold,
The tailor seeks to fit me for a coat.
This is a world of dreams and strange illusions.
Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA.
ADRIANA
Husband, where have you been these many hours?
The dinner's cold, the guests are all a-wait!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
I know you not, fair lady. Pray, begone.
ADRIANA
I am your wife, Adriana! This is my sister, Luciana!
Your house is but a step from here. Come home!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
My wife? My sister? I have neither wife nor home
In Ephesus. I am a lonely man of Syracuse.
You are mistaken, madam.
LUCIANA
He's mad, stark mad! His eyes do roll in fury!
ADRIANA
We'll have him home and bind him fast,
Until the exorcist doth cast the spell from him!
(Adriana and Luciana force Antipholus of Syracuse offstage.
ACT III
SCENE I. Before the house of Antipholus of Ephesus.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS, DROMIO OF EPHESUS, and the MERCHANT.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
My wife hath locked me out! Denied me entrance!
She feasts within, with other, baser men!
I sent my Dromio home with money, he denies it!
I am a wronged and cuckolded man of Ephesus!
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
They beat me, sir, for telling you the truth.
They said you were within, and called me rogue.
MERCHANT
A strange affair. I heard your wife within,
Laughing with a man I know not.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
My honour's stained! My name is a disgrace!
I'll break the door and confront the villains!
Enter a COURTESAN from a nearby house.
COURTESAN
COURTESAN
My lord Antipholus, you promised me a chain of gold,
And swore you'd dine with me this very day!
But you went to your wife, and now you storm and rage.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
A chain of gold? I promised nothing, whore!
Begone! All Ephesus is mad with lies!
MERCHANT
I lent him money for the chain, I saw him take it!
This is a fraud! A sorcery indeed!
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
I'll to the Duke and tell him of my plight,
This town is full of witches and of lies!
I'll have my rights, my honour, and my home!
Exeunt, full of fury.
SCENE II. A room in the house.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and LUCIANA.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Fair creature, you do speak in gentle tones,
Unlike your sister, full of sound and fury.
I know not who I am, nor where I am,
But my heart speaks to you a gentle truth.
LUCIANA
I know you are my sister's husband, sir,
Though you deny it. Your eyes speak a kinder truth
Than your tongue can utter. I am confused.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
I love you, gentle lady, though my mind
Doth wander in a maze. The sorcery
Of this strange place hath made me a new man.
LUCIANA
Go, sir, I am a maid and fear your words.
My sister is your wife. This cannot be.
Exit LUCIANA.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
This is a sweet confusion, a gentle dream.
I must find Dromio and escape this place,
Ere I am bound by love and witches' spells.
Exit.
ACT IV
SCENE I. A street in Ephesus.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS and DROMIO OF EPHESUS, followed by an officer.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
The Duke will hear my plea! I am abused!
My wife doth lock me out, my friends deny me,
And that same courtesan doth claim a chain
I never bought!
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
And I am beaten, sir, by a man that is your twin!
This town is full of devils, sir, I swear.
Enter BALTHAZAR, a merchant.
BALTHAZAR
My lord, the Duke is at the Abbey, with a merchant
From Syracuse, who is to lose his head this day.
The city is in an uproar.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
We shall to the Duke and state our case!
He must resolve this riddle and this shame!
The officer shall bring my wife to court.
Exeunt.
SCENE II. A street
SCENE II. A street in Ephesus.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
The money-lender claims I owe him cash
For a chain of gold I never did receive!
The madness grows! The world is upside down!
We must away to the Abbey, seek sanctuary,
Ere we are bound and jailed for debts we owe not!
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
To the Abbey, master, fast as e'er we can!
The sorcerers chase us, the devils are at our heels!
Exeunt running toward the Abbey.
SCENE III. The Abbey gates.
Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA with the OFFICER.
ADRIANA
They sought sanctuary at the Abbey gates!
My husband's madness hath possessed his soul!
We must have the Abbess exorcise the demon from him!
OFFICER
The Duke is here now, to see the execution
Of the Syracusan merchant. All shall be resolved.
Exeunt to the Abbey.
ACT V
SCENE I. Before the Abbey.
Enter the DUKE OF EPHESUS, AEGEON (led to execution), the OFFICER, ADRIANA, LUCIANA, and townsfolk.
DUKE
Alas, poor merchant, thy time is done.
I cannot pardon thee, the law is just.
AEGEON
I am prepared, my lord. My life is spent
In search of what I lost, my wife and sons.
Enter AEMILIA, the Abbess, with ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE and DROMIO OF SYRACUSE.
AEMILIA
Why are you troubled, people? Here are two men,
Whom you do seek to bind and exorcise.
ADRIANA
My husband, here he is! But he denies his name!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
I know no wife, no home in Ephesus!
I am a man of Syracuse, lost and alone!
AEGEON
My son! My son! My second son, my boy!
Thy face doth speak the truth of all my woe!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
Old man, I know thee not.
Enter ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS and DROMIO OF EPHESUS, running.
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
The sorcery continues! Here is my double,
And his servant, both in league with all the town!
DUKE
Two merchants! Two Dromios! A miracle!
AEMILIA
Behold, my lord, the truth of all this tale!
She removes her veil.
I am Aemilia, wife to Aegeon here!
Lost in the storm, I became an Abbess here,
And prayed for my lost kin.
AEGEON
My wife! My Aemilia! Alive!
ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS
My father and my mother, found at last!
ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE
My brother, whom I sought, here in this place of magic!
ADRIANA
My husband's twin! Now all is clear as day!
LUCIANA
And the man who wooed me was my brother's twin!
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
And my lost brother, Dromio of Syracuse!
DROMIO OF SYRACUSE
A happy meeting in a land of error!
DUKE
The law is pardoned, all is joy and mirth!
The merchant is saved, the family reunited!
We'll have a feast, a joyous celebration,
To end the errors and the long confusion.
The tale of errors ends in perfect rhyme,
A victory over sorrow, fate, and time!
A flourish of trumpets.
Curtain.
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