The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors - William Shakespeare - Shakespeares The Comedy of Errors is the slapstick farce of his youth. In it, the lost twin sons of the old merchant Egeonboth named Antipholusfind themselves in Ephesus, without either one even knowing of the others existence. Meanwhile, Egeon has arrived in search of the son he thinks is still aliveand has been sentenced to death for the crime of being from Syracuse.To add to the confusion, the two Antipholuses have twin servants, both named Dromio. As the four men unwittingly encounter each other, the play is crammed with wildly escalating misunderstandings before the truth emerges and Egeon is pardoned.Shakespeare bases his story on Plautuss Menaechmi, a play about identical twins who accidentally meet after a lifetime apart. He borrows from another Plautus play by having Adriana, the wife of one Antipholus, entertain the other. The spirited Adriana often gives speeches evoking strong emotionsas do other characters at times. Even here, Shakespeare suggests complexities beyond the farce.

Auteur
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He was born on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His father was a successful local businessman and his mother was the daughter of a landowner. Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist.He is often called England's national poet and nicknamed the Bard of Avon. He wrote about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, of which the authorship of some is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.