the law." The Duke is the personification of a weak ruler. He had utterly failed in the prevention of crime;—he had fostered vice by neglect, and then rushes to punishment, deputing his power to another, lest he himself should be open to slander. The play is a profound satire upon the inadequacy of human laws to enforce public morals upon a principle of fear; and of the inconsistencies and wrongs of any administration of justice that depends upon the individual temper and character of the administrator. PERSONS REPRESENTED. SOLINUS, Duke of Ephesus. ÆGEON, a Merchant of Syracuse. ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS, twin-brother to Antipholus of Syracuse, but unknown to him, and son to Ægeon and Æmilia. Appears, Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE, twin-brother to Antipholus of Ephesus, but unknown to him, and son to Ægeon and Æmilia. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2. Act III, sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 4 Act V. sc. 1. DROMIO OF EPHESUS, twin-brother to Dromio of Syracuse, and an attendant on Antipholus of Ephesus. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 1. Act III. sc. 1. Act IV. sc. 1; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE, twin-brother to Dromio of Ephesus, and an attendant on Antipholus of Syracuse. Appears, Act I. sc. 2. Act II. sc. 2. Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. BALTHAZAR, a merchant. ANGELO, a goldsmith. Act V. sc. 1. Appears, Act III. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 1. Act V. sc. 1. A Merchant, friend to Antipholus of Syracuse. PINCH, a schoolmaster and a conjurer. EMILIA, wife to Ægeon, an abbess at Ephesus. ADRIANA, wife to Antipholus of Ephesus. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. LUCIANA, sister to Adriana. Appears, Act II. sc. 1; sc. 2. Act III. sc. 2. Act IV. sc. 2; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. LUCE, her servant. Appears, Act. III. sc. 1. A Courtezan. Appears, Act IV. sc. 3; sc. 4. Act V. sc. 1. SCENE, EPHESUS. 'THE COMEDY OF ERRORS' was first printed in the folio edition of 1623. In a work by Francis Meres, published in 1598, it is mentioned under the name of Errors,' as written by Shakspere. It held its place on the stage; for on the 28th of December, 1604, it was represented before the Court of James I., at Whitehall. There was an old play called 'The History of Error,' which was acted at Hampton Court on New Year's Night, 1576-7. Some critics consider that The Comedy of Errors' was founded on this old play. But The Comedy of Errors,' in many respects, bears a general resemblance to the Menæchmi' of the old Roman dramatist Plautus. There was a translation of that play published in 1595. There are great differences between Plautus and Shakspere in the management of the story; and the principal difference is, that although there are two twin-brothers, one of whom is in search of the other, who was stolen, there are not two twin-servants. We have twin-Antipholuses, but not twin-Dromios. It is to be remarked that, although the 'Comedy of Errors' follows, in a considerable degree, the ancient comedy of 'The Menæchmi,' we are not to infer that Shakspere intended to place his action at the same period as the Roman play. There is no allusion whatever to the classical mythology, with which the play of Plautus abounds. The dialogue is full of what are called anachronisms. But when Shakspere talks of rapiers, and striking clocks, and ducats, and the map of America, he uses terms to convey ideas which should be intelligible to his audience, without carrying them into modern times. And for the same reason we may accept the scene Ephesus as belonging to no definite period in the history of that famous city. |