The Shakespeare Book

70

T

he city of Ephesus is at war

with Syracuse. Syracusans

visiting Ephesus illegally

must pay a fine or be executed.

One such is Egeon, a merchant just

arrived. He tells Duke Solinus that

he, his wife Emilia, their young

twin sons, and their twin servants,

were separated by a storm at

sea years before. Egeon and his

remaining son and servant returned

to Syracuse, where he named the

boys after their respective siblings.

Once grown, Antipholus and

Dromio as they were called, set

off to seek their brother twins, but

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

never returned. Now Egeon has

risked death by coming to Ephesus

in search of both sons and their

servants. Moved by the tale, Duke

Solinus gives Egeon a reprieve until

five in the afternoon to raise the fine. 

Unknown to Egeon, those

he seeks have also just arrived.

Sending Dromio to the inn with

their money for safekeeping,

Antipholus of Syracuse sets off to

explore. Little does he know that

the subjects of his own search are

nearby. Antipholus of Ephesus, a

thriving merchant, lives with his

wife, Adriana, and her sister,

DRAMATIS

PERSONAE

Egeon A merchant from

Syracuse and father of the

Antipholus twins. He is under

sentence of death as the

play begins.

Solinus Duke of Ephesus.

Antipholus of Ephesus

Twin son of Egeon. He is

a successful merchant,

married to Adriana.

Antipholus of Syracuse

Twin son of Egeon, who raised

him. He has come to Ephesus

to find his twin.

Dromio of Ephesus Servant

of Antipholus of Ephesus and

twin to Dromio of Syracuse.

More put-upon and beaten

than his Syracusan twin, his

character is, understandably,

less happy.

Dromio of Syracuse Servant

of Antipholus of Syracuse and

twin to Dromio of Ephesus.

He has a lively wit and acts

on his own initiative.

Adriana Wife of Antipholus of

Ephesus. She is impatient with

a marriage that restricts her

liberty, and with an inequality

between husband and wife

that she resents.

Nell Adriana’s kitchen-maid.

Luciana Sister of Adriana

who, having seen a troubled

marriage close up, is wary of

marriage.

Emilia An abbess in

Ephesus and, we later learn,

the long-lost wife of Egeon.

2.1

2.2

1.1

1.2

3.1

At home, Adriana

complains that

her husband is

neglectful. Luciana

argues that men are

freer than women.

As a Syracusan caught

illegally visiting Ephesus,

Egeon must pay a fine

or die. The Duke gives him

until 5 o’clock to pay.

Egeon’s sons Antipholus

and Dromio are warned

to conceal their

Syracusan nationality.

Antipholus S is met by

Dromio E who begs him to

come home to dinner.

Antipholus E is locked

out. He decides to give a

courtesan a gold chain he

had intended for his wife.

Adriana rebukes

Antipholus S, thinking

he’s her tardy husband.

He sees her sister,

Luciana, and falls in love.

Act 1 Act 2