The Comedy of Errors — William Shakespeare

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare s early plays It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity in addition to puns and word play It has been adapted for opera stage screen and musical theatre numerous times worldwide In the centuries following its premiere the play s title has entered the popular English lexicon as an idiom for an event or series of events made ridiculous by the number of errors that were made throughout Set in the Greek city of Ephesus The Comedy of Errors tells the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse arrive in Ephesus which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers Antipholus of Ephesus and his servant Dromio of Ephesus When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins a series of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings a near seduction the arrest of Antipholus of Ephesus and false accusations of infidelity theft madness and demonic possession

The Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeares most farcical plays with not one but two sets of twins sliding past each other into mistakes violence and madness An early romantic comedy its often considered an immature play but also a piece of dramatic experimentation This New Oxford Shakespeare edition examines links between Shakespeares play and its literary sources and analogues but also situates it within performance traditions Illuminating points of comparison between The Comedy of Errors and Shakespeares other comedies as well as its consonances with Shakespeares later plays of estrangement and loss this edition provides readers with a nuanced exploration of Shakespeares shortest play The New Oxford Shakespeare offers authoritative editions of Shakespeares works with introductory materials designed to encourage new interpretations of the plays and poems Using the text from the landmark The New Oxford Shakespeare Complete Works Modern Critical Edition these volumes offer readers the latest thinking on the authentic texts collated from all surviving original versions of Shakespeares work alongside innovative introductions from leading scholars The texts are accompanied by a comprehensive set of critical apparatus to give readers the best resources to help understand and enjoy Shakespeares work