The Comedy of Errors

The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare's early plays, written between 1592 and 1594. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical. A major part of the humor comes from slapstick, mistaken identity, puns and wordplay.

Act I

• The pleasing punishment that women bear.
  • Ægeon, scene i

Act II

• A wretched soul, bruis'd with adversity,
  We bid be quiet, when we hear it cry;
  But, were we burden'd with like weight of pain,
  As much or more we should ourselves complain.
  • Adriana, scene i

• Every why hath a wherefore.
  • Dromio of Syracuse, scene ii

Act III

• Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.
  • Balthazar, scene i

Act V

• A hungry lean-fac'd villain,
  A mere anatomy.
  • Antipholus of Ephesus, scene i

• A needy, hollow-ey'd, sharp-looking wretch,
  A living-dead man.
  • Antipholus of Ephesus, scene i

• Let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.
  • Dromio of Ephesus, scene i

External links

• The Comedy of Errors quotes analyzed; study guide with themes, character analyses, literary devices, teaching resources

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