COMEDY OF ERRORS
By: William Shakespeare
 |
| COMEDY OF ERRORS By: William Shakespeare |
A merchant from Syracuse, Aegon, was shipwrecked a few years ago when he and his wife Amelia were separated from one of his twin sons, later Antivolus of Ephesus, and his slave Dromée, son of Ephesus. Another slave's twin, Dromeo of Syracuse, and Aegon's remaining son, Antivolus of Syracuse, stayed with Aegon. When he was of legal age, Antivolos was authorized by Syracuse to find his missing brother. After a while, Aegon goes in search of his remaining son, and the play begins when we learn of Aegon's capture and death by Duke Solinus in the hostile city of Ephesus. Solinus regrets the details of Aegon's story and grants him a reprieve until dark, at which point a ransom of a thousand points must be waived.
Twists and turns occur when Antipholus arrives with his slave from Syracuse to Ephesus, where Antipholus' twin brother lives with his wife Adriana and their twin slave. Confusion rises above confusion: Antipholus of Syracuse insults Dromio of Ephesus for disturbing him to come home for dinner; Adriana locks her real husband out of his house while she takes the Syracuse twins from Ephesus with her: now it is the turn of the other Dromeo to strike; Antipholus of Ephesus refuses to pay for a gold chain he ordered (delivered to his brother) and is therefore arrested. As the situation becomes more confusing and everyone makes everyone feel equally angry, Egon's time for execution draws closer and closer. Antipholus of Ephesus asks the Duke for intercession. Egon sees his son as a savior at the last moment, but of course he doesn't recognize him. Eventually, the Syracuse twins come out of a monastery they have taken refuge in, and the complications are resolved. Abbess, who turns out to be Egeon's lost wife Emilia, finally invites them all to discuss the "one-day error" and the "complete satisfaction".
No comments: