An Electronic Classics Series Publication

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare is a publication of The Electronic Classics Series. This
Portable Document file is furnished free and without any charge of any kind. Any person using this document file,
for any purpose, and in any way does so at his or her own risk. Neither the Pennsylvania State University nor Jim
Manis, Editor, nor anyone associated with the Pennsylvania State University assumes any responsibility for the
material contained within the document or for the file as an electronic transmission, in any way.

The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, The Electronic Classics Series, Jim Manis, Editor, PSUHazleton, Hazleton, PA 18202 is a Portable Document File produced as part of an ongoing publication project to
bring classical works of literature, in English, to free and easy access of those wishing to make use of them.
Jim Manis is a faculty member of the English Department of The Pennsylvania State University. This page and any
preceding page(s) are restricted by copyright. The text of the following pages are not copyrighted within the United
States; however, the fonts used may be.

Cover design: Jim Manis

Copyright 1998 - 2013

The Pennsylvania State University is an equal opportunity University.

The Comedy of Errors - Act I, scene i

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: her sister
sister..

THE COMED
Y OF ERR
ORS
COMEDY
ERRORS

LUCE
driana.
Adriana.
UCE:: ser
servvant to A
By
A Cour
te
zan.
Courte
tezan.

William SShakespear
hakespear
hakespearee
DRAMA
TIS P
ERSONAE
DRAMATIS
PERSONAE

Gaoler
fficers, and other A
ttendants
aoler,, O
Officers,
Attendants
(G
aoler:)
(Gaoler:)
(O
fficer:)
(Officer:)
(S
er
(Ser
ervvant:)

phesus. (DUKE SOLINUS:)

SOLINUS
uke of E
Duke
Ephesus.
SOLINUS:: D

SCENE: E
phesus.
Ephesus.

(written about 1591)

GEON
chant of SSyracuse.
yracuse.
GEON:: a mer
merchant

ACT I

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS & ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRAANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
CUSE: twin br
others, and sons to AE
geon and AE
milia.
brothers,
AEgeon
AEmilia.

SCENE I: A hall in DUKE SOLINUSS palace.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS & DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
EPHESUS
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: twin
br
others, and attendants on the two Antipholuses.
brothers,

[ Enter DUKE SOLINUS, GEON, G

aoler
fficers, and other
Gaoler
aoler,, O
Officers,
Attendants
.]
ttendants.]

BAL
THAZ
AR
chant
BALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR:: a mer
merchant

GEON
olinus, to pr
ocur
GEON:: P
Prroceed, SSolinus,
procur
ocuree my fall
And bbyy the doom of death end woes and all.

ANGEL
O: a goldsmith.
ANGELO

DUKE SOLINUS
er
chant of SSyracuse,
yracuse, plead no mor
e;
more;
SOLINUS:: M
Mer
erchant
I am not par
tial to infringe our laws:
partial
The enmity and discor
d which of late
discord
Spr
ung fr
om the rancor
ous outrage of yyour
our duke
prung
from
rancorous
To mer
chants, our w
ell-dealing countr
ymen,
merchants,
well-dealing
countrymen,
Who wanting guilders to rredeem
edeem their liv
es
lives
Hav
ous statutes with their bloods,
avee seal
seald his rigor
rigorous
Excludes all pity fr
om our thr
eatening looks.
from
threatening
For
tal and intestine jars
or,, since the mor
mortal
Twixt thy seditious countr
ymen and us,
countrymen

First M
er
chant
yracuse.
Mer
erchant
chant:: friend to Antipholus of SSyracuse.
Second M
er
chant
Mer
erchant
chant:: to whom Angelo is a debtor
debtor..
PINCH
INCH:: a schoolmaster
schoolmaster..
AEMILIA
geon, an abbess at E
phesus.
AEMILIA:: wife to AE
AEgeon,
Ephesus.
ADRIANA
phesus.
ADRIANA:: wife to Antipholus of E
Ephesus.
3

The Comedy of Errors - Act I, scene i

It hath in solemn synods been decr
eed
decreed
Both bbyy the SSyracusians
yracusians and ourselv
es,
ourselves,
To admit no traffic to our adv
erse to
wns
adverse
towns
Nay
e,
ay,, mor
more,
If any born at E
phesus be seen
Ephesus
At any SSyracusian
yracusian mar
ts and fairs;
marts
Again: if any SSyracusian
yracusian born
Come to the bay of E
phesus, he dies,
Ephesus,
His goods confiscate to the duke
dukes dispose,
Unless a thousand mar
ks be levied,
marks
To quit the penalty and to ransom him.
Thy substance, vvalued
alued at the highest rate,
Cannot amount unto a hundr
ed mar
ks;
hundred
marks;
Ther
efor
Therefor
eforee bbyy law thou ar
artt condemned to die.

From whom my absence was not six months old

Befor
eforee herself
herself,, almost at fainting under
The pleasing punishment that women bear
bear,,
Had made pr
ovision for her follo
wing me
pro
following
And soon and safe arriv
ed wher
arrived
wheree I was.
Ther
Theree had she not been long, but she became
A jo
yful mother of two goodly sons;
joyful
And, which was strange, the one so like the other
other,,
As could not be distinguish
distinguishd but bbyy names.
That vver
er
eryy hour
hour,, and in the self-same inn,
A meaner woman was deliv
er
ed
deliver
ered
Of such a bur
den, male twins, both alike:
burden,
Those,for their par
ents w
er
ceeding poor
,
parents
wer
eree ex
exceeding
poor,
I bought and br
ought up to attend my sons.
brought
My wife, not meanly pr
oud of two such bo
ys,
proud
boys,
Made daily motions for our home rreturn:
eturn:
Unwilling I agr
eed. Alas! too soon,
agreed.
We came aboar
d.
aboard.
A league fr
om E
pidamnum had w
from
Epidamnum
wee sail
saild,
Befor
eforee the always wind-obeying deep
Gav
avee any tragic instance of our harm:
But longer did w
etain much hope;
wee not rretain
For what obscur
ed light the heav
ens did grant
obscured
heavens
Did but conv
ey unto our fear
ful minds
convey
fearful
A doubtful warrant of immediate death;
Which though myself would gladly hav
havee embraced,
Yet the incessant w
eepings of my wife,
weepings
Weeping befor
beforee for what she saw must come,
And piteous plainings of the pr
etty babes,
pretty
That mourn
mournd for fashion, ignorant what to fear
fear,,
For
ced me to seek delays for them and me.
orced
And this it was, for other means was none:
The sailors sought for safety bbyy our boat,
And left the ship
ship,, then sinking-ripe, to us:
My wife, mor
eful for the latter-born,
moree car
careful

GEON
t: when yyour
our wor
ds ar
GEON:: Yet this my comfor
comfort:
words
aree done,
My woes end like
wise with the ev
ening sun.
likewise
evening
DUKE SOLINUS
yracusian, say in brief the cause
SOLINUS:: Well, SSyracusian,
Why thou depar
ted
om thy nativ
departed
tedst fr
from
nativee home
And for what cause thou camest to E
phesus.
Ephesus.
GEON
GEON:: A heavier task could not hav
havee been imposed
Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable:
Yet, that the world may witness that my end
Was wr
ought bbyy natur
e, not bbyy vile offence,
wrought
nature,
I
ll utter what my sorr
ows giv
e.
Ill
sorro
givee me leav
leave.
In SSyracusa
yracusa was I born, and w
ed
wed
Unto a woman, happy but for me,
And bbyy me, had not our hap been bad.
With her I liv
ed in jo
y; our w
ealth incr
eased
lived
joy;
wealth
increased
By pr
osper
ous vvo
oyages I often made
prosper
osperous
To E
pidamnum; till my factor
Epidamnum;
factors death
And the gr
eat car
great
caree of goods at random left
Dre w me fr
om kind embracements of my spouse:
from
4

The Comedy of Errors - Act I, scene i

Had fasten
fastend him unto a small spar
sparee mast,
Such as seafaring men pr
ovide for storms;
pro
To him one of the other twins was bound,
Whilst I had been like heedful of the other:
The childr
en thus disposed, my wife and I,
children
Fixing our ey
es on whom our car
eyes
caree was fix
fixd,
es at either end the mast;
Fasten
astend ourselv
ourselves
And floating straight, obedient to the str
eam,
stream,
Was carried to
war
ds Corinth, as w
towar
wards
wee thought.
At length the sun, gazing upon the ear
th,
earth,
Dispersed those vvapors
apors that offended us;
And bbyy the benefit of his wished light,
The seas wax
ed
waxd calm, and w
wee disco
discovver
ered
Two ships fr
om far making amain to us,
from
Of Corinth that, of E
pidaur
us this:
Epidaur
pidaurus
But er
e!
eree they came,O, let me say no mor
more!
Gather the sequel bbyy that w
ent befor
e.
went
before.

At length, another ship had seiz

ed on us;
seized
And, kno
wing whom it was their hap to sav
e,
save,
knowing
Gav
elcome to their ship
wr
eck
avee healthful w
welcome
shipwr
wreck
eckd guests;
And would hav
eft the fishers of their pr
ey
havee rreft
prey
ey,,
w of sail;
Had not their bar
k been vver
er
eryy slo
slow
bark
efor
war
d did they bend their course.
And ther
therefor
eforee home
homewar
ward
ou hear
d me sev
er
om my bliss;
Thus hav
sever
erd fr
from
havee yyou
heard
That bbyy misfor
tunes was my life pr
olong
misfortunes
prolong
olongd,
To tell sad stories of my oown
wn mishaps.
DUKE SOLINUS
owest for
SOLINUS:: And for the sake of them thou sorr
sorro
for,,
Do me the fav
or to dilate at full
favor
What hath befall
n of them and thee till no
w.
befalln
now
GEON
oungest bo
et my eldest car
e,
GEON:: M
Myy yyoungest
boyy, and yyet
care,
ears became inquisitiv
inquisitivee
At eighteen yyears
After his br
other: and impor
tuned me
brother:
importuned
That his attendantso his case was like,
Reft of his br
other
etain
brother
other,, but rretain
etaind his name
Might bear him company in the quest of him:
Whom whilst I labor
labord of a lo
lovve to see,
I hazar
ded the loss of whom I lo
hazarded
lovved.
Fiv
thest G
ivee summers hav
havee I spent in fur
furthest
Grreece,
Roaming clean thr
ough the bounds of Asia,
through
And, coasting home
war
d, came to E
phesus;
homewar
ward,
Ephesus;
Hopeless to find, yyet
et loath to leav
leavee unsought
Or that or any place that harbors men.
But her
heree must end the stor
storyy of my life;
And happy w
er
wer
eree I in my timely death,
Could all my trav
els warrant me they liv
e.
travels
live.

DUKE SOLINUS
ay
war
d, old man; do not br
eak off so;
SOLINUS:: N
Nay
ay,, for
forwar
ward,
break
For w
don thee.
wee may pity
pity,, though not par
pardon
GEON
w
GEON:: O, had the gods done so, I had not no
now
Wor
thily term
ciless to us!
orthily
termd them mer
merciless
For
or,, er
eree the ships could meet bbyy twice fiv
fivee leagues,
We w
er
d bbyy a mighty rrock;
ock;
wer
eree encounter
encounterd
Which being violently borne upon,
Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst;
So that, in this unjust div
or
ce of us,
divor
orce
For
tune had left to both of us alike
ortune
What to delight in, what to sorr
ow for
sorro
for..
Her par
t, poor soul! seeming as bur
dened
part,
burdened
With lesser w
eight but not with lesser woe,
weight
Was carried with mor
moree speed befor
beforee the wind;
And in our sight they thr
ee w
er
three
wer
eree taken up
By fishermen of Corinth, as w
wee thought.

DUKE SOLINUS
apless geon, whom the fates hav
kd
SOLINUS:: H
Hapless
havee mar
mark
To bear the extr
emity of dir
extremity
diree mishap!
Now, tr
ust me, w
er
trust
wer
eree it not against our laws,
Against my cr
own, my oath, my dignity
cro
dignity,,
5

The Comedy of Errors - Act I, scene ii

Which princes, would they
they,, may not disannul,
My soul would sue as adv
ocate for thee.
advocate
But, though thou ar
artt adjudged to the death
And passed sentence may not be rrecall
ecall
ecalld
But to our honor
eat disparagement,
great
honors gr
Yet I will fav
or thee in what I can.
favor
e, mer
chant, I
ll limit thee this day
Ther
efor
Therefor
efore,
merchant,
Ill
To seek thy life bbyy beneficial help:
Tr y all the friends thou hast in E
phesus;
Ephesus;
Beg thou, or borr
ow, to make up the sum,
borro
And liv
e; if no, then thou ar
live;
artt doom
doomd to die.
Gaoler
aoler,, take him to thy custody
custody..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
o bear it to the Centaur
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: G
Go
Centaur,,
wher
wheree w
wee host,
And stay ther
e, D
there,
Drromio, till I come to thee.
Within this hour it will be dinner-time:
Till that, I
ll vie
w the manners of the to
wn,
Ill
view
town,
Per
use the traders, gaz
eruse
gazee upon the buildings,
And then rreturn
eturn and sleep within mine inn,
For with long trav
el I am stiff and w
ear
travel
wear
earyy.
Get thee away
away..
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou at yyour
our
wor
d,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Many a man would take yyou
ourwor
word,
And go indeed, having so good a mean.

Gaoler
d.
aoler:: I will, my lor
lord.

[Exit
.]
xit.]

GEON
opeless and helpless doth AE
geon w
end,
GEON:: H
Hopeless
AEgeon
wend,
But to pr
ocrastinate his lifeless end.
procrastinate

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
usty villain, sir
er
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: A tr
trusty
sir,, that vver
eryy oft,
When I am dull with car
caree and melancholy
melancholy,,
Lightens my humor with his merr
merryy jests.
ou walk with me about the to
wn,
What, will yyou
town,
And then go to my inn and dine with me?

[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

SCENE II: The M

ar
t.
Mar
art.

First M
er
chant
tain mer
chants,
Mer
erchant
chant:: I am invited, sir
sir,, to cer
certain
merchants,
Of whom I hope to make much benefit;
I crav
our par
don. SSoon
oon at fiv
clock,
cravee yyour
pardon.
fivee ooclock,
Please yyou,
ou, I
ll meet with yyou
ou upon the mar
Ill
martt
And after
war
d consor
ou till bed-time:
afterwar
ward
consortt yyou
My pr
esent business calls me fr
om yyou
ou no
w.
present
from
now

[Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse, DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse, and
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse,
DROMIO
yracuse,
First M
er
chant
.]
Mer
erchant
chant.]
First M
er
chant: Ther
efor
ou ar
pidamnum,
Mer
erchant:
Therefor
eforee giv
givee out yyou
aree of E
Epidamnum,
Lest that yyour
our goods too soon be confiscate.
yracusian mer
chant
This vver
er
merchant
eryy day a SSyracusian
Is appr
ehended for arriv
al her
e;
apprehended
arrival
here;
And not being able to buy out his life
Accor
ding to the statute of the to
wn,
ccording
town,
Dies er
ear
est.
eree the w
wear
earyy sun set in the w
west.
Ther
our money that I had to keep
Theree is yyour
keep..

US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIP
HOL
CUSE:: F
Far
areewell till then: I will go lose
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
ar
myself
And wander up and do
wn to vie
w the city
down
view
city..
First M
er
chant
ir
ou to yyour
our oown
wn content.
Mer
erchant
chant:: SSir
ir,, I commend yyou
[Exit
.]
xit.]
6

The Comedy of Errors - Act I, scene ii

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: He that commends me to mine
own content
Commends me to the thing I cannot get.
I to the world am like a dr
op of water
drop
That in the ocean seeks another dr
op
op,,
drop
th,
Who, falling ther
w for
theree to find his fello
fellow
forth,
e, confounds himself:
Unseen, inquisitiv
inquisitive,
So I, to find a mother and a br
other
brother
other,,
In quest of them, unhappy
unhappy,, lose myself
myself..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
tiv
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I am not in a spor
sportiv
tivee humor
no
w:
now:
Tell me, and dally not, wher
wheree is the money?
We being strangers her
e, ho
w dar
est thou tr
ust
here,
how
darest
trust
eat a charge fr
om thine oown
wn custody?
So gr
from
great
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou, air
ou sit at dinner:
air,, as yyou
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I pray yyou,
DROMIO
I fr
om my mistr
ess come to yyou
ou in post;
from
mistress
If I rreturn,
eturn, I shall be post indeed,
For she will scor
our fault upon my pate.
scoree yyour
Methinks yyour
our maw
our clock,
maw,, like mine, should be yyour
And strike yyou
ou home without a messenger
messenger..

[Enter DR
OMIO of E
phesus
.]
DROMIO
Ephesus
phesus.]
Her
ue date.
eree comes the almanac of my tr
true
What no
w? ho
w chance thou ar
eturn
now?
how
artt rreturn
eturnd so soon?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Come, D
Drromio, come, these
jests ar
aree out of season;
Reser
eservve them till a merrier hour than this.
Wher
Wheree is the gold I gav
gavee in charge to thee?

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
eturn
oach
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: R
Return
eturnd so soon! rather appr
approach
oachd
too late:
The capon burns, the pig falls fr
om the spit,
from
The clock hath str
ucken tw
elv
strucken
twelv
elvee upon the bell;
My mistr
ess made it one upon my cheek:
mistress
She is so hot because the meat is cold;
The meat is cold because yyou
ou come not home;
You come not home because yyou
ou hav
havee no stomach;
You hav
oke yyour
our fast;
havee no stomach having br
broke
But w
w what tis
tis to fast and pray
wee that kno
know
Ar
our default to-day
Aree penitent for yyour
to-day..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou gav
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: To me, sir? why
why,, yyou
gavee no gold to me.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
e, hav
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Come on, sir knav
knave,
havee done
your foolishness,
And tell me ho
w thou hast disposed thy charge.
how
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou fr
om
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Myy charge was but to fetch yyou
from
the mar
martt
Home to yyour
our house, the P
hoenix, sir
Phoenix,
sir,, to dinner:
My mistr
ess and her sister stays for yyou.
ou.
mistress

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
top in yyour
our wind, sir: tell me
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SStop
this, I pray:
Wher
ou left the money that I gav
ou?
Wheree hav
havee yyou
gavee yyou?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
n what safe place yyou
ou hav
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: IIn
havee
besto
wd my money
bestow
money,,
Or I shall br
eak that merr
ours
break
merryy sconce of yyours
That stands on tricks when I am undisposed:
Wher
ks thou hadst of me?
Wheree is the thousand mar
marks

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: O,sixpence, that I had oo Wednesday
last
To pay the saddler for my mistr
ess
upper?
mistress
ess cr
crupper?
The saddler had it, sir; I kept it not.
7

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene i

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ks of yyours
ours upon my
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I hav
havee some mar
marks
pate,
Some of my mistr
ess
ks upon my shoulders,
mistress
ess mar
marks
But not a thousand mar
ks betw
een yyou
ou both.
marks
between
If I should pay yyour
our worship those again,
Per
chance yyou
ou will not bear them patiently
patiently..
erchance

If it pr
ove so, I will be gone the sooner
pro
sooner..
I
ll to the Centaur
e:
Ill
Centaur,, to go seek this slav
slave:
I gr
eatly fear my money is not safe.
greatly
[Exit
.]
xit.]

ACT II

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ess
ks? what
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thy mistr
mistress
ess mar
marks?
mistr
ess, slav
e, hast thou?
mistress,
slave,

SCENE I: The house of ANTIP

HOL
US of E
phesus.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus.
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ess at the
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Your worship
worships wife, my mistr
mistress
Phoenix;
She that doth fast till yyou
ou come home to dinner
dinner,,
And prays that yyou
ou will hie yyou
ou home to dinner
dinner..

[Enter ADRIANA and L

UCIANA
.]
LUCIANA
UCIANA.]
ADRIANA
either my husband nor the slav
eturn
ADRIANA:: N
Neither
slavee rreturn
eturnd,
That in such haste I sent to seek his master!
Sur
e, L
uciana, it is two ooclock.
clock.
ure,
Luciana,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What, wilt thou flout me thus
unto my face,
Being forbid? Ther
e, take yyou
ou that, sir knav
e.
There,
knave.

chant hath invited him,

LUCIANA
erhaps some mer
Perhaps
merchant
UCIANA:: P
And fr
om the mar
wher
from
martt he
hes some
somewher
wheree gone to dinner
dinner..
Good sister
er fr
et:
sister,, let us dine and nev
never
fret:
A man is master of his liber
ty:
liberty:
Time is their master
master,, and, when they see time,
They
Theyll go or come: if so, be patient, sister
sister..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou, sir? for G
od
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: What mean yyou,
God
ods sake,
hold yyour
our hands!
Nay
ou will not, sir
ll take my heels.
ay,, and yyou
sir,, I
Ill
[Exit
.]
xit.]

ADRIANA
ty than ours be mor
e?
ADRIANA:: Why should their liber
liberty
more?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
pon my life, bbyy some device
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: U
Upon
or other
The villain is ooer-raught
er-raught of all my money
money..
They say this to
wn is full of coz
enage,
town
cozenage,
As, nimble jugglers that deceiv
e,
deceivee the ey
eye,
Dar
k-wor
king sor
cer
ers that change the mind,
ark-wor
k-working
sorcer
cerers
Soul-killing witches that deform the body
body,,
Disguised cheaters, prating mountebanks,
And many such-like liber
ties of sin:
liberties

LUCIANA
ecause their business still lies out oo door
UCIANA:: B
Because
door..
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Look, when I ser
servve him so, he takes it ill.
LUCIANA
w he is the bridle of yyour
our will.
UCIANA:: O, kno
know
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Ther
Therees none but asses will be bridled so
so..

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene i

LUCIANA
ong liber
ty is lash
UCIANA:: Why
Why,, headstr
headstrong
liberty
lashd with woe.
Ther
en
Therees nothing situate under heav
heaven
ens ey
eyee
But hath his bound, in ear
th, in sea, in sky:
earth,
The beasts, the fishes, and the winged fo
wls,
fowls,
ols:
Ar
Aree their males
males subjects and at their contr
controls:
Men, mor
moree divine, the masters of all these,
Lor
ds of the wide world and wild water
Lords
wateryy seas,
Indued with intellectual sense and souls,
Of mor
eeminence than fish and fo
wls,
moree pr
preeminence
fowls,
Ar
ds:
Aree masters to their females, and their lor
lords:
Then let yyour
our will attend on their accor
ds.
accords.

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Well, I will marr
marryy one day
day,, but to tr
tryy.
our man; no
w is yyour
our husband nigh.
Her
eree comes yyour
now
[Enter DR
OMIO of E
phesus
.]
DROMIO
Ephesus
phesus.]
ay
our tar
dy master no
w at hand?
ADRIANA
now
ay,, is yyour
tardy
ADRIANA:: SSay
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Nay
ay,, he
hes at two hands with me, and
that my two ears can witness.
ADRIANA
wst thou his mind?
ADRIANA:: Say
ay,, didst thou speak with him? kno
know

ADRIANA
vitude makes yyou
ou to keep unw
ed.
ADRIANA:: This ser
servitude
unwed.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ay
Ay,, ay
ay,, he told his mind upon mine ear:
ce could understand it.
eshree w his hand, I scar
scarce
Beshr

LUCIANA
ot this, but tr
oubles of the marriage-bed.
UCIANA:: N
Not
troubles
LUCIANA
pake he so doubtfully
UCIANA:: SSpake
doubtfully,, thou couldst not feel his
meaning?

ADRIANA
ut, w
er
ou w
edded, yyou
ou would bear some sway
ADRIANA:: B
But,
wer
eree yyou
wedded,
sway..
LUCIANA
ll practise to obey
UCIANA:: E
Erre I learn lo
lovve, I
Ill
obey..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay
uck so plainly
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Nay
ay,, he str
struck
plainly,, I could too
well feel his blo
ws; and withal so doubtfully that I could scar
ce
blows;
scarce
understand them.

ADRIANA
ow if yyour
our husband star
e?
ADRIANA:: H
Ho
startt some other wher
where?
LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Till he come home again, I would forbear
forbear..

ADRIANA
ut say
ADRIANA:: B
But
say,, I prithee, is he coming home? IItt seems he hath
gr
eat car
great
caree to please his wife.

ADRIANA
atience unmo
ADRIANA:: P
Patience
unmovved! no mar
marvvel though she pause;
They can be meek that hav
havee no other cause.
A wr
etched soul, br
uised with adv
ersity
wretched
bruised
adversity
ersity,,
We bid be quiet when w
y;
wee hear it cr
cry;
But w
er
dened with like w
eight of pain,
wer
eree w
wee bur
burdened
weight
As much or mor
es complain:
moree would w
wee ourselv
ourselves
So thou, that hast no unkind mate to griev
grievee thee,
With urging helpless patience wouldst rreliev
eliev
elievee me,
But, if thou liv
eft,
livee to see like right ber
bereft,
This fool-begg
fool-beggd patience in thee will be left.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ess, sur
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Why
Why,, mistr
mistress,
suree my master is hornmad.
ADRIANA
orn-mad, thou villain!
ADRIANA:: H
Horn-mad,
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
I mean not cuckold-mad;
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS::
But, sur
e, he is star
k mad.
sure,
stark
When I desir
ed him to come home to dinner
desired
dinner,,
He ask
ks in gold:
askd me for a thousand mar
marks
T
is dinner-time, quoth I; M
Tis
Myy gold! quoth he;
9

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene i

Your meat doth burn, quoth I; M
Myy gold! quoth he:
Will yyou
ou come home? quoth I; M
Myy gold! quoth he.
Wher
ks I gav
Wheree is the thousand mar
marks
gavee thee, villain?
The pig, quoth I, is burn
burnd; M
Myy gold! quoth he:
ess!
M
ess, sir
ang up thy mistr
Hang
mistress!
Myy mistr
mistress,
sir quoth I; H
ess; out on thy mistr
ess!
I kno
w not thy mistr
know
mistress;
mistress!

LUCIANA
ie, ho
w impatience lour
eth in yyour
our face!
UCIANA:: F
Fie,
how
loureth
ADRIANA
is company must do his minions grace,
ADRIANA:: H
His
starvve for a merr
merryy look.
Whilst I at home star
Hath homely age the alluring beauty took
From my poor cheek? then he hath wasted it:
Ar
en my wit?
Aree my discourses dull? barr
barren
If vvoluble
oluble and sharp discourse be marr
marrd,
Unkindness blunts it mor
d:
moree than marble har
hard:
Do their gay vvestments
estments his affections bait?
That
Thats not my fault: he
hes master of my state:
What rruins
uins ar
aree in me that can be found,
By him not rruin
uin
ound
uind? then is he the gr
ground
Of my defeatur
es. M
ed fair
defeatures.
Myy decay
decayed
A sunny look of his would soon rrepair
epair
But, too unr
uly deer
eaks the pale
unruly
deer,, he br
breaks
And feeds fr
om home; poor I am but his stale.
from

LUCIANA
uoth who?
UCIANA:: Q
Quoth
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
uoth my master:
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Q
Quoth
w, quoth he, no
no house, no wife, no mistr
ess.
know
mistress.
ess.
I kno
So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
I thank him, I bar
baree home upon my shoulders;
For
e.
or,, in conclusion, he did beat me ther
there.
ADRIANA
o back again, thou slav
e, and fetch him home.
ADRIANA:: G
Go
slave,
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
w beaten home?
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Go back again, and be ne
new
For G
od
God
ods sake, send some other messenger
messenger..

LUCIANA
elf-harming jealousy! fie, beat it hence!
UCIANA:: SSelf-harming

ADRIANA
ack, slav
e, or I will br
eak thy pate acr
oss.
ADRIANA:: B
Back,
slave,
break
across.

ADRIANA
nfeeling fools can with such wr
ongs dispense.
ADRIANA:: U
Unfeeling
wrongs
I kno
w his ey
wher
e,
know
eyee doth homage other
otherwher
where,
Or else what lets it but he would be her
e?
here?
Sister
ou kno
w he pr
omised me a chain;
ister,, yyou
know
promised
Would that alone, alone he would detain,
So he would keep fair quar
ter with his bed!
quarter
I see the je
wel best enamelled
jew
Will lose his beauty; yyet
et the gold bides still,
That others touch, and often touching will
Wear gold: and no man that hath a name,
By falsehood and corr
uption doth it shame.
corruption
Since that my beauty cannot please his ey
e,
eye,
I
ll w
eep what
eeping die.
Ill
weep
whats left away
away,, and w
weeping

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
oss with
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And he will bless that cr
cross
other beating:
Betw
een yyou
ou I shall hav
etween
havee a holy head.
ADRIANA
ence, prating peasant! fetch thy master home.
ADRIANA:: H
Hence,
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ound with yyou
ou as yyou
ou with me,
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Am I so rround
That like a football yyou
ou do spurn me thus?
You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:
If I last in this ser
vice, yyou
ou must case me in leather
service,
leather..
[Exit
.]
xit.]
10

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene ii

LUCIANA
ow many fond fools ser
UCIANA:: H
Ho
servve mad jealousy!

CUSE
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Villain, thou didst deny the
gold
eceipt,
golds rreceipt,
And told
ess and a dinner;
toldst me of a mistr
mistress
For which, I hope, thou felt
feltst I was displeased.

[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

SCENE II: A public place.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou in this merr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I am glad to see yyou
merryy
vein:
What means this jest? I pray yyou,
ou, master
master,, tell me.

[ Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
acuse.]
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: The gold I gav
gavee to D
Drromio is laid up
Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful slav
slavee
th, in car
Is wander
wanderd for
forth,
caree to seek me out
epor
t.
By computation and mine host
hosts rrepor
eport.
I could not speak with D
Drromio since at first
I sent him fr
om the mar
t. SSee,
ee, her
from
mart.
heree he comes.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Yea, dost thou jeer and flout
me in the teeth?
old, take thou that, and that.
Think
Thinkst thou I jest? H
Hold,
[ Beating him
.]
him.]
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
old, sir
od
w yyour
our
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: H
Hold,
sir,, for G
God
ods sake! no
now
jest is earnest:
Upon what bargain do yyou
ou giv
givee it me?

[Enter DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]
How no
w sir! is yyour
our merr
now
merryy humor alter
alterd?
As yyou
ou lo
okes, so jest with me again.
lovve str
strokes,
You kno
w no Centaur? yyou
ou rreceiv
eceiv
ed no gold?
know
eceived
Your mistr
ess sent to hav
mistress
havee me home to dinner?
My house was at the P
hoenix? Wast thou mad,
Phoenix?
That thus so madly thou didst answ
er me?
answer

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ecause that I familiarly
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Because
sometimes
Do use yyou
ou for my fool and chat with yyou,
ou,
Your sauciness will jest upon my lo
lovve
And make a common of my serious hours.
When the sun shines let foolish gnats make spor
t,
sport,
But cr
eep in crannies when he hides his beams.
creep
If yyou
ou will jest with me, kno
w my aspect,
know
And fashion yyour
our demeanor to my looks,
Or I will beat this method in yyour
our sconce.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What answ
answer
er,, sir? when spake I such
a wor
d?
word?
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
w, ev
en her
e, not half
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: E
Evven no
now
even
here,
an hour since.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou it? so yyou
ou would leav
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Sconce call yyou
leavee
battering, I had rather hav
ou use these blo
ws long,
havee it a head: an yyou
blows
I must get a sconce for my head and ensconce it too; or else I shall
seek my wit in my shoulders. B
ut, I pray
But,
pray,, sir why am I beaten?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou since yyou
ou sent me
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I did not see yyou
hence,
Home to the Centaur
ou gav
Centaur,, with the gold yyou
gavee me.

11

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene ii

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ost thou not kno
w?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: D
Dost
know?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou, eat none of it.
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: IIff it be, sir
sir,, I pray yyou,

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
othing, sir
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nothing,
sir,, but that I am beaten.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
eason?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Your rreason?

hall I tell yyou

ou why?
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SShall
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS

ou choleric and purDR

OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Lest it make yyou
dryy basting.
chase me another dr

efor
e; for they say
CUSE
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Ay
Ay,, sir
sir,, and wher
wherefor
efore;
ev
er
efor
e.
ever
eryy why hath a wher
wherefor
efore.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Well, sir
sir,, learn to jest in good
time: ther
therees a time for all things.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
Why,, first,for flouting me;
and then, wher
efor
e
wherefor
efore
For urging it the second time to me.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I durst hav
havee denied that, befor
beforee yyou
wer
eree so choleric.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er any man thus beaten
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Was ther
theree ev
ever
out of season,
When in the why and the wher
efor
eason?
wherefor
eforee is neither rhyme nor rreason?
Well, sir
ou.
sir,, I thank yyou.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ule, sir?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Byy what rrule,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thank me, sir
sir,, for what?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Let
Lets hear it.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, sir
sir,, for this something that
you gav
gavee me for nothing.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
eco
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Ther
Therees no time for a man to rreco
ecovver
his hair that gr
ows bald bbyy natur
e.
gro
nature.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ll make yyou
ou amends next, to
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I
Ill
giv
ou nothing for something. B
ut say
givee yyou
But
say,, sir
sir,, is it dinner-time?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ay he not do it bbyy fine and
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
May
reco
y?
ecovver
ery?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o, sir; I think the meat wants that I
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No,
hav
e.
have.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig and
reco
ecovver the lost hair of another man.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
n good time, sir; what
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: IIn
whats that?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
d of
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why is Time such a niggar
niggard
hair
cr
ement?
hair,, being, as it is, so plentiful an ex
excr
crement?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
ule as plain as the
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, sir
sir,, bbyy a rrule
plain bald pate of father Time himself
himself..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
asting.
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Basting.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ecause it is a blessing that he beDROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Because
sto
ws on beasts; and what he hath scanted men in hair he hath
stows
giv
en them in wit.
given

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
twill be dr
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Well, sir
sir,, then twill
dryy.
12

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene ii

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
Why,, but ther
therees many a man
hath mor
moree hair than wit.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ut yyour
our rreason
eason was not subANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
But
stantial, why ther
eco
theree is no time to rreco
ecovver
er..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ot a man of those but he hath the
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Not
wit to lose his hair
hair..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thus I mend it: Time himself is bald
wers.
efor
worlds end will hav
havee bald follo
follow
therefor
eforee to the world
and ther

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
Why,, thou didst conclude hair
hairyy
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
men plain dealers without wit.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
w twould
twould be a bald
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I kne
knew
conclusion:
But, soft! who wafts us yyonder?
onder?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: The plainer dealer
dealer,, the sooner lost:
yet he loseth it in a kind of jollity
jollity..

[ Enter ADRIANA and L

UCIANA
.]
LUCIANA
UCIANA.]
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
or what rreason?
eason?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
For
ADRIANA
own:
ADRIANA:: Ay
Ay,, ay
ay,, Antipholus, look strange and fr
fro
Some other mistr
ess hath thy sw
eet aspects;
mistress
sweet
I am not A
driana nor thy wife.
Adriana
The time was once when thou unurged wouldst vvo
ow
That nev
er wor
ds w
er
never
words
wer
eree music to thine ear
ear,,
That nev
er object pleasing in thine ey
e,
never
eye,
That nev
er touch w
ell w
elcome to thy hand,
never
well
welcome
That nev
er meat sw
eet-sav
or
never
sweet-sav
eet-savor
ord in thy taste,
Unless I spake, or look
lookd, or touch
touchd, or car
carvved to thee.
How comes it no
w, my husband, O, ho
w comes it,
now
how
That thou ar
om thyself?
artt thus estranged fr
from
Thyself I call it, being strange to me,
That, undividable, incorporate,
Am better than thy dear self s better par
t.
part.
Ah, do not tear away thyself fr
om me!
from
For kno
w, my lo
est thou fall
know
lovve, as easy may
mayest
A dr
op of water in the br
eaking gulf
drop
breaking
gulf,,
And take unmingled that same dr
op again,
drop
Without addition or diminishing,
As take fr
om me thyself and not me too
from
too..
How dearly would it touch me to the quick,
Shouldst thou but hear I w
er
wer
eree licentious

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
or two; and sound ones too
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
For
too..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ay
ou.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nay
ay,, not sound, I pray yyou.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ur
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SSur
uree ones, then.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ay
e, in a thing falsing.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nay
ay,, not sur
sure,
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
tain ones then.
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Cer
Certain
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ame them.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Name
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: The one, to sav
savee the money that he
spends in trimming; the other
op
other,, that at dinner they should not dr
drop
in his porridge.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: You would all this time hav
havee
pr
oved ther
pro
theree is no time for all things.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, and did, sir; namely
namely,, no time
to rreco
eco
e.
ecovver hair lost bbyy natur
nature.
13

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene ii

And that this body
body,, consecrate to thee,
By rruffian
uffian lust should be contaminate!
Wouldst thou not spit at me and spurn at me
And hurl the name of husband in my face
ow
And tear the stain
harlot-bro
staind skin off my harlot-br
om my false hand cut the w
edding-ring
And fr
from
wedding-ring
ow?
And br
eak it with a deep-div
or
cing vvo
break
deep-divor
orcing
I kno
w thou canst; and ther
efor
know
therefor
eforee see thou do it.
I am possess
possessd with an adulterate blot;
My blood is mingled with the crime of lust:
For if w
wee too be one and thou play false,
I do digest the poison of thy flesh,
Being str
umpeted bbyy thy contagion.
strumpeted
Keep then far league and tr
uce with thy tr
ue bed;
truce
true
I liv
ed.
livee unstain
unstaind, thou undishonor
undishonored.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
id yyou
ou conv
erse, sir
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: D
Did
converse,
sir,, with this
gentlewoman?
What is the course and drift of yyour
our compact?
er saw her till this time.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I, sir? I nev
never
CUSE
en her
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
even
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Villain, thou liest; for ev
ver
ds
eryy wor
words
Didst thou deliv
er to me on the mar
t.
deliver
mart.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er spake with her in all my life.
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I nev
never
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ow can she thus then call us
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: H
Ho
by our names,
Unless it be bbyy inspiration.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
lead yyou
ou to me, fair dame? I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: P
Plead
kno
w yyou
ou not:
know
In E
phesus I am but two hours old,
Ephesus
As strange unto yyour
our to
wn as to yyour
our talk;
town
Who, ev
er
d bbyy all my wit being scann
ever
eryy wor
word
scannd,
Want wit in all one wor
d to understand.
word

ADRIANA
ow ill agr
ees it with yyour
our gravity
ADRIANA:: H
Ho
agrees
To counter
feit thus gr
ossly with yyour
our slav
e,
counterfeit
grossly
slave,
Abetting him to thwar
thwartt me in my mood!
Be it my wr
ong yyou
ou ar
om me ex
empt,
wrong
aree fr
from
exempt,
But wr
ong not that wr
ong with a mor
wrong
wrong
moree contempt.
Come, I will fasten on this sleev
sleevee of thine:
Thou ar
artt an elm, my husband, I a vine,
Whose w
eakness, married to thy str
onger state,
weakness,
stronger
Makes me with thy str
ength to communicate:
strength
If aught possess thee fr
om me, it is dr
oss,
from
dross,
Usurping ivy
ivy,, brier
brier,, or idle moss;
Who, all for want of pr
uning, with intr
usion
pruning,
intrusion
Infect thy sap and liv
livee on thy confusion.

LUCIANA
ie, br
other! ho
w the world is changed with yyou!
ou!
UCIANA:: F
Fie,
brother!
how
When w
er
ou wont to use my sister thus?
wer
eree yyou
She sent for yyou
ou bbyy D
Drromio home to dinner
dinner..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Byy D
Drromio?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: B
Byy me?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: To me she speaks; she mo
movves
me for her theme:
What, was I married to her in my dr
eam?
dream?
Or sleep I no
w and think I hear all this?
now
What err
or driv
es our ey
es and ears amiss?
error
drives
eyes

ADRIANA
eturn fr
om him,
ADRIANA:: B
Byy thee; and this thou didst rreturn
from
That he did buffet thee, and, in his blo
ws,
blows,
Denied my house for his, me for his wife.
14

The Comedy of Errors - Act II, scene ii

Until I kno
w this sur
tainty
know
suree uncer
uncertainty
tainty,,
I
ll enter
tain the offer
Ill
entertain
offerd fallacy
fallacy..

To put the finger in the ey

eep
eyee and w
weep
eep,,
Whilst man and master laugh my woes to scorn.
Come, sir
sir,, to dinner
dinner.. D
Drromio, keep the gate.
Husband, I
ll dine abo
ou to-day
Ill
abovve with yyou
ou of a thousand idle pranks.
And shriv
shrivee yyou
Sirrah, if any ask yyou
ou for yyour
our master
master,,
Say he dines for
th, and let no cr
eatur
creatur
eaturee enter
enter..
forth,
Come, sister
ter w
ell.
sister.. D
Drromio, play the por
porter
well.

LUCIANA
ead for dinner
UCIANA:: D
Drromio, go bid the ser
servvants spr
spread
dinner..
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
oss me for a
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: O, for my beads! I cr
cross
DROMIO
sinner
sinner..
This is the fair
fairyy land: O spite of spites!
We talk with goblins, oowls
wls and sprites:
If w
wee obey them not, this will ensue,
They
eath, or pinch us black and blue.
Theyll suck our br
breath,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
th, in heav
en, or in
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Am I in ear
earth,
heaven,
hell?
Sleeping or waking? mad or w
ell-advised?
well-advised?
Kno
wn unto these, and to myself disguised!
Known
I
ll say as they say and persev
er so,
Ill
persever
And in this mist at all adv
entur
es go
adventur
entures
go..

LUCIANA
er
UCIANA:: Why pratest thou to thyself and answ
answer
erst not?
one, thou snail, thou slug, thou sot!
drone,
Dromio, thou dr
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I am transformed, master
master,, am I not?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
ter at the gate?
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, shall I be por
porter
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I think thou ar
artt in mind, and
so am I.

ADRIANA
eak yyour
our pate.
ADRIANA:: Ay; and let none enter
enter,, lest I br
break

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ay
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nay
ay,, master
master,, both in mind and in
my shape.

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Come, come, Antipholus, w
wee dine too late.
[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
wn form.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thou hast thine oown
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE::

N
o, I am an ape.
No,

LUCIANA
tis to an ass.
UCIANA:: IIff thou ar
artt changed to aught, tis
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
is tr
ue; she rides me and I long
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: T
Tis
true;
for grass.
T
is so, I am an ass; else it could nev
er be
Tis
never
But I should kno
w her as w
ell as she kno
ws me.
know
well
knows
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Come, come, no longer will I be a fool,
15

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene i

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ignior B
althazar:
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You
oure sad, SSignior
Balthazar:
pray G
od our cheer
God
May answ
er my good will and yyour
our good w
elcome her
e.
welcome
here.
answer

ACT III
SCENE I: B
efor
HOL
US of
Befor
eforee the house of ANTIP
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus.

BAL
THAZ
AR
our dainties cheap
our w
elcome
BALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR:: I hold yyour
cheap,, sir
sir,, and yyour
welcome
dear
dear..

[Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of E
phesus, DR
OMIO of E
phesus,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus,
DROMIO
Ephesus,
THAZ
AR
.]
ANGEL
O, and B
AL
BAL
ALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR.]
ANGELO,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ignior B
althazar
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: O, SSignior
Balthazar
althazar,, either at
flesh or fish,
A table full of w
elcome make scar
ce one dainty dish.
welcome
scarce

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ood SSignior
ignior Angelo, yyou
ou must
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: G
Good
ex
cuse us all;
excuse
My wife is shr
shree wish when I keep not hours:
ou at yyour
our shop
Say that I linger
lingerd with yyou
To see the making of her car
canet,
carcanet,
And that to-morr
ow yyou
ou will bring it home.
to-morro
But her
wn
herees a villain that would face me do
down
He met me on the mar
t, and that I beat him,
mart,
And charged him with a thousand mar
ks in gold,
marks
And that I did deny my wife and house.
Thou dr
unkar
d, thou, what didst thou mean bbyy this?
drunkar
unkard,

er
ds.
BAL
THAZ
AR
eryy churl affor
affords.
THAZAR
AR:: Good meat, sir
sir,, is common; that ev
ever
BALTHAZ
HESUS
elcome mor
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And w
welcome
moree common;
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
for that
ds.
thats nothing but wor
words.
BAL
THAZ
AR
eat w
elcome makes a merr
BALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR:: Small cheer and gr
great
welcome
merryy feast.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
dly host, and
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ay
Ay,, to a niggar
niggardly
mor
moree sparing guest:
But though my cates be mean, take them in good par
t;
part;
Better cheer may yyou
ou hav
e, but not with better hear
t.
have,
heart.
But, soft! my door is lock
o bid them let us in.
lockd. G
Go

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay what yyou
ou will, sir
w
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSay
sir,, but I kno
know
what I kno
w;
know;
That yyou
ou beat me at the mar
t, I hav
our hand to sho
w:
mart,
havee yyour
show:
If the skin w
er
chment, and the blo
ws yyou
ou gav
er
wer
eree par
parchment,
blows
gavee w
wer
eree ink,
Your oown
wn handwriting would tell yyou
ou what I think.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
aud, B
ridget, M
arian, Cicel,
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Maud,
Bridget,
Marian,
Gillian, G
inn!
Ginn!
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ome, malt-horse,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] M
Mome,
capon, co
coxxcomb
comb,, idiot, patch!
Either get thee fr
om the door
wn at the hatch.
from
door,, or sit do
down
Dost thou conjur
enches, that thou call
e,
conjuree for w
wenches,
callst for such stor
store,
When one is one too many? G
o, get thee fr
om the door
Go,
from
door..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I think thou ar
artt an ass.
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
M
arr
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS::
Marr
arryy, so it doth appear
By the wr
ongs I suffer and the blo
ws I bear
wrongs
blows
bear..
I should kick, being kick
kickd; and, being at that pass,
You would keep fr
om my heels and be
war
from
bewar
waree of an ass.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ter? M
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: What patch is made our por
porter?
Myy
master stays in the str
eet.
street.
16

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene i

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
om
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [ Within
ithin]] Let him walk fr
from
whence he came, lest he catch cold on
ons feet.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
O Lor
d, I must laugh!
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS::
Lord,
ou with a pr
overbS
hall I set in my staff?
Hav
avee at yyou
pro
erbShall

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
e? ho,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Who talks within ther
there?
open the door!

LUCE
av
ou with another; that
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] H
Hav
avee at yyou
thatsWhen? can
you tell?

ll tell yyou
ou
CUSE
ithin]] Right, sir; I
Ill
CUSE:: [Within
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
when, an yyou
ou tell me wher
efor
e.
wherefor
efore.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
calld
ithin]] IIff thy name be call
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
LuceL
uce, thou hast answ
er
ed him w
ell.
uceLuce,
answer
ered
well.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
efor
e? for my dinner: I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Wher
Wherefor
efore?
hav
havee not dined to-day
to-day..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o yyou
ou hear
ou minion? yyou
ou
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Do
hear,, yyou
oull
let us in, I hope?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
or to-day her
ou must
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] N
Nor
heree yyou
not; come again when yyou
ou may
may..

LUCE
ou.
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] I thought to hav
havee asked yyou.
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou said no
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [ Within
ithin]] And yyou
no..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: What ar
artt thou that keepest me
out fr
om the house I oow
we?
from

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
o, come, help: w
ell str
uck! ther
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSo,
well
struck!
theree
was blo
w for blo
w.
blow
blow

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ter for this time,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] The por
porter
sir
sir,, and my name is D
Drromio
omio..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Thou baggage, let me in.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: O villain! thou hast stolen both mine
office and my name.
The one ne
er got me cr
edit, the other mickle blame.
neer
credit,
If thou hadst been D
Drromio to-day in my place,
Thou wouldst hav
havee changed thy face for a name or thy name for
an ass.

LUCE
ou tell for whose sake?
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] Can yyou
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
aster
d.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Master
aster,, knock the door har
hard.
LUCE
Within
UCE:: [[W
ithin]] Let him knock till it ache.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You
oull cr
cryy for this, minion, if I
beat the door do
wn.
down.

LUCE
e, D
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] What a coil is ther
there,
Drromio? who ar
aree those at
the gate?
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
uce.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Let my master in, L
Luce.

LUCE
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] What needs all that, and a pair of stocks in the
to
wn?
town?

LUCE
aith, no; he comes too late;
UCE:: [Within
ithin]] F
Faith,
And so tell yyour
our master
master..

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: [Within
ithin]] Who is that at the door that keeps all this
noise?
17

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene i

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
oth, yyour
our to
wn is
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] B
Byy my tr
troth,
town
tr
oubled with unr
uly bo
troubled
unruly
boys.
ys.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
eak a wor
d with yyou,
ou,
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: A man may br
break
word
sir
ds ar
sir,, and wor
words
aree but wind,
Ay
eak it in yyour
our face, so he br
eak it not behind.
Ay,, and br
break
break

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ou ther
e, wife? yyou
ou might
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ar
Aree yyou
there,
hav
e.
havee come befor
before.

CUSE
wantst
ithin]] IItt seems thou want
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
br
eaking: out upon thee, hind!
breaking:

ou fr
om the
e! go get yyou
ADRIANA
ithin]] Your wife, sir knav
knave!
from
ADRIANA:: [Within
door
door..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
er
out upon thee! I
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: H
Her
erees too much out
pray thee, let me in.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou w
ent in pain, master
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: IIff yyou
went
master,, this
knav
e.
knavee would go sor
sore.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
wls hav
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] Ay
Ay,, when fo
fowls
havee no
feathers and fish hav
havee no fin.

ANGEL
O: H
er
elcome: w
ANGELO
Her
eree is neither cheer
cheer,, sir
sir,, nor w
welcome:
wee would fain
hav
havee either
either..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ll br
eak in: go borr
ow
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Well, I
Ill
break
borro
me a cr
ow.
cro

BAL
THAZ
AR
n debating which was best, w
BALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR:: IIn
wee shall par
partt with
neither
neither..
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: They stand at the door
door,, master; bid
them w
elcome hither
welcome
hither..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ow without feather? M
aster
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: A cr
cro
Master
aster,,
mean yyou
ou so?
For a fish without a fin, ther
wl without a feather;
therees a fo
fowl
If a cr
ow help us in, sirrah, w
ow together
cro
weell pluck a cr
cro
together..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ther
Theree is something in the wind,
that w
wee cannot get in.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o get thee gone; fetch me an
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: G
Go
ir
on cr
ow.
iron
cro

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
our
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You would say so, master
master,, if yyour
garments w
er
wer
eree thin.
Your cake ther
ou stand her
theree is warm within; yyou
heree in the cold:
It would make a man mad as a buck, to be so bought and sold.

BAL
THAZ
AR
av
BALTHAZ
THAZAR
AR:: H
Hav
avee patience, sir; O, let it not be so!
ein yyou
ou war against yyour
our rreputation
eputation
erein
Her
And draw within the compass of suspect
The unviolated honor of yyour
our wife.
Once this,y
our long experience of her wisdom,
this,your
Her sober vir
tue, yyears
ears and modesty
virtue,
modesty,,
Plead on her par
ou unkno
wn:
partt some cause to yyou
unknown:
And doubt not, sir
ell ex
cuse
sir,, but she will w
well
excuse
Why at this time the doors ar
ou.
aree made against yyou.
Be rruled
uled bbyy me: depar
departt in patience,
And let us to the Tiger all to dinner
dinner,,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o fetch me something: I
ll
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: G
Go
Ill
br
eak ope the gate.
break
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
eaking her
e,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: [Within
ithin]] B
Brreak any br
breaking
here,
and I
ll br
eak yyour
our knav
Ill
break
knavees pate.
18

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene ii

And about ev
ening come yyourself
ourself alone
evening
To kno
w the rreason
eason of this strange rrestraint.
estraint.
know
If bbyy str
ong hand yyou
ou offer to br
eak in
strong
break
Now in the stirring passage of the day
day,,
A vulgar comment will be made of it,
And that supposed bbyy the common rrout
out
Against yyour
our yyet
et ungalled estimation
That may with foul intr
usion enter in
intrusion
And dw
ell upon yyour
our grav
ou ar
dwell
gravee when yyou
aree dead;
For slander liv
es upon succession,
lives
For ev
er housed wher
ever
wheree it gets possession.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o so
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Do
so.. This jest shall cost me
some expense.
[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

SCENE II: The same.

[ Enter L
UCIANA and ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
LUCIANA
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
acuse.]
LUCIANA
ou hav
UCIANA:: And may it be that yyou
havee quite forgot
A husband
husbands office? shall, Antipholus.
ot?
Even in the spring of lo
lovve-springs rrot?
lovve, thy lo
ow so rruinous?
uinous?
Shall lo
lovve, in building, gr
gro
If yyou
ou did w
ed my sister for her w
ealth,
wealth,
wed
Then for her w
ealth
wealth
ealths sake use her with mor
moree kindness:
Or if yyou
ou like else
wher
e, do it bbyy stealth;
elsewher
where,
Muffle yyour
our false lo
w of blindness:
lovve with some sho
show
Let not my sister rread
ead it in yyour
our ey
e;
eye;
Be not thy tongue thy oown
wn shame
shames orator;
Look sw
eet, be fair
yalty;
sweet,
fair,, become dislo
disloyalty;
Appar
el vice like vir
tue
pparel
virtue
tues harbinger;
Bear a fair pr
esence, though yyour
our hear
presence,
heartt be tainted;
Teach sin the carriage of a holy saint;
Be secr
et-false: what need she be acquainted?
secret-false:
What simple thief brags of his oown
wn attaint?
T
is double wr
ong, to tr
uant with yyour
our bed
Tis
wrong,
truant
And let her rread
ead it in thy looks at boar
d:
board:
Shame hath a bastar
d fame, w
ell managed;
bastard
well
Ill deeds ar
d.
aree doubled with an evil wor
word.
Alas, poor women! make us but believ
e,
believe,
Being compact of cr
edit, that yyou
ou lo
credit,
lovve us;
Though others hav
w us the sleev
e;
havee the arm, sho
show
sleeve;
We in yyour
our motion turn and yyou
ou may mo
movve us.
Then, gentle br
other
ou in again;
brother
other,, get yyou

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ev
ailed: I will depar
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You hav
havee pr
prev
evailed:
departt
in quiet,
And, in despite of mir
th, mean to be merr
mirth,
merryy.
I kno
waw
ench of ex
cellent discourse,
know
wench
excellent
Pretty and witty; wild, and yyet,
et, too, gentle:
Ther
Theree will w
wee dine. This woman that I mean,
My wifebut, I pr
otest, without deser
t
protest,
desert
Hath oftentimes upbraided me withal:
To her will w
wee to dinner
dinner..
[ To A
ngelo
Angelo
ngelo]]
G
et yyou
ou home
Get
And fetch the chain; bbyy this I kno
w tis
tis made:
know
Bring it, I pray yyou,
ou, to the P
orpentine;
Porpentine;
For ther
w
therees the house: that chain will I besto
bestow
Be it for nothing but to spite my wife
Upon mine hostess ther
e: good sir
there:
sir,, make haste.
Since mine oown
wn doors rrefuse
efuse to enter
tain me,
entertain
I
ll knock else
wher
e, to see if they
Ill
elsewher
where,
theyll disdain me.
ANGEL
O: I
ll meet yyou
ou at that place some hour hence.
ANGELO
Ill
19

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene ii

Comfor
Comfortt my sister
sister,, cheer her
her,, call her wife:
T
is holy spor
ain,
Tis
sportt to be a little vvain,
When the sw
eet br
eath of flatter
sweet
breath
flatteryy conquers strife.

LUCIANA
om yyour
our ey
e.
UCIANA:: IItt is a fault that springeth fr
from
eye.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
or gazing on yyour
our beams, fair
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
For
sun, being bbyy.

our
CUSE
weet mistr
esswhat yyour
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SSw
mistresswhat
ANTIPHOL
w not,
name is else, I kno
know
ou do hit of mine,
Nor bbyy what wonder yyou
Less in yyour
our kno
wledge and yyour
our grace yyou
ou sho
w not
knowledge
show
Than our ear
th
th divine.
earth
ths wonder
wonder,, mor
moree than ear
earth
Teach me, dear cr
eatur
e, ho
w to think and speak;
creatur
eature,
how
Lay open to my ear
thy-gr
oss conceit,
earthy-gr
thy-gross
Smother
ors, feeble, shallo
w, w
eak,
motherd in err
errors,
shallow
weak,
The folded meaning of yyour
our wor
ds
words
ds deceit.
Against my soul
uth why labor yyou
ou
souls pur
puree tr
truth
To make it wander in an unkno
wn field?
unknown
Ar
ou a god? would yyou
ou cr
eate me ne
w?
Aree yyou
create
new?
Transform me then, and to yyour
our po
wer I
ll yield.
pow
Ill
But if that I am I, then w
ell I kno
w
well
know
Your w
eeping sister is no wife of mine,
weeping
Nor to her bed no homage do I oow
we
Far mor
e, far mor
ou do I decline.
more,
moree to yyou
O, train me not, sw
eet mermaid, with thy note,
sweet
To dr
own me in thy sister
dro
sisters flood of tears:
Sing, sir
en, for thyself and I will dote:
siren,
Spr
ead ooer
er the silv
er wav
es thy golden hairs,
pread
silver
waves
And as a bed I
ll take them and ther
Ill
theree lie,
And in that glorious supposition think
He gains bbyy death that hath such means to die:
Let Lo
owned if she sink!
Lovve, being light, be dr
dro

ou should, and that will clear yyour

our sight.
LUCIANA
wheree yyou
UCIANA:: Gaz
azee wher
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
eet lo
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: As good to wink, sw
sweet
lovve, as
look on night.
LUCIANA
ou me lo
UCIANA:: Why call yyou
lovve? call my sister so
so..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thy sister
sisters sister
sister..
LUCIANA
UCIANA::

That
Thats my sister
sister..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
N
o;
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE::
No;
It is thyself
wn self s better par
t,
thyself,, mine oown
part,
Mine ey
e, my dear hear
er hear
t,
eyees clear ey
eye,
heartts dear
dearer
heart,
My food, my for
tune and my sw
eet hope
fortune
sweet
hopes aim,
My sole ear
th
en and my heav
en
earth
ths heav
heaven
heaven
ens claim.
LUCIANA
UCIANA:: All this my sister is, or else should be.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
eet, for I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Call thyself sister
sister,, sw
sweet,
am thee.
Thee will I lo
lovve and with thee lead my life:
Thou hast no husband yyet
et nor I no wife.
Giv
ivee me thy hand.

LUCIANA
ou mad, that yyou
ou do rreason
eason so?
UCIANA:: What, ar
aree yyou

LUCIANA
O, soft, air! hold yyou
ou still:
UCIANA::
I
ll fetch my sister
Ill
sister,, to get her good will.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ot mad, but mated; ho
w, I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Not
how
do not kno
w.
know

[Exit
.]
xit.]
20

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene ii

[Enter DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]

riage?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
w no
w, D
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
Why,, ho
how
now
Drromio!
wher
unn
wheree rrunn
unnst thou so fast?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
ench
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, sir
sir,, she
shes the kitchen w
wench
ease; and I kno
w not what use to put her to but to make
grease;
know
and all gr
wn light. I warrant, her rags
a lamp of her and rrun
un fr
om her bbyy her oown
from
w in them will burn a P
oland winter: if she liv
es till
and the tallo
tallow
Poland
lives
eek longer than the whole world.
doomsday
week
doomsday,, she
shell burn a w

ou kno
w me, sir? am I
CUSE
o yyou
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: D
Do
know
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
Dromio? am I yyour
our man? am I myself?
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thou ar
artt D
Drromio, thou ar
artt my
man, thou ar
artt thyself
thyself..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What complexion is she of?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I am an ass, I am a woman
womans man
and besides myself.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
war
t, like my shoe, but her face nothDROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SSwar
wart,
ing half so clean kept: or why
eats; a man may go oovver shoes
why,, she sw
sweats;
in the grime of it.

ANTIP
HOL
US
w besides thyself?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
US:: What woman
womans man? and ho
how
Besides thyself?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: That
Thats a fault that water will
mend.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, sir
sir,, besides myself
myself,, I am due to
a woman; one that claims me, one that haunts me, one that will
hav
havee me.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o, sir
tis in grain; N
oah
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No,
sir,, tis
Noah
oahs flood could
not do it.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What
Whats her name?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What claim lays she to thee?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ell, sir; but her name and thr
ee quarDROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nell,
three
ee quar
ters, will not measur
om hip
thats an ell and thr
three
quarters,
measuree her fr
from
ters, that
to hip.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
ou would lay
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy sir
sir,, such claim as yyou
to yyour
our horse; and she would hav
havee me as a beast: not that, I being
a beast, she would hav
er
eahavee me; but that she, being a vver
eryy beastly cr
creatur
e, lays claim to me.
ture,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
eadth?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Then she bears some br
breadth?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What is she?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o longer fr
om head to foot than
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No
from
fr
om hip to hip: she is spherical, like a globe; I could find out
from
countries in her
her..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er
ev
er
ent body; ay
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: A vver
eryy rrev
ever
erent
ay,, such a one as
a man may not speak of without he say S
ir-r
ev
er
ence.
Sir-r
ir-rev
ever
erence.
ence. I hav
havee but
lean luck in the match, and yyet
et is she a wondr
ous fat marriage.
wondrous

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
n what par
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: IIn
partt of her body stands
Ireland?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ow dost thou mean a fat marANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: H
Ho
21

The Comedy of Errors - Act III, scene ii

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, in her buttocks: I found it out
by the bogs.

conclude, this dr
udge, or diviner
drudge,
diviner,, laid claim to me, call
calld me D
Drromio;
swor
ed to her; told me what privy mar
ks I had about
sworee I was assur
assured
marks
me, as, the mar
k of my shoulder
eat
mark
shoulder,, the mole in my neck, the gr
great
war
ed ran fr
om her as a witch:
wartt on my left arm, that I amaz
amazed
from
And, I think, if my br
east had not been made of faith and my hear
breast
heartt
of steel,
She had transform
tal dog and made me turn ii the
transformd me to a cur
curtal
wheel.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree Scotland?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
enness; har
d in
barrenness;
hard
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I found it bbyy the barr
DROMIO
the palm of the hand.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
rance?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree F
France?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
o hie thee pr
esently
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: G
Go
presently
esently,, post to
the rroad:
oad:
An if the wind blo
w any way fr
om shor
e,
blow
from
shore,
I will not harbor in this to
wn to-night:
town
If any bar
k put for
th, come to the mar
t,
bark
forth,
mart,
Wher
eturn to me.
Wheree I will walk till thou rreturn
If ev
er
ws us and w
w none,
ever
eryy one kno
knows
wee kno
know
T
is time, I think, to tr
udge, pack and be gone.
Tis
trudge,

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
n her for
ehead; armed and rrev
ev
er
ted,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: IIn
forehead;
ever
erted,
making war against her heir
heir..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ngland?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree E
England?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I looked for the chalky cliffs, but I
could find no whiteness in them; but I guess it stood in her chin, bbyy
the salt rheum that ran betw
een F
rance and it.
between
France

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
om a bear a man would rrun
un for
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: As fr
from
life,
So fly I fr
om her that would be my wife.
from

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
pain?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree SSpain?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aith, I saw it not; but I felt it hot in
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
Faith,
her br
eath.
breath.

[Exit
.]
xit.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ndies?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree America, the IIndies?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Ther
Therees none but witches do
inhabit her
e;
here;
And ther
efor
tis high time that I w
er
therefor
eforee tis
wer
eree hence.
She that doth call me husband, ev
en my soul
even
Doth for a wife abhor
ut her fair sister
abhor.. B
But
sister,,
Possess
eign grace,
ossessd with such a gentle so
sovver
ereign
Of such enchanting pr
esence and discourse,
presence
Hath almost made me traitor to myself:
But, lest myself be guilty to self-wr
ong,
self-wrong,
I
ll stop mine ears against the mermaid
Ill
mermaids song.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
h, sir
er embelDROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: O
Oh,
sir,, upon her nose all ooer
lished with rrubies,
ubies, carbuncles, sapphir
es, declining their rich aspect
sapphires,
to the hot br
eath of SSpain;
pain; who sent whole armadoes of caracks to
breath
be ballast at her nose.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
elgia, the N
etherANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Wher
Wheree stood B
Belgia,
Netherlands?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
h, sir
w. To
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: O
Oh,
sir,, I did not look so lo
low
22

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene i

[Enter ANGEL
O with the chain
.]
ANGELO
chain.]

I see a man her

heree needs not liv
livee bbyy shifts,
When in the str
eets he meets such golden gifts.
streets
I
ll to the mar
t, and ther
Ill
mart,
theree for D
Drromio stay
If any ship put out, then straight away
away..

ANGEL
O: M
aster Antipholus,
ANGELO
Master
CUSE
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE::
ANTIPHOL

Ay
Ay,, that
thats my name.
[Exit
.]
xit.]

ell, sir
ANGEL
O: I kno
w it w
heree is the chain.
ANGELO
know
well,
sir,, lo, her
I thought to hav
en yyou
ou at the P
orpentine:
havee ta
taen
Porpentine:
The chain unfinish
unfinishd made me stay thus long.

ACT IV
SCENE I: A public place.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
our will that I shall
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What is yyour
do with this?

[ Enter SSecond
econd M
er
chant, ANGEL
O, and an O
fficer
.]
Mer
erchant,
ANGELO,
Officer
fficer.]

ANGEL
O: What please yyourself
ourself
ou.
ANGELO
ourself,, sir: I hav
havee made it for yyou.

Second M
er
chant
w since P
entecost the sum is due,
Mer
erchant
chant:: You kno
know
Pentecost
And since I hav
tuned yyou;
ou;
havee not much impor
importuned
w I had not, but that I am bound
Nor no
now
ersia, and want guilders for my vvo
oyage:
To P
Persia,
esent satisfaction,
Ther
efor
Therefor
eforee make pr
present
Or I
ll attach yyou
ou bbyy this officer
Ill
officer..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ade it for me, sir! I bespoke
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Made
it not.
ANGEL
O: N
ot once, nor twice, but tw
enty times yyou
ou hav
e.
ANGELO
Not
twenty
have.
Go home with it and please yyour
our wife withal;
And soon at supper-time I
ll visit yyou
ou
Ill
And then rreceiv
eceiv
eceivee my money for the chain.

ANGEL
O: E
w e to yyou
ou
ANGELO
Evven just the sum that I do oow
Is gr
owing to me bbyy Antipholus,
gro
And in the instant that I met with yyou
ou
He had of me a chain: at fiv
clock
fivee ooclock
I shall rreceiv
eceiv
eceivee the money for the same.
Pleaseth yyou
ou walk with me do
wn to his house,
down
I will discharge my bond and thank yyou
ou too
too..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SY
RA
CUSE: I pray yyou,
ou, sir
eceiv
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRA
RACUSE:
sir,, rreceiv
eceivee the
money no
w,
now
For fear yyou
ou ne
er see chain nor money mor
e.
neer
more.
ANGEL
O: You ar
ou w
ell.
ANGELO
aree a merr
merryy man, sir: far
faree yyou
well.

[ Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of E
phesus and DR
OMIO of E
phesus fr
om
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus
DROMIO
Ephesus
from
the cour
tezan
courtezan
tezans.]

[Exit
.]
xit.]
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What I should think of this, I
cannot tell:
But this I think, ther
ain
therees no man is so vvain
That would rrefuse
efuse so fair an offer
offerd chain.

Officer
ou sav
e: see wher
fficer:: That labor may yyou
save:
wheree he comes.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: While I go to the goldsmith
goldsmiths
23

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene i

house, go thou
And buy a rrope
ope
w
opes end: that will I besto
bestow
Among my wife and her confederates,
For locking me out of my doors bbyy day
day..
But, soft! I see the goldsmith. G
et thee gone;
Get
Buy thou a rrope
ope and bring it home to me.

ANGEL
O: Then yyou
ou will bring the chain to her yyourself?
ourself?
ANGELO
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o; bear it with yyou,
ou, lest I come
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
No;
not time enough.
ou the chain about yyou?
ou?
av
ANGEL
O: Well, sir
sir,, I will. H
Hav
avee yyou
ANGELO

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ear: I buy
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I buy a thousand pound a yyear:
a rrope.
ope.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ou
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: An if I hav
havee not, sir
sir,, I hope yyou
hav
e;
have;
Or else yyou
ou may rreturn
eturn without yyour
our money
money..

[Exit
.]
xit.]
ANGEL
O: N
ay
ou, sir
ANGELO
Nay
ay,, come, I pray yyou,
sir,, giv
givee me the chain:
Both wind and tide stays for this gentleman,
And I, to blame, hav
havee held him her
heree too long.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ell holp up that
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: A man is w
well
tr
usts to yyou:
ou:
trusts
I pr
omised yyour
our pr
esence and the chain;
promised
presence
But neither chain nor goldsmith came to me.
Belike yyou
ou thought our lo
lovve would last too long,
If it w
er
efor
wer
eree chain
chaind together
together,, and ther
therefor
eforee came not.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ood Lor
d! yyou
ou use this dalliance
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: G
Good
Lord!
to ex
cuse
excuse
Your br
each of pr
omise to the P
orpentine.
breach
promise
Porpentine.
I should hav
ou for not bringing it,
havee chid yyou
But, like a shr
ou first begin to brawl.
shreew, yyou

ANGEL
O: SSaving
aving yyour
our merr
ANGELO
merryy humor
humor,, her
herees the note
How much yyour
our chain w
eighs to the utmost carat,
weighs
The fineness of the gold and chargeful fashion.
Which doth amount to thr
ee odd ducats mor
three
moree
Than I stand debted to this gentleman:
I pray yyou,
ou, see him pr
esently discharged,
presently
For he is bound to sea and stays but for it.

Second M
er
chant
ou, sir
Mer
erchant
chant:: The hour steals on; I pray yyou,
sir,, dispatch.
ANGEL
O: You hear ho
w he impor
tunes me;the chain!
ANGELO
how
importunes
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Why
Why,, giv
givee it to my wife and
fetch yyour
our money
money..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I am not furnish
furnishd with the
pr
esent money;
present
Besides, I hav
wn.
havee some business in the to
town.
Good signior
signior,, take the stranger to my house
And with yyou
ou take the chain and bid my wife
Disburse the sum on the rreceipt
eceipt ther
eof:
thereof:
Per
chance I will be ther
ou.
erchance
theree as soon as yyou.

ANGEL
O: Come, come, yyou
ou kno
w I gav
ou ev
en no
w.
ANGELO
know
gavee it yyou
even
now
Either send the chain or send me bbyy some token.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ie, no
w yyou
ou rrun
un this humor out
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: F
Fie,
now
of br
eath, wher
ou, let me see it.
breath,
wherees the chain? I pray yyou,
Second M
er
chant
ook this dalliance.
Mer
erchant
chant:: M
Myy business cannot br
brook
24

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene i

Good sir
ou
er me or no:
sir,, say whether yyou
oull answ
answer
If not, I
ll leav
Ill
leavee him to the officer
officer..

Officer
est yyou,
ou, sir: yyou
ou hear the suit.
fficer:: I do arr
arrest
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I do obey thee till I giv
givee thee bail.
ou shall buy this spor
sportt as dear
But, sirrah, yyou
As all the metal in yyour
our shop will answ
er
answer
er..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
er yyou!
ou! what should I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I answ
answer
answ
er yyou?
ou?
answer
ANGEL
O: The money that yyou
ou oow
we me for the chain.
ANGELO

phesus,
ANGEL
O: SSir
ir
ir,, sir
sir,, I will hav
havee law in E
Ephesus,
ANGELO
To yyour
our notorious shame; I doubt it not.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
we yyou
ou none till I rreceiv
eceiv
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I oow
eceivee the
chain.

[ Enter DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse, fr
om the bay
.]
DROMIO
yracuse,
from
bay.]

ANGEL
O: You kno
w I gav
ou half an hour since.
ANGELO
know
gavee it yyou

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
k of
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, ther
theree is a bar
bark
Epidamnum
That stays but till her oowner
wner comes aboar
d,
aboard,
And then, sir
ur fraughtage, sir
sir,, she bears away
away.. O
Our
sir,,
I hav
ey
d; and I hav
havee conv
convey
eyd aboar
aboard;
havee bought
The oil, the balsamum and aqua-vitae.
The ship is in her trim; the merr
merryy wind
Blo
ws fair fr
om land: they stay for nought at all
lows
from
But for their oowner
wner
ourself
wner,, master
master,, and yyourself
ourself..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ou wr
ong
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You gav
gavee me none: yyou
wrong
me much to say so.
ANGEL
O: You wr
ong me mor
e, sir
ANGELO
wrong
more,
sir,, in denying it:
Consider ho
w it stands upon my cr
edit.
how
credit.
Second M
er
chant
est him at my suit.
Mer
erchant
chant:: Well, officer
officer,, arr
arrest
Officer
ou in the duke
fficer:: I do; and charge yyou
dukes name to obey me.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ow no
w! a madman! Why
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: H
Ho
now!
Why,,
thou peevish sheep,
What ship of E
pidamnum stays for me?
Epidamnum

ANGEL
O: This touches me in rreputation.
eputation.
ANGELO
Either consent to pay this sum for me
Or I attach yyou
ou bbyy this officer
officer..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ou sent me to, to hir
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: A ship yyou
hiree waftage.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
er
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Consent to pay thee that I nev
never
had!
Arr
est me, foolish fello
w, if thou dar
est.
Arrest
fellow
darest.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
unken slav
e, I sent thee
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Thou dr
drunken
slave,
for a rrope;
ope;
And told thee to what purpose and what end.

ANGEL
O: H
er
est him, officer
ANGELO
Her
eree is thy fee; arr
arrest
officer,,
I would not spar
other in this case,
sparee my br
brother
If he should scorn me so appar
ently
apparently
ently..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ope
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: You sent me for a rrope
opes end as soon:
You sent me to the bay
k.
bay,, sir
sir,, for a bar
bark.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I will debate this matter at mor
moree
25

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene ii

leisur
leisuree
And teach yyour
our ears to list me with mor
moree heed.
To A
driana, villain, hie thee straight:
Adriana,
Giv
ivee her this key
key,, and tell her
her,, in the desk
kish tapestr
er with Tur
That
tapestryy,
erd ooer
urkish
Thats co
covver
Ther
Theree is a purse of ducats; let her send it:
Tell her I am arr
ested in the str
eet
arrested
street
And that shall bail me; hie thee, slav
e, be gone!
slave,
On, officer
officer,, to prison till it come.

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: H
Hee meant he did me none; the mor
moree my spite.
LUCIANA
e.
UCIANA:: Then swor
sworee he that he was a stranger her
here.
ADRIANA
ue he swor
e, though yyet
et forsworn he w
er
e.
ADRIANA:: And tr
true
swore,
wer
ere.
LUCIANA
ou.
UCIANA:: Then pleaded I for yyou.
ADRIANA
ADRIANA::

[Exeunt SSecond
econd M
er
chant, A
ngelo
fficer
ntipholus of
Mer
erchant,
Angelo
ngelo,, O
Officer
fficer,, and A
Antipholus
Ephesus
.]
phesus.]

And what said he?

LUCIANA
ou he begg
UCIANA:: That lo
lovve I begg
beggd for yyou
beggd of me.
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: With what persuasion did he tempt thy lo
lovve?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
driana! that is wher
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: To A
Adriana!
wheree w
wee dined,
Wher
owsabel did claim me for her husband:
Wheree D
Do
She is too big, I hope, for me to compass.
Thither I must, although against my will,
For ser
servvants must their masters
masters minds fulfil.

LUCIANA
ds that in an honest suit might mo
UCIANA:: With wor
words
movve.
beauty,, then my speech.
First he did praise my beauty
idst speak him fair?
ADRIANA:: D
Didst
ADRIANA

[Exit
.]
xit.]

LUCIANA
UCIANA::

H
av
Hav
avee patience, I beseech.

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: I cannot, nor I will not, hold me still;
My tongue, though not my hear
t, shall hav
heart,
havee his will.
He is deformed, cr
ooked, old and ser
e,
crooked,
sere,
Ill-faced, worse bodied, shapeless ev
er
ywher
e;
ever
erywher
ywhere;
Vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind;
Stigmatical in making, worse in mind.

SCENE II: The house of ANTIP

HOL
US of E
phesus.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus.
[Enter ADRIANA and L
UCIANA
.]
LUCIANA
UCIANA.]
ADRIANA
uciana, did he tempt thee so?
ADRIANA:: Ah, L
Luciana,
Mightst thou per
ceiv
ely in his ey
perceiv
ceivee auster
austerely
eyee
That he did plead in earnest? yyea
ea or no?
Look
ed or pale, or sad or merrily?
Lookd he or rred
What obser
observvation madest thou in this case
Of his hear
heartts meteors tilting in his face?

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Who would be jealous then of such a one?
No evil lost is wail
waild when it is gone.
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Ah, but I think him better than I say
say,,
And yyet
et would her
ein others
es w
er
herein
others ey
eyes
wer
eree worse.
Far fr
om her nest the lap
wing cries away:
from
lapwing
My hear
heartt prays for him, though my tongue do curse.

LUCIANA
irst he denied yyou
ou had in him no right.
UCIANA:: F
First

26

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene ii

[Enter DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]

[Exit L
uciana
.]
Luciana
uciana.]

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er
e! go; the desk, the purse! sw
eet,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: H
Her
ere!
sweet,
no
w, make haste.
now

This I wonder at,

That he, unkno
wn to me, should be in debt.
unknown
Tell me, was he arr
ested on a band?
arrested

ow hast thou lost thy br

eath?
LUCIANA
breath?
UCIANA:: H
Ho
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE::

onger
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
CUSE:: N
Not
stronger
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
ot on a band, but on a str
thing;
A chain, a chain! D
o yyou
ou not hear it ring?
Do

B
unning fast.
Byy rrunning

ADRIANA
ell?
ADRIANA:: Wher
Wheree is thy master
master,, D
Drromio? is he w
well?
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: What, the chain?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o, he
tar limbo, worse than
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No,
hes in Tar
artar
hell.
A devil in an ev
erlasting garment hath him;
everlasting
One whose har
d hear
hard
heartt is button
buttond up with steel;
A fiend, a fur
ough;
furyy, pitiless and rrough;
A wolf
w all in buff;
wolf,, nay
nay,, worse, a fello
fellow
A back-friend, a shoulder-clapper
shoulder-clapper,, one that countermands
The passages of alleys, cr
eeks and narr
ow lands;
creeks
narro
A hound that rruns
uns counter and yyet
et draws dr
yfoot w
ell;
dryfoot
well;
One that befor
beforee the judgement carries poor souls to hell.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o, no, the bell: tis
tis time that I
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No,
wer
eree gone:
It was two er
w the clock strikes one.
eree I left him, and no
now
ADRIANA
er hear
ADRIANA:: The hours come back! that did I nev
never
hear..
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
es; if any hour meet a sergeant,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: O, yyes;
a turns back for vver
er
eryy fear
fear..
ADRIANA
er
w fondly dost thou rreason!
eason!
ADRIANA:: As if Time w
wer
eree in debt! ho
how

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Why
Why,, man, what is the matter?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
er
upt, and oow
w es
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Time is a vver
eryy bankr
bankrupt,
mor
th, to season.
moree than he
hes wor
worth,
Nay
ou not hear
d men say
ay,, he
hes a thief too: hav
havee yyou
heard
That Time comes stealing on bbyy night and day?
If Time be in debt and theft, and a sergeant in the way
way,,
Hath he not rreason
eason to turn back an hour in a day?

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
w the matter: he is
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I do not kno
know
r
ested on the case.
rested
ADRIANA
ested? Tell me at whose suit.
ADRIANA:: What, is he arr
arrested?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
w not at whose suit he is
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I kno
know
arr
ested w
ell;
arrested
well;
But he
ested him, that can I tell.
hes in a suit of buff which r
rested
Will yyou
ou send him, mistr
ess, rredemption,
edemption, the money in his desk?
mistress,

[Re-enter L
UCIANA with a purse
.]
LUCIANA
purse.]
ADRIANA
o, D
ADRIANA:: G
Go,
Drromio; ther
therees the money
money,, bear it straight;
immediately..
And bring thy master home immediately
Come, sister: I am pr
ess
wn with conceit
press
essd do
down

ADRIANA
o fetch it, sister
ADRIANA:: G
Go
sister..
27

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iii

Conceit, my comfor
comfortt and my injur
injuryy.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I understand thee not.
ANTIPHOL

[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
o? why
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
No?
why,, tis
went,
tis a plain case: he that w
ent,
like a bass-viol, in a case of leather; the man, sir
sir,, that, when gentlemen ar
ed, giv
es them a sob and r
ests them; he, sir
aree tir
tired,
gives
rests
sir,, that takes
pity on decayed men and gives them suits of durance; he that sets
up his rest to do more exploits with his mace than a morris-pike.

SCENE III: A public place.

[Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
acuse.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What, thou meanest an officer?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Ther
Therees not a man I meet but
doth salute me
As if I w
er
ell-acquainted friend;
wer
eree their w
well-acquainted
And ev
er
ever
eryy one doth call me bbyy my name.
Some tender money to me; some invite me;
Some other giv
givee me thanks for kindnesses;
Some offer me commodities to buy:
Even no
w a tailor call
now
calld me in his shop
And sho
wd me silks that he had bought for me,
show
And ther
theree withal took measur
measuree of my body
body..
Sur
e, these ar
ure,
aree but imaginar
imaginaryy wiles
And Lapland sor
cer
ers inhabit her
e.
sorcer
cerers
here.

CUSE
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE:: Ay
Ay,, sir
sir,, the sergeant of the band, he
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
that brings any man to answ
er it that br
eaks his band; one that thinks
answer
breaks
est!
a man always going to bed, and says, G
od giv
ou good rrest!
givee yyou
God
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
est in yyour
our foolANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Well, sir
sir,, ther
theree rrest
eryy. IIss ther
theree any
er
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ought yyou
ou wor
d an hour
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
Why,, sir
sir,, I br
brought
word
since that the bar
k E
xpedition put for
th to-night; and then w
er
bark
Expedition
forth
wer
eree
you hinder
ed bbyy the sergeant, to tarr
elay
er
hindered
tarryy for the ho
hoyy D
Delay
elay.. H
Her
eree ar
aree
the angels that yyou
ou sent for to deliv
er yyou.
ou.
deliver

[ Enter DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
.]
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
w is distract, and so
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: The fello
fellow
am I;
And her
heree w
wee wander in illusions:
Some blessed po
wer deliv
er us fr
om hence!
pow
deliver
from

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
ou sent me
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, her
herees the gold yyou
for
ou got the pictur
dam ne
w-appar
elled?
for.. What, hav
havee yyou
picturee of old A
Adam
new-appar
w-apparelled?
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
dam
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: What gold is this? what A
Adam
dost thou mean?

[Enter a Cour
tezan
.]
Courtezan
tezan.]
Cour
te
zan
ell met, M
aster Antipholus.
Courte
tezan
zan:: Well met, w
well
Master
I see, sir
ou hav
w:
sir,, yyou
havee found the goldsmith no
now:
Is that the chain yyou
ou pr
omised me to-day?
promised

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ot that A
dam that kept the P
aradise
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Not
Adam
Paradise
but that A
dam that keeps the prison: he that goes in the calf s skin
Adam
that was killed for the P
ou, sir
Prrodigal; he that came behind yyou,
sir,, like an
evil angel, and bid yyou
ou forsake yyour
our liber
ty
liberty
ty..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
atan, av
oid! I charge thee,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SSatan,
avoid!
tempt me not.
28

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iii

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
istr
ess SSatan?
atan?
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, is this M
Mistr
istress
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE::

A nut, a cherr
y-stone;
cherry-stone;
But she, mor
moree co
covvetous, would hav
havee a chain.
Master
ou giv
aster,, be wise: an if yyou
givee it her
her,,
The devil will shake her chain and fright us with it.

IItt is the devil.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ay
ay,, she is worse, she is the devil
devils
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Nay
DROMIO
ench: and ther
eof
dam; and her
heree she comes in the habit of a light w
wench:
thereof
comes that the w
enches say G
od damn me; that
wenches
God
thats as much to say
G
od make me a light w
ench.
God
wench.
ench. IItt is written, they appear to men like
angels of light: light is an effect of fir
e, and fir
fire,
firee will burn; ergo, light
wenches will burn. Come not near her
her..

ou, sir
Cour
te
zan
tezan
zan:: I pray yyou,
sir,, my ring, or else the chain:
Courte
I hope yyou
ou do not mean to cheat me so
so..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: A
Avvaunt, thou witch! Come,
Dromio, let us go
go..
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ly pride, says the peacock: mistr
ess,
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
Fly
mistress,
that yyou
ou kno
w.
know

Cour
te
zan
ou ar
Courte
tezan
zan:: Your man and yyou
aree mar
marvvellous merr
merryy, sir
sir..
Will yyou
ou go with me? Well mend our dinner her
e?
here?

[ Exeunt A
ntipholus of SSyr
yr
acuse and Dr
omio of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
Antipholus
yracuse
Dromio
yracuse
acuse.]
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
ou do, expect spoon-meat;
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, if yyou
or bespeak a long spoon.

Cour
te
zan
ow, out of doubt Antipholus is mad,
Courte
tezan
zan:: N
No
Else would he nev
er so demean himself
never
himself..
A ring he hath of mine wor
th for
ty ducats,
worth
forty
And for the same he pr
omised me a chain:
promised
Both one and other he denies me no
w.
now
The rreason
eason that I gather he is mad,
Besides this pr
esent instance of his rage,
present
Is a mad tale he told to-day at dinner
dinner,,
Of his oown
wn doors being shut against his entrance.
Belike his wife, acquainted with his fits,
On purpose shut the doors against his way
way..
My way is no
w to hie home to his house,
now
And tell his wife that, being lunatic,
He rrush
ush
for
ce
ushd into my house and took per
perfor
force
My ring away
away.. This course I fittest choose;
For for
ty ducats is too much to lose.
forty

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Why
Why,, D
Drromio?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
arr
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Marr
arryy, he must hav
havee a long spoon
that must eat with the devil.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: A
Avvoid then, fiend! what tell
tellst
thou me of supping?
Thou ar
t, as yyou
ou ar
cer
ess:
art,
aree all, a sor
sorcer
ceress:
I conjur
conjuree thee to leav
leavee me and be gone.
Cour
te
zan
iv
ou had at dinner
Courte
tezan
zan:: G
Giv
ivee me the ring of mine yyou
dinner,,
Or, for my diamond, the chain yyou
ou pr
omised,
promised,
And I
ll be gone, sir
ouble yyou.
ou.
Ill
sir,, and not tr
trouble
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ome devils ask but the parings of
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SSome
one
ones nail,
A rrush,
ush, a hair
op of blood, a pin,
hair,, a dr
drop

[ Exit
.]
Exit.]
29

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iv

am I returned.

SCENE IV: A street.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And to that end, sir
sir,, I will
welcome yyou.
ou.

[Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of E
phesus and the O
ff
icer
.]
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus
Off
fficer
icer.]
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ear me not, man; I will not
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: F
Fear
br
eak away:
break
I
ll giv
leavee thee, so much money
money,,
Ill
givee thee, er
eree I leav
ested for
To warrant thee, as I am r
rested
for..
My wife is in a waywar
d mood to-day
wayward
to-day,,
And will not lightly tr
ust the messenger
trust
That I should be attach
phesus,
attachd in E
Ephesus,
I tell yyou,
ou, twill
twill sound harshly in her ears.

[Beating him
.]
him.]
Officer
sir,, be patient.
fficer:: G
Good
ood sir
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay
tis for me to be patient; I am in
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Nay
ay,, tis
adv
ersity
adversity
ersity..
Officer
ood, no
w, hold thy tongue.
fficer:: G
Good,
now

[Enter DR
OMIO of E
phesus with a rrope
ope
.]
DROMIO
Ephesus
opes-end
s-end.]

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Nay
ay,, rather persuade him to hold his
hands.

Her
eree comes my man; I think he brings the money
money..
How no
w, sir! hav
ou that I sent yyou
ou for?
now
havee yyou

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
eson, senseless villain!
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Thou whor
whoreson,

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
er
ou, will pay
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: H
Her
erees that, I warrant yyou,
them all.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
er
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I would I w
wer
eree senseless, sir
sir,, that I
might not feel yyour
our blo
ws.
blows.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ut wher
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: B
But
wherees the money?

ANTIP
HOL
US
ws, and so
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
US:: Thou ar
artt sensible in nothing but blo
blows,
is an ass.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ope.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Why
Why,, sir
sir,, I gav
gavee the money for the rrope.

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou may pr
ove it
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I am an ass, indeed; yyou
pro
by my long ears. I hav
om the hour of my nativity to
havee ser
servved him fr
from
this instant, and hav
vice but blo
ws.
havee nothing at his hands for my ser
service
blows.
When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he
cools me with beating; I am waked with it when I sleep; raised with
it when I sit; driv
en out of doors with it when I go fr
om home;
driven
from
welcomed home with it when I rreturn;
eturn; nay
nay,, I bear it on my shoulders, as a beggar wont her brat; and, I think when he hath lamed
me, I shall beg with it fr
om door to door
from
door..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
iv
ed ducats, villain, for
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: F
Fiv
ivee hundr
hundred
a rrope?
ope?
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ll ser
ou, sir
ed at the rate.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I
Ill
servve yyou,
sir,, fiv
fivee hundr
hundred
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: To what end did I bid thee hie
thee home?
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ope
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: To a rrope
opes-end, sir; and to that end
30

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iv

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Come, go along; my wife is
coming yyonder
onder
onder..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
eace, doting wizar
d, peace! I am
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: P
Peace,
wizard,
not mad.

[Enter ADRIANA, L
UCIANA, the Cour
tezan, and P
INCH
.]
LUCIANA,
Courtezan,
PINCH
INCH.]

ADRIANA
er
essed soul!
ADRIANA:: O, that thou w
wer
ertt not, poor distr
distressed

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
istr
ess, r
espice finem, rrespect
istress,
respice
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Mistr
DROMIO
espect yyour
our
war
ope
end; or rather
ophecy like the parr
ot, be
s-end.
opes-end.
rather,, the pr
prophecy
parrot,
bewar
waree the rrope

our
ou, ar
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: You minion, yyou,
aree these yyour
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
customers?
Did this companion with the saffr
on face
saffron
Rev
el and feast it at my house to-day
evel
to-day,,
Whilst upon me the guilty doors w
er
wer
eree shut
And I denied to enter in my house?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Wilt thou still talk?
[Beating hhim.]
im.]
Cour
te
zan
ow say yyou
ou no
w? is not yyour
our husband mad?
Courte
tezan
zan:: H
Ho
now?

ADRIANA
od doth kno
w yyou
ou dined at home;
ADRIANA:: O husband, G
God
know
Wher
ou had rremain
emain
Wheree would yyou
emaind until this time,
Free fr
om these slanders and this open shame!
from

ADRIANA
is incivility confirms no less.
ADRIANA:: H
His
octor P
inch, yyou
ou ar
er;
Doctor
Pinch,
aree a conjur
conjurer;
Good D
Establish him in his tr
ue sense again,
true
And I will please yyou
ou what yyou
ou will demand.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ined at home! Thou villain,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Dined
what say
est thou?
sayest

LUCIANA
w fier
w sharp he looks!
UCIANA:: Alas, ho
how
fieryy and ho
how

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ir
ou did not dine at
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSir
ir,, sooth to say
say,, yyou
home.

Cour
te
zan
ar
k ho
w he tr
embles in his ecstasy!
Courte
tezan
zan:: M
Mar
ark
how
trembles
PINCH
iv
our hand and let me feel yyour
our pulse.
INCH:: G
Giv
ivee me yyour

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Wer
eree not my doors lock
lockd up
and I shut out?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ther
Theree is my hand, and let it feel
your ear
ear..

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
die, yyour
our doors w
er
ou
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Per
erdie,
wer
eree lock
lockd and yyou
shut out.

[Striking him
.]
him.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
evile me
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And did not she herself rrevile
ther
e?
there?

PINCH
atan, housed within this man,
INCH:: I charge thee, SSatan,
To yield possession to my holy pray
ers
prayers
And to thy state of dar
kness hie thee straight:
darkness
I conjur
en!
conjuree thee bbyy all the saints in heav
heaven!

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ans fable, she herself rreviled
eviled yyou
ou ther
e.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSans
there.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
id not her kitchen-maid rail,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Did
taunt, and scorn me?
31

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iv

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
tes, she did; the kitchen-v
estal
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Cer
Certes,
kitchen-vestal
scorn
ou.
scornd yyou.

PINCH
istr
ess, both man and master is possess
INCH:: M
Mistr
istress,
possessd;
I kno
w it bbyy their pale and deadly looks:
know
They must be bound and laid in some dar
k rroom.
oom.
dark

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And did not I in rage depar
departt
fr
om thence?
from

HESUS
ay,, wher
wherefor
eforee didst thou lock
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSay
ay
efor
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
me for
th to-day?
forth
And why dost thou deny the bag of gold?

ou did; my bones bear

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
n vverity
erity yyou
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: IIn
witness,
That since hav
havee felt the vigor of his rage.

ADRIANA
th.
ADRIANA:: I did not, gentle husband, lock thee for
forth.

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: IIsst good to soothe him in these contraries?

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
eceiv
ed no gold;
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And, gentle master
master,, I rreceiv
eceived
But I confess, sir
er
sir,, that w
wee w
wer
eree lock
lockd out.

PINCH
w finds his vvein,
ein,
INCH:: IItt is no shame: the fello
fellow
And yielding to him humors w
ell his fr
enzy
well
frenzy
enzy..

ADRIANA
issembling villain, thou speak
ADRIANA:: D
Dissembling
speakst false in both.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Thou hast suborn
subornd the gold
smith to arr
est me.
arrest

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
issembling harlot, thou ar
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Dissembling
artt
false in all;
And ar
artt confederate with a damned pack
To make a loathsome abject scorn of me:
But with these nails I
ll pluck out these false ey
es
Ill
eyes
That would behold in me this shameful spor
t.
sport.

ADRIANA
ou money to rredeem
edeem yyou,
ou,
ADRIANA:: Alas, I sent yyou
By D
e, who came in haste for it.
Drromio her
here,
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
oney bbyy me! hear
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Money
heartt and goodwill
you might;
But sur
ely master
surely
master,, not a rag of money
money..

[Enter thr
ee or four
es
.]
three
four,, and offer to bind him. H
Hee striv
strives
es.]
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: O, bind him, bind him! let him not come near me.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Went
entst not thou to her for a
purse of ducats?

PINCH
or
ong within him.
INCH:: M
Mor
oree company! The fiend is str
strong

ADRIANA
er
ADRIANA:: H
Hee came to me and I deliv
deliver
erd it.

LUCIANA
w pale and wan he looks!
UCIANA:: Ay me, poor man, ho
how

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: And I am witness with her that she did.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ou mur
der me?
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: What, will yyou
murder
Thou gaoler
gaoler,, thou,
I am thy prisoner: wilt thou suffer them
To make a rrescue?
escue?

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
od and the rrope-maker
ope-maker bear me
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: G
God
witness
That I was sent for nothing but a rrope!
ope!
32

The Comedy of Errors - Act IV, scene iv

Officer
M
asters, let him go
fficer::
Masters,
He is my prisoner
ou shall not hav
prisoner,, and yyou
havee him.

[Exeunt all but A

driana, L
uciana, O
fficer and Cour
tezan
.]
Adriana,
Luciana,
Officer
Courtezan
tezan.]
Say no
w, whose suit is he arr
ested at?
now
arrested

PINCH
o bind this man, for he is frantic too
INCH:: G
Go
too..
w him?
ne Angelo, a goldsmith: do yyou
ou kno
Officer
fficer:: O
One
know
[They offer to bind Dr
omio of E
phesus
.]
Ephesus
phesus.]
Dromio
wes?
ADRIANA
w the man. What is the sum he oow
ADRIANA:: I kno
know
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: What wilt thou do, thou peevish officer?
etched man
wretched
Hast thou delight to see a wr
Do outrage and displeasur
displeasuree to himself?

Officer
ed ducats.
fficer:: Two hundr
hundred
ADRIANA
ADRIANA::

Officer
fficer:: H
Hee is my prisoner: if I let him go,
The debt he oow
wes will be rrequir
equir
ed of me.
equired

SSay
ay
w gr
ows it due?
ay,, ho
how
gro

Officer
ue for a chain yyour
our husband had of him.
fficer:: D
Due

ADRIANA
om thee:
ADRIANA:: I will discharge thee er
eree I go fr
from
Bear me for
thwith unto his cr
editor
forthwith
creditor
editor,,
And, kno
wing ho
w the debt gr
ows, I will pay it.
knowing
how
gro
Good master doctor
ey
doctor,, see him safe conv
convey
eyd
Home to my house. O most unhappy day!

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: H
Hee did bespeak a chain for me, but had it not.
Cour
te
zan
our husband all in rage to-day
Courte
tezan
zan:: When as yyour
Came to my house and took away my ring
The ring I saw upon his finger no
w
now
Straight after did I meet him with a chain.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
umpet!
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: O most unhappy str
strumpet!
ADRIANA
er see it.
ADRIANA:: IItt may be so, but I did nev
never
Come, gaoler
gaoler,, bring me wher
wheree the goldsmith is:
I long to kno
w the tr
uth her
eof at large.
know
truth
hereof

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
aster
ed in bond for
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Master
aster,, I am her
heree enter
entered
you.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ut on thee, villain! wher
efor
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: O
Out
wherefor
eforee
dost thou mad me?

[ Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse with his rrapier
apier dr
awn, and
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
drawn,
DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ou be bound for nothing? be
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Will yyou
mad, good master: cr
The devil!
cryy The

LUCIANA
od, for thy mer
cy! they ar
UCIANA:: G
God,
mercy!
aree loose again.

LUCIANA
od help
w idly do they talk!
UCIANA:: G
God
help,, poor souls, ho
how

ADRIANA
ds.
ADRIANA:: And come with naked swor
swords.
Let
Lets call mor
moree help to hav
havee them bound again.

ADRIANA
o bear him hence. SSister
ister
ou with me.
ADRIANA:: G
Go
ister,, go yyou

Officer
way! they
fficer:: A
Away!
theyll kill us.
33

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

[Exeunt all but Antipholus of Syracuse and Dromio of Syracuse
.]
Syracuse.]

ACT V

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I see these witches ar
aree afraid of
swor
ds.
swords.

SCENE I: A str
eet befor
rior
street
beforee a P
Prior
rioryy.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
he that would be yyour
our wife no
w
now
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: SShe
DROMIO
ou.
ran fr
om yyou.
from

[Enter SSecond
econd M
er
chant and ANGEL
O .]
Mer
erchant
ANGELO

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Come to the Centaur; fetch
our stuff fr
om thence:
from
I long that w
er
d.
wee w
wer
eree safe and sound aboar
aboard.

ANGEL
O: I am sorr
ou;
ANGELO
sorryy, sir
sir,, that I hav
havee hinder
hinderd yyou;
But, I pr
otest, he had the chain of me,
protest,
Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aith, stay her
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: F
Faith,
heree this night; they will
sur
ely do us no harm: yyou
ou saw they speak us fair
surely
fair,, giv
givee us gold:
methinks they ar
aree such a gentle nation that, but for the mountain
of mad flesh that claims marriage of me, I could find in my hear
heartt to
stay her
heree still and turn witch.

Second M
er
chant: H
ow is the man esteemed her
erchant:
Ho
heree in the city?
Mer
ANGEL
O: O
er
ev
er
end rreputation,
eputation, sir
ANGELO
Off vver
eryy rrev
ever
erend
sir,,
Of cr
edit infinite, highly belo
credit
belovved,
Second to none that liv
es her
lives
heree in the city:
His wor
d might bear my w
ealth at any time.
word
wealth

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I will not stay to-night for all
the to
wn;
town;
Ther
efor
d.
Therefor
eforee away
away,, to get our stuff aboar
aboard.

Second M
er
chant
peak softly; yyonder
onder
Mer
erchant
chant:: SSpeak
onder,, as I think, he walks.
[Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse and DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]

[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]

ANGEL
O: T
is so; and that self chain about his neck
ANGELO
Tis
ously to hav
e.
forsworee most monstr
monstrously
have.
Which he forswor
Good sir
ll speak to him.
sir,, draw near to me, I
Ill
Signior Antipholus, I wonder much
That yyou
ou would put me to this shame and tr
ouble;
trouble;
And, not without some scandal to yyourself
ourself
ourself,,
With cir
cumstance and oaths so to deny
circumstance
This chain which no
w yyou
ou w
ear so openly:
now
wear
Beside the charge, the shame, imprisonment,
You hav
ong to this my honest friend,
havee done wr
wrong
Who, but for staying on our contr
oversy
contro
ersy,,
Had hoisted sail and put to sea to-day:
34

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

This chain you had of me; can you deny it?

[Enter the Lady A

bbess, AEMILIA
.]
Abbess,
AEMILIA.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
er did deny it.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I think I had; I nev
never

AEMELIA
efor
ong yyou
ou hither?
AEMELIA:: B
Bee quiet, people. Wher
Wherefor
eforee thr
throng

ou did, sir
Second M
er
chant
chant:: Yes, that yyou
sir,, and forswor
forsworee it too
too..
Mer
erchant

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: To fetch my poor distracted husband hence.
wee may bind him fast
Let us come in, that w
And bear him home for his rreco
eco
ecovver
eryy.

US OF SYRA
CUSE
d me to deny it or
ANTIP
HOL
CUSE:: Who hear
heard
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
forsw
ear it?
forswear

ANGEL
O: I kne
w he was not in his per
fect wits.
ANGELO
knew
perfect
Second M
er
chant
wst did hear thee.
Mer
erchant
chant:: These ears of mine, thou kno
know
Fie on thee, wr
etch! tis
tis pity that thou liv
est
wretch!
livest
To walk wher
esor
t.
wheree any honest man rresor
esort.

Second M
er
chant
w that I did draw on him.
Mer
erchant
chant:: I am sorr
sorryy no
now
AEMELIA
ow long hath this possession held the man?
AEMELIA:: H
Ho

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Thou ar
artt a villain to impeach
me thus:
I
ll pr
ove mine honor and mine honesty
Ill
pro
Against thee pr
esently
est stand.
presently
esently,, if thou dar
darest

ADRIANA
eek he hath been heavy
ADRIANA:: This w
week
heavy,, sour
sour,, sad,
ent fr
om the man he was;
different
from
And much differ
But till this afternoon his passion
Neer brake into extr
emity of rage.
extremity

Second M
er
chant
e, and do defy thee for a villain.
Mer
erchant
chant:: I dar
dare,
AEMELIA
ath he not lost much w
ealth bbyy wr
eck of sea?
AEMELIA:: H
Hath
wealth
wreck
Buried some dear friend? H
ath not else his ey
Hath
eyee
Stray
trayd his affection in unlawful lo
lovve?
A sin pr
ev
ailing much in yyouthful
outhful men,
prev
evailing
Who giv
es the liber
ty of gazing.
givee their ey
eyes
liberty
Which of these sorr
ows is he subject to?
sorro

[They dr
aw
.]
draw
aw.]
[Enter ADRIANA, L
UCIANA, the Cour
tezan, and others
.]
LUCIANA,
Courtezan,
others.]
ADRIANA
old, hur
od
ADRIANA:: H
Hold,
hurtt him not, for G
God
ods sake! he is mad.
Some get within him, take his swor
d away:
sword
Bind D
Drromio too, and bear them to my house.

ADRIANA
cept it be the last;
ADRIANA:: To none of these, ex
except
Namely
om home.
amely,, some lo
lovve that dr
dree w him oft fr
from

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
un, master
un; for G
od
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: R
Run,
master,, rrun;
God
ods sake,
take a house!
This is some prior
n, or w
prioryy. IIn,
wee ar
aree spoil
spoild!

AEMELIA
epr
ehended him.
AEMELIA:: You should for that hav
havee rrepr
eprehended
ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: Why
Why,, so I did.

[Exeunt A
ntipholus of SSyr
yr
acuse and Dr
omio of SSyr
yr
acuse to the
Antipholus
yracuse
Dromio
yracuse
Prior
rioryy.]

AEMELIA
AEMELIA::
35

Ay
ough enough.
Ay,, but not rrough

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: As roughly as my modesty would let me.

LUCIANA
he nev
er rrepr
epr
ehended him but mildly
UCIANA:: SShe
never
eprehended
mildly,,
ough, rrude
ude and wildly
When he demean
demeand himself rrough,
wildly..
Why bear yyou
ou these rrebukes
ebukes and answ
er not?
answer

AEMELIA
aply
ate.
AEMELIA:: H
Haply
aply,, in priv
private.
ADRIANA
ADRIANA::

And in assemblies too.

oof
ADRIANA
he did betray me to my oown
wn rrepr
epr
eproof
oof..
ADRIANA:: SShe
Good people enter and lay hold on him.

AEMELIA
AEMELIA:: Ay
Ay,, but not enough.
AEMELIA
o, not a cr
eatur
AEMELIA:: N
No,
creatur
eaturee enters in my house.
ADRIANA
ence:
ADRIANA:: IItt was the copy of our confer
conference:
In bed he slept not for my urging it;
At boar
d he fed not for my urging it;
board
Alone, it was the subject of my theme;
In company I often glanced it;
Still did I tell him it was vile and bad.

ADRIANA
our ser
th.
ADRIANA:: Then let yyour
servvants bring my husband for
forth.
AEMELIA
either: he took this place for sanctuar
AEMELIA:: N
Neither:
sanctuaryy,
And it shall privilege him fr
om yyour
our hands
from
Till I hav
ought him to his wits again,
havee br
brought
Or lose my labor in assaying it.

AEMELIA
eof came it that the man was mad.
AEMELIA:: And ther
thereof
The vvenom
enom clamors of a jealous woman
Poisons mor
moree deadly than a mad dog
dogs tooth.
It seems his sleeps w
er
wer
eree hinder
hinderd bbyy thy railing,
And ther
efor
therefor
eforee comes it that his head is light.
Thou say
sayst his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings:
Unquiet meals make ill digestions;
Ther
eof the raging fir
er br
ed;
Thereof
firee of fev
fever
bred;
And what
er but a fit of madness?
whats a fev
fever
Thou say
ts w
er
d bbyy thy brawls:
sayst his spor
sports
wer
eree hinder
hinderd
Sweet rrecr
ecr
eation barr
ecreation
barrd, what doth ensue
But moody and dull melancholy
melancholy,,
Kinsman to grim and comfor
tless despair
comfortless
despair,,
And at her heels a huge infectious tr
oop
troop
Of pale distemperatur
es and foes to life?
distemperatures
In food, in spor
eser
ving rrest
est
sportt and life-pr
life-preser
eserving
To be disturb
disturbd, would mad or man or beast:
The consequence is then thy jealous fits
Hav
ed thy husband fr
om the use of wits.
avee scar
scared
from

ADRIANA
ADRIANA:: I will attend my husband, be his nurse,
Diet his sickness, for it is my office,
And will hav
havee no attorney but myself;
And ther
efor
therefor
eforee let me hav
havee him home with me.
AEMELIA
AEMELIA:: B
Bee patient; for I will not let him stir
Till I hav
oved means I hav
e,
havee used the appr
appro
have,
With wholesome syr
ups, dr
ugs and holy pray
ers,
syrups,
drugs
prayers,
To make of him a formal man again:
It is a branch and par
cel of mine oath,
parcel
A charitable duty of my or
der
order
der..
Ther
efor
Therefor
eforee depar
departt and leav
leavee him her
heree with me.
ADRIANA
e:
ADRIANA:: I will not hence and leav
leavee my husband her
here:
And ill it doth beseem yyour
our holiness
To separate the husband and the wife.
AEMELIA
t: thou shalt not hav
AEMELIA:: B
Bee quiet and depar
depart:
havee him.
36

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

[Exit
.]
xit.]

DUKE SOLINUS
he is a vir
tuous and a rrev
ev
er
end lady:
SOLINUS:: SShe
virtuous
ever
erend
It cannot be that she hath done thee wr
ong.
wrong.

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Complain unto the duke of this indignity
indignity..
ADRIANA
ay it please yyour
our grace, Antipholus, my husband,
ADRIANA:: M
May
Whom I made lor
d of me and all I had,
lord
our impor
tant letters,this ill day
At yyour
important
A most outrageous fit of madness took him;
That desperately he hurried thr
ough the str
eet,
through
street,
With him his bondman, all as mad as he
Doing displeasur
ens
displeasuree to the citiz
citizens
By rrushing
ushing in their houses, bearing thence
Rings, je
wels, any thing his rage did like.
jew
Once did I get him bound and sent him home,
Whilst to take or
der for the wr
ongs I w
ent,
order
wrongs
went,
That her
heree and ther
theree his fur
furyy had committed.
Anon, I wot not bbyy what str
ong escape,
strong
He br
oke fr
om those that had the guar
d of him;
broke
from
guard
And with his mad attendant and himself,
Each one with ir
eful passion, with drawn swor
ds,
ireful
swords,
Met us again and madly bent on us,
Chased us away; till, raising of mor
moree aid,
We came again to bind them. Then they fled
Into this abbey
abbey,, whither w
wee pursued them:
And her
heree the abbess shuts the gates on us
And will not suffer us to fetch him out,
Nor send him for
th that w
forth
wee may bear him hence.
Ther
efor
e, most gracious duke, with thy command
Therefor
efore,
Let him be br
ought for
th and borne hence for help
brought
forth
help..

ADRIANA
ostrate at his feet
prostrate
ADRIANA:: Come, go: I will fall pr
And nev
er rise until my tears and pray
ers
never
prayers
Hav
avee won his grace to come in person hither
And take per
for
ce my husband fr
om the abbess.
perfor
force
from
Second M
er
chant
e:
Mer
erchant
chant:: B
Byy this, I think, the dial points at fiv
five:
Anon, I
m sur
e, the duke himself in person
Im
sure,
Comes this way to the melancholy vvale,
ale,
The place of death and sorr
ecution,
sorryy ex
execution,
Behind the ditches of the abbey her
e.
here.
ANGEL
O: U
pon what cause?
ANGELO
Upon
Second M
er
chant
ev
er
end SSyracusian
yracusian mer
chant,
Mer
erchant
chant:: To see a rrev
ever
erend
merchant,
Who put unluckily into this bay
Against the laws and statutes of this to
wn,
town,
Beheaded publicly for his offence.
ANGEL
O: SSee
ee wher
ANGELO
wheree they come: w
wee will behold his death.
LUCIANA
UCIANA:: Kneel to the duke befor
beforee he pass the abbey
abbey..
[Enter DUKE SOLINUS, attended; GEON bar
eheaded; with
bareheaded;
the H
eadsman and other O
fficers
.]
Headsman
Officers
fficers.]
DUKE SOLINUS
oclaim it publicly
SOLINUS:: Yet once again pr
proclaim
publicly,,
If any friend will pay the sum for him,
He shall not die; so much w
wee tender him.

DUKE SOLINUS
SOLINUS:: Long since thy husband ser
servved me in my wars,
d,
princes wor
word,
And I to thee engaged a prince
When thou didst make him master of thy bed,
To do him all the grace and good I could.
Go, some of yyou,
ou, knock at the abbey-gate
And bid the lady abbess come to me.

ADRIANA
ustice, most sacr
ed duke, against the abbess!
ADRIANA:: JJustice,
sacred

37

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

I will determine this befor
beforee I stir
stir..

[ Enter ANTIP
HOL
US of E
phesus and DR
OMIO of E
phesus
.]
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
Ephesus
DROMIO
Ephesus
phesus.]

[Enter a SSer
er
.]
ervvant
ant.]

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ustice, most gracious duke, O,
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: JJustice,
grant me justice!
vice that long since I did thee,
Even for the ser
service
When I bestrid thee in the wars and took
en for the blood
Deep scars to sav
even
savee thy life; ev
That then I lost for thee, no
w grant me justice.
now

ess, mistr
ess, shift and sav
ourself!
Ser
ant:: O mistr
mistress,
mistress,
savee yyourself!
ervvant
oke loose,
My master and his man ar
aree both br
broke
ow and bound the doctor
Beaten the maids a-r
a-ro
Whose bear
d they hav
e;
beard
havee singed off with brands of fir
fire;
And ev
er
ed, they thr
ever
er,, as it blaz
blazed,
three w on him
Great pails of puddled mir
miree to quench the hair:
My master pr
eaches patience to him and the while
preaches
His man with scissors nicks him like a fool,
And sur
e, unless yyou
ou send some pr
esent help
sure,
present
help,,
Betw
een them they will kill the conjur
er
etween
conjurer
er..

GEON
nless the fear of death doth make me dote,
GEON:: U
Unless
Drromio
omio..
I see my son Antipholus and D
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ustice, sw
eet prince, against
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: JJustice,
sweet
that woman ther
e!
there!
She whom thou gav
est to me to be my wife,
gavest
That hath abused and dishonor
dishonord me
Even in the str
ength and height of injur
y!
strength
injury!
Bey
ond imagination is the wr
ong
eyond
wrong
That she this day hath shameless thr
own on me.
thro

ADRIANA
eace, fool! thy master and his man ar
e,
ADRIANA:: P
Peace,
aree her
here,
And that is false thou dost rrepor
epor
eportt to us.
Ser
istr
ess, upon my life, I tell yyou
ou tr
ue;
ervvant
ant:: M
Mistr
istress,
true;
I hav
eathed almost since I did see it.
havee not br
breathed
He cries for yyou,
ou, and vvo
ows, if he can take yyou,
ou,
To scor
ch yyour
our face and to disfigur
ou.
scorch
disfiguree yyou.

DUKE SOLINUS
isco
w, and thou shalt find me just.
SOLINUS:: D
Disco
iscovver ho
how
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
eat duke, she shut
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: This day
day,, gr
great
the doors upon me,
While she with harlots feasted in my house.

[Cr y within
.]
within.]
Har
k, har
k! I hear him, mistr
ess. fly
ark,
hark!
mistress.
fly,, be gone!

DUKE SOLINUS
ous fault! SSay
ay
SOLINUS:: A griev
grievous
ay,, woman, didst thou so?
DUKE SOLINUS
uar
d with
SOLINUS:: Come, stand bbyy me; fear nothing. G
Guar
uard
halber
ds!
halberds!

ADRIANA
o, my good lor
d: myself
ADRIANA:: N
No,
lord:
myself,, he and my sister
To-day did dine together
o befall my soul
together.. SSo
As this is false he bur
dens me withal!
burdens

ADRIANA
ou,
ADRIANA:: Ay me, it is my husband! Witness yyou,
That he is borne about invisible:
Even no
ww
e;
now
wee housed him in the abbey her
here;
And no
w he
e, past thought of human rreason.
eason.
now
hes ther
there,

LUCIANA
UCIANA:: N
Neeer may I look on day
day,, nor sleep on night,
But she tells to yyour
our highness simple tr
uth!
truth!

38

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

ANGEL
O: O perjur
ed woman! They ar
ANGELO
perjured
aree both forsworn:
In this the madman justly chargeth them.

Cries out, I was possess

possessd. Then all together
They fell upon me, bound me, bor
boree me thence
And in a dar
k and dankish vvault
ault at home
dark
Ther
Theree left me and my man, both bound together;
Till, gnawing with my teeth my bonds in sunder
sunder,,
I gain
eedom, and immediately
gaind my fr
freedom,
Ran hither to yyour
our grace; whom I beseech
To giv
givee me ample satisfaction
For these deep shames and gr
eat indignities.
great

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: My liege, I am advised what I say
say,,
Neither disturbed with the effect of wine,
Nor heady-rash, pr
ovoked with raging ir
e,
ire,
pro
Albeit my wr
ongs might make one wiser mad.
wrongs
This woman lock
om dinner:
lockd me out this day fr
from
That goldsmith ther
e, w
er
there,
wer
eree he not pack
packd with her
her,,
Could witness it, for he was with me then;
Who par
ted with me to go fetch a chain,
parted
Promising to bring it to the P
orpentine,
Porpentine,
Wher
althazar and I did dine together
Wheree B
Balthazar
together..
Our dinner done, and he not coming thither
thither,,
Iw
ent to seek him: in the str
eet I met him
went
street
And in his company that gentleman.
Ther
ed goldsmith sw
ear me do
wn
Theree did this perjur
perjured
swear
down
That I this day of him rreceiv
eceiv
ed the chain,
eceived
Which, G
od he kno
ws, I saw not: for the which
God
knows,
He did arr
est me with an officer
arrest
officer..
I did obey
obey,, and sent my peasant home
For cer
tain ducats: he with none rreturn
eturn
certain
eturnd
Then fairly I bespoke the officer
To go in person with me to my house.
By the way w
wee met
My wife, her sister
sister,, and a rabble mor
moree
Of vile confederates. Along with them
They br
ought one P
inch, a hungr
brought
Pinch,
hungryy lean-faced villain,
A mer
meree anatomy
anatomy,, a mountebank,
A thr
eadbar
tune-teller
threadbar
eadbaree juggler and a for
fortune-teller
tune-teller,,
A needy
w-ey
ed, sharp-looking wr
etch,
needy,, hollo
hollow-ey
w-eyed,
wretch,
A dead-looking man: this pernicious slav
e,
slave,
Forsooth, took on him as a conjur
er
conjurer
er,,
And, gazing in mine ey
es, feeling my pulse,
eyes,
And with no face, as tw
tw
er
e, outfacing me,
twer
ere,

ANGEL
O: M
d, in tr
uth, thus far I witness with him,
ANGELO
Myy lor
lord,
truth,
That he dined not at home, but was lock
lockd out.
DUKE SOLINUS
ut had he such a chain of thee or no?
SOLINUS:: B
But
ANGEL
O: H
d: and when he ran in her
e,
ANGELO
Hee had, my lor
lord:
here,
These people saw the chain about his neck.
Second M
er
chant
esides, I will be sworn these ears of mine
Mer
erchant
chant:: B
Besides,
Hear
d yyou
ou confess yyou
ou had the chain of him
eard
After yyou
ou first forswor
t:
forsworee it on the mar
mart:
And ther
eupon I dr
d on yyou;
ou;
thereupon
dree w my swor
sword
And then yyou
ou fled into this abbey her
e,
here,
From whence, I think, yyou
ou ar
aree come bbyy miracle.
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
er came within these
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I nev
never
abbey-walls,
Nor ev
er didst thou draw thy swor
d on me:
ever
sword
I nev
er saw the chain, so help me H
eav
en!
never
Heav
eaven!
And this is false yyou
ou bur
den me withal.
burden
DUKE SOLINUS
SOLINUS:: Why
Why,, what an intricate impeach is this!
I think yyou
ou all hav
unk of Cir
ce
havee dr
drunk
Circe
ces cup
cup..
If her
ou housed him, her
heree yyou
heree he would hav
havee been;
If he w
er
wer
eree mad, he would not plead so coldly:
39

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

You say he dined at home; the goldsmith her
heree
Denies that saying. SSirrah,
irrah, what say yyou?
ou?

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
es w
emember
ou;
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ourselv
urselves
wee do rremember
emember,, sir
sir,, bbyy yyou;
For lately w
er
ou ar
w
wee w
wer
eree bound, as yyou
aree no
now
You ar
inch
ou, sir?
aree not P
Pinch
inchs patient, ar
aree yyou,

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ir
e, at the
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: SSir
ir,, he dined with her ther
there,
Porpentine.

ou strange on me? yyou

ou kno
w me w
ell.
GEON
know
well.
GEON:: Why look yyou

Cour
te
zan
om my finger snatch
from
snatchd that ring.
Courte
tezan
zan:: H
Hee did, and fr

w.
ANTIP
HOL
US
er saw yyou
ou in my life till no
never
now
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
US:: I nev

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
is tr
ue, my liege; this ring I
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: T
Tis
true,
had of her
her..
DUKE SOLINUS
aw
e?
SOLINUS:: SSaw
awst thou him enter at the abbey her
here?

GEON
ou saw me last,
GEON:: O, grief hath changed me since yyou
And car
eful hours with time
careful
times deformed hand
Hav
es in my face:
avee written strange defeatur
defeatures
But tell me yyet,
et, dost thou not kno
w my vvoice?
oice?
know

Cour
te
zan
e, my liege, as I do see yyour
our grace.
Courte
tezan
zan:: As sur
sure,

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
either
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Neither
either..

DUKE SOLINUS
o call the abbess hither
SOLINUS:: Why
Why,, this is strange. G
Go
hither..
I think yyou
ou ar
k mad.
aree all mated or star
stark

GEON: D
Drromio, nor thou?
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS::

N
o, tr
ust me, sir
No,
trust
sir,, nor I.

[Exit one to A
bbess
.]
Abbess
bbess.]
GEON
GEON:: I am sur
suree thou dost.
GEON
ost mighty duke, vvouchsafe
ouchsafe me speak a wor
d:
GEON:: M
Most
word:
Haply I see a friend will sav
savee my life
And pay the sum that may deliv
er me.
deliver

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ay
Ay,, sir
sir,, but I am sur
suree I do not; and
whatsoev
er a man denies, yyou
ou ar
w bound to believ
whatsoever
aree no
now
believee him.

DUKE SOLINUS
peak fr
eely
yracusian, what thou wilt.
SOLINUS:: SSpeak
freely
eely,, SSyracusian,

GEON
ot kno
w my vvoice!
oice! O time
emity
GEON:: N
Not
know
times extr
extremity
emity,,
Hast thou so crack
crackd and splitted my poor tongue
In sev
en shor
ears, that her
seven
shortt yyears,
heree my only son
Kno
ws not my feeble key of untuned car
es?
Knows
cares?
Though no
w this grained face of mine be hid
now
In sap-consuming winter
w,
winters drizzled sno
snow
And all the conduits of my blood fr
oz
froz
ozee up
up,,
Yet hath my night of life some memor
memoryy,
My wasting lamps some fading glimmer left,
My dull deaf ears a little use to hear:
All these old witnessesI cannot err

GEON
our name, sir
GEON:: IIss not yyour
sir,, call
calld Antipholus?
And is not that yyour
our bondman, D
Drromio?
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Within this hour I was his bondman sir
sir,,
But he, I thank him, gnaw
ds:
gnawd in two my cor
cords:
Now am I D
Drromio and his man unbound.
GEON
ou both of yyou
ou rremember
emember me.
GEON:: I am sur
suree yyou
40

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

Tell me thou ar
artt my son Antipholus.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: geon ar
artt thou not? or else his
ghost?

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
er saw my father in my life.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I nev
never
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: O, my old master! who hath bound
e?
him her
here?

ears since, in SSyracusa,

yracusa, bo
GEON
ut sev
en yyears
seven
boyy,
GEON:: B
But
ted: but perhaps, my son,
Thou kno
wst w
wee par
parted:
know
Thou shamest to ackno
wledge me in miser
acknowledge
miseryy.

AEMELIA
er bound him, I will loose his bonds
Whoever
AEMELIA:: Whoev
And gain a husband bbyy his liber
ty
liberty
ty..
Speak, old AE
geon, if thou be
AEgeon,
best the man
That hadst a wife once call
milia
calld AE
AEmilia
That bor
den two fair sons:
boree thee at a bur
burden
O, if thou be
geon, speak,
best the same AE
AEgeon,
And speak unto the same AE
milia!
AEmilia!

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
w me
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: The duke and all that kno
know
in the city
Can witness with me that it is not so
I ne
er saw SSyracusa
yracusa in my life.
neer
DUKE SOLINUS
yracusian, tw
enty yyears
ears
SOLINUS:: I tell thee, SSyracusian,
twenty
Hav
on to Antipholus,
avee I been patr
patron
During which time he ne
er saw SSyracusa:
yracusa:
neer
I see thy age and dangers make thee dote.

GEON
eam not, thou ar
milia:
GEON:: IIff I dr
dream
artt AE
AEmilia:
artt she, tell me wher
wheree is that son
If thou ar
That floated with thee on the fatal raft?

[e-enter AEMILIA, with ANTIP

HOL
US of SSyr
yr
acuse and
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
yracuse
DR
OMIO of SSyr
yr
acuse
.]
DROMIO
yracuse
acuse.]

AEMELIA
pidamnum he and I
AEMELIA:: B
Byy men of E
Epidamnum
And the twin D
er
Drromio all w
wer
eree taken up;
But bbyy and bbyy rrude
ude fishermen of Corinth
By for
ce took D
om them
force
Drromio and my son fr
from
And me they left with those of E
pidamnum.
Epidamnum.
What then became of them I cannot tell
I to this for
tune that yyou
ou see me in.
fortune

AEMELIA
ost mighty duke, behold a man much wr
ong
AEMELIA:: M
Most
wrong
ongd.
[All gather to see them
.]
them.]
ADRIANA
es deceiv
ADRIANA:: I see two husbands, or mine ey
eyes
deceivee me.

DUKE SOLINUS
SOLINUS:: Why
Why,, her
heree begins his morning stor
storyy right;
These two Antipholuses, these two so like,
And these two D
Drromios, one in semblance,
Besides her urging of her wr
eck at sea,
wreck
These ar
ents to these childr
en,
aree the par
parents
children,
Which accidentally ar
aree met together
together..
Antipholus, thou camest fr
om Corinth first?
from

DUKE SOLINUS
ne of these men is G
enius to the other;
SOLINUS:: O
One
Genius
And so of these. Which is the natural man,
And which the spirit? who deciphers them?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I, sir
sir,, am D
Drromio; command him away
away..
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I, sir
sir,, am D
Drromio; pray
pray,, let me stay
stay..

ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
om SSyracuse.
yracuse.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: No, sir
sir,, not I; I came fr
from
41

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

DUKE SOLINUS
tay
t; I kno
w not which is
SOLINUS:: SStay
tay,, stand apar
apart;
know
which.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ou, sir
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: And yyou,
sir,, for this chain
arr
ested me.
arrested

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
om Corinth, my most
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: I came fr
from
gracious lor
d,
lord,

ANGEL
O: I think I did, sir; I deny it not.
ANGELO
ou money
our bail,
money,, sir
sir,, to be yyour
ADRIANA:: I sent yyou
ADRIANA
ought it not.
By D
Drromio; but I think he br
brought

HESUS
HESUS:: And I with him.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
DR
OMIO OF EP
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
wn bbyy that
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: B
Brrought to this to
town
most famous warrior
warrior,,
Duke M
enaphon, yyour
our most rreno
eno
wned uncle.
Menaphon,
enowned

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
o, none bbyy me.
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
No,
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
eceiv
ed
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: This purse of ducats I rreceiv
eceived
fr
om yyou,
ou,
from
And D
Drromio, my man, did bring them me.
I see w
wee still did meet each other
others man,
And I was ta
en for him, and he for me,
taen
And ther
eupon these err
ors ar
ose.
thereupon
errors
aree ar
arose.

ADRIANA
ou two did dine with me to-day?
ADRIANA:: Which of yyou
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ess.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I, gentle mistr
mistress.
ADRIANA
ADRIANA::

And ar
ou my husband?
aree not yyou
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: These ducats pawn I for my
father her
e.
here.

ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
o; I say nay to that.
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
No;
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
et did she call
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: And so do I; yyet
me so:
And this fair gentle
woman, her sister her
e,
gentlewoman,
here,
Did call me br
other
brother
other..

DUKE SOLINUS
SOLINUS:: IItt shall not need; thy father hath his life.
Cour
te
zan
ir
om yyou.
ou.
Courte
tezan
zan:: SSir
ir,, I must hav
havee that diamond fr
from
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
e, take it; and much thanks
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: Ther
There,
for my good cheer
cheer..

[To L
uciana
Luciana
uciana]]
What I told yyou
ou then,
I hope I shall hav
havee leisur
leisuree to make good;
If this be not a dr
eam I see and hear
dream
hear..

AEMELIA
eno
wned duke, vvouchsafe
ouchsafe to take the pains
AEMELIA:: R
Reno
enowned
To go with us into the abbey her
heree
And hear at large discoursed all our for
tunes:
fortunes:
And all that ar
aree assembled in this place,
That bbyy this sympathiz
ed one day
or
sympathized
days err
error
Hav
ong, go keep us company
avee suffer
sufferd wr
wrong,
company,,
And w
wee shall make full satisfaction.
Thir
ty-thr
ee yyears
ears hav
ail
Thirty-thr
ty-three
havee I but gone in trav
travail

ANGEL
O: That is the chain, sir
ou had of me.
ANGELO
sir,, which yyou
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: I think it be, sir; I deny it not.
42

The Comedy of Errors - Act V, scene i

Of yyou,
ou, my sons; and till this pr
esent hour
present
My heavy bur
den ne
er deliv
er
ed.
burden
neer
deliver
ered.
The duke, my husband and my childr
en both,
children
And yyou
ou the calendars of their nativity
nativity,,
Go to a gossips
gossips feast and go with me;
After so long grief
grief,, such festivity!

I see bbyy yyou

ou I am a sw
eet-faced yyouth.
outh.
sweet-faced
Will yyou
ou walk in to see their gossiping?
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
ot I, sir; yyou
ou ar
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: N
Not
aree my elder
elder..
w shall w
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
HESUS:: That
Thats a question: ho
how
wee tr
tryy it?
DROMIO
EPHESUS

DUKE SOLINUS
t, I
ll gossip at this feast.
SOLINUS:: With all my hear
heart,
Ill

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Well draw cuts for the senior: till
then lead thou first.

[Exeunt all but A

ntipholus of SSyr
yr
acuse, A
ntipholus of E
phesus,
Antipholus
yracuse,
Antipholus
Ephesus,
Dr
omio of SSyr
yr
acuse and Dr
omio of E
phesus
.]
Dromio
yracuse
Dromio
Ephesus
phesus.]

DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ay
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: N
Nay
ay,, then, thus:
We came into the world like br
other and br
other;
brother
brother;
And no
w let
now
lets go hand in hand, not one befor
beforee another
another..

DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
aster
our stuff fr
om
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: M
Master
aster,, shall I fetch yyour
from
shipboar
d?
shipboard?

[Exeunt
.]
eunt.]
ANTIP
HOL
US OF EP
HESUS
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
EPHESUS
HESUS:: D
Drromio, what stuff of mine hast
thou embar
kd?
embark
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Your goods that lay at host, sir
sir,, in
the Centaur
Centaur..
ANTIP
HOL
US OF SYRA
CUSE
our
ANTIPHOL
HOLUS
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: H
Hee speaks to me. I am yyour
master
omio
master,, Dr
Dromio
omio::
Come, go with us; w
weell look to that anon:
Embrace thy br
other ther
e; rrejoice
ejoice with him.
brother
there;
[Exeunt A
ntipholus of SSyr
yr
acuse and A
ntipholus of E
phesus
.]
Antipholus
yracuse
Antipholus
Ephesus
phesus.]
DR
OMIO OF SYRA
CUSE
our master
DROMIO
SYRACUSE
CUSE:: Ther
Theree is a fat friend at yyour
masters
house,
That kitchen
ou to-day at dinner:
kitchend me for yyou
She no
w shall be my sister
now
sister,, not my wife.
DR
OMIO OF EP
HESUS
ethinks yyou
ou ar
DROMIO
EPHESUS
HESUS:: M
Methinks
aree my glass, and not
my br
other:
brother:
43