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Comedy Of Errors Essay, Research Paper

Comedy of Errors

Victor Muscia

P.6/7 Shakespeare Play Research Paper

Biography of Shakespeare

William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists. Shakespeare?s plays communicate a profound knowledge of human behavior, revealed through portrayals of a wide variety of characters. His use of poetic and dramatic means to create a unified artistic effect out of several vocal expressions and actions is recognized as a singular achievement, and his use of poetry within his plays to express the deepest levels of human motivation in individual, social, and universal situations is considered one of the greatest accomplishments in literary history.

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. No knows the exact date of William?s birth, although we do know that he was baptized on Wednesday, April 26, 1564. His father was John Shakespeare, tanner, glover, dealer in grain, and town official of Stratford. William?s mother, Mary, was the daughter of Robert Arden, a prosperous gentleman.

On November 28, 1582, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway entered into a marriage contract. The baptism of their eldest child, Susanna, took place in Stratford in May 1583. One year and nine months later their twins, Hamnet and Judith, were christened in the same church.

In 1593, William found a patron, Henry Wriothgley, to sponsor him. During this time, he wrote two long poems. His first long poem, ?Venus and Adonius?, was written in 1593. In 1594 he wrote his second long poem, ?Rape of Lucrece?. In London, Shakespeare established himself as an actor who began to write many plays.

Shakespeare worked ?Lords Chamberlain?s Men? company which later became ?The King?s Men? in 1603 after King James I took over. This company became the largest and most famous acting company, only because Shakespeare worked for them, writing all the plays they performed. They performed these plays by Shakespeare in a well known theater which was called ?The Globe? because of it s circular shape.

Shakespeare left London in 1611 and retired. On March 25, 1616, Shakespeare made a will and, shortly after he died on April 23, 1616 at the age of 52. Many people believed that Shakespeare knew he was dying; however he didn?t want anyone to know that he was.

Certainly there are many things about Shakespeare?s genius and career which the most diligent scholars do not know and can not explain, but the facts which do exist are sufficient to establish Shakespeare?s identity as a man and his authorship of the thirty-seven plays which reputable critics acknowledge to be his. Since the 19th century, Shakespeare?s achievements have been more consistently recognized, and throughout the Western world he has come to be regarded as the greatest dramatist ever.

ACT I

The play?s opening lines signal a mood of tension, and they portend disaster for Egeon, a middle-aged merchant from the ancient city of Syracuse on the island of Sicily. The cities of Syracuse and Ephesus are openly hostile toward one another. Captured in Ephesus, Egeon has been condemned to death by the Duke, who urges him to tell the sad story of how he has come to this state.

Along with his wife Emilia, identical twin sons both named Antipholus, and identical twin slaves both named Dromio, Egeon some years ago suffered a shipwreck. One son and slave survived with the father; the others, he hoped, survived with the mother. Neither group knew of the other?s survival, however, nor of each other?s whereabouts, but when Antipholus of Syracuse turned eighteen, his father gave him permission to search for his brother. The worried Egeon then set out after his second son, and after five years of fruitless wandering, he came to Ephesus. Moved by this tale of sadness, the Duke of Ephesus gave Egeon a day, within which time Egeon must raise a thousand marks ransom money.

Antipholus of Syracuse takes his leave of a friendly merchant and tells his servant Dromio of Syracuse to take the 1,000 marks he has with him to their lodging for safekeeping. Meanwhile, he tells Dromio he?s going to look around the town. Soon Dromio of Ephesus, an exact look-alike of the other Dromio, enters and tells Antipholus of Syracuse, thinking he is Antipholus of Ephesus, to come home for dinner that his wife has been waiting. In no mood for joking around with the servant, Antipholus hits the uncomprehending Dromio on the head, as he walks off. Antipholus then groans with the thought that a bondsman has just cheated him out of 1,000 marks.

ACT II

Antipholus of Ephesus? wife, Adriana, debates with her sister Luciana on the proper conduct of authority in marriage. Luciana?s conventional wisdom that men are masters to their females and their lords. Dromio breaks up the conversation with the complaint that his master has just hit him and demanded the return of a nonexistent thousand marks. The servant?s report of his master?s words ? I know no house, no wife, no mistress,? send Adriana into a fit of anger.

Antipholus of Syracuse beats Dromio of Syracuse, this time, for his former ignorance, and warning him in the future to be sure precisely when the time is right for joking around. Dromio takes the beating completely dumbfounded about the reason for it. Then shortly after Adriana and Luciana see Antipholus of Syracuse and take him for Antipholus of Ephesus. The Syracusian Antipholus and Syracusian Dromio begin to doubt their senses. Their bewilderment follows quickly upon Adriana?s long forgiving speech to her husband. Antipholus of Syracuse correctly explains that he has only been in Ephesus for two hours, and therefore he does not know who Adriana is. When Luciana recounts having sent Dromio to fetch him to dinner. Antipholus of Syracuse becomes further

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