The Comedy of Errors (25 page)

Maya Angelou
•
A. S. Byatt
•
Caleb Carr
•
Christopher Cerf
•
Harold Evans
•
Charles Frazier
•
Vartan Gregorian
•
Jessica Hagedorn
•
Richard Howard
•
Charles Johnson
•
Jon Krakauer
•
Edmund Morris
•
Azar Nafisi
•
Joyce Carol Oates
•
Elaine Pagels
•
John Richardson
•
Salman Rushdie
•
Oliver Sacks
•
Carolyn See
•
Gore Vidal
•

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List of Parts

bondsmen
slaves

Act 1 Scene 1

1.1
Location: Ephesus. This is the location for the whole play. Most of the action takes places outdoors in public, in or near the market (“mart”)

1.1
Ephesus
Ionian city, now part of Turkey

1.1
Syracuse
city in Sicily

2
doom
sentence

4
partial
inclined

6
rancorous outrage
bitter wrongdoing

7
well-dealing
civil, honest

8
wanting
lacking

8
guilders
silver coins

8
redeem
ransom

9
sealed
certified (as if their
bloods
were sealing wax)

9
rigorous statutes
severe laws (literally, legal documents)

11
mortal
deadly

11
intestine
internal

11
jars
conflicts

12
seditious
turbulent

13
synods
assemblies

15
traffic to
trade between

15
adverse
hostile

17
marts
markets

20
to
at

20
dispose
disposal

21
marks
coins, each worth two thirds of a pound

21
levièd
raised

22
quit
pay

23
substance
possessions

31
heavier
more sorrowful

32
I
for me

33
that
so that

34
wrought by nature
brought about by natural affection

35
gives me leave
permits me to

37
but
only

38
by … bad
would have been happy with me had we not suffered misfortune

41
Epidamium
Epidamnus, port on the coast of Illyricum; now Durrës in Albania

41
factor’s
agent’s

42
at random
unattended

43
embracements
embraces

46
pleasing punishment
i.e. pregnancy

54
mean
lowly, humble

56
for
because

57
attend
serve/accompany

58
meanly
a little

59
motions
urgings

61
league
about three miles

62
deep
sea

63
instance
suggestion

67
doubtful warrant
dreadful assurance

70
before for
in the face of

71
plainings
wailing

72
for fashion
as is customary

73
delays
i.e. from death

74
it was
is what happened

75
boat
the ship’s lifeboat

76
sinking-ripe
ready to sink

77
careful
concerned

77
latter-born
youngest

81
like
equally

83
whom
him/those on whom

84
the
of the

85
straight
immediately

85
stream
current

86
Corinth
Greek city

88
vapours
clouds

88
offended
assailed

89
benefit
help

91
amain
swiftly

92
Epidaurus
probably a port on the Adriatic coast, just south of Dubrovnik (then Illyria, now Croatia), though there was another Epidaurus (famous for its amphitheater) in Greece

93
ere
before

94
that
that which

95
forward
proceed

98
Worthily
deservedly

99
meet by
come within

99
twice five leagues
about thirty miles

105
What
something

111
seized on us
took hold of us/hauled us up

112
hap
chance

114
reft … prey
deprived the fishermen of their catch

115
bark
small ship

121
dilate
relate

122
befall’n of
happened to

123
eldest
longest

125
After
about

125
importuned
begged

126
attendant
i.e. one of the twins of humbler birth

126
like
the same

127
Reft … name
deprived of his brother, but retaining his sibling’s name

128
of
for

129
laboured … love
longed

130
hazarded … loved
i.e. risked losing my younger son

132
clean
completely

132
bounds
territories

133
coasting
traveling along the coast

135
Or
either

138
travels
also “travails” (efforts, pains)

138
warrant
guarantee

139
Hapless
unlucky

143
would they
even if they wanted to

143
disannul
abolish

144
sue
plead, petition

145
adjudgèd
condemned

147
But to
except at the cost of

147
disparagement
disgrace

149
limit
allow

150
health
i.e. life, well-being

156
wend
go, direct himself

157
procrastinate
postpone

Act 1 Scene 2

1.2
Antipholus
from the Greek
anti +philia
(“opposing love”); Folio entry direction calls him “Antipholis Erotes” (suggesting Latin
erratus
, “wanderer”/
Erotes
, “love gods, cupids”)

1.2
Dromio
Greek for “runner”

1
give out
say

5
buy out
ransom

8
to keep
in my keeping

9
the Centaur
an inn

9
host
lodge

11
dinner-time
i.e. about noon

12
manners
habits, nature

13
Peruse
observe

18
mean
opportunity/means (i.e. the money)

19
villain
servant/rogue

19
oft
often

20
care
cares, troubles

21
humour
mood (one of the four bodily “humors” that governed the disposition)

25
benefit
profit

26
Soon at
at about/promptly at

28
consort
accompany

32
content
pleasure, enjoyment

37
find … forth
discover his companion (some editors emend
falling
to “failing”)

38
Unseen
unknown/inexperienced

38
confounds
becomes indistinguishable to/destroys/loses

40
unhappy
ill-fated

41
almanac … date
as they were born at the same time, Dromio is a living calendar for Antipholus to judge his age by

44
capon
castrated cockerel (a common dish)

46
made it one
i.e. struck him

47
hot
angry

49
stomach
appetite

50
broke your fast
had breakfast

51
fast and pray
acts of penitence

52
penitent
repentant/fasting

52
default
offense

53
Stop … wind
hold your breath, shut up

55
o’
on

56
crupper
leather strap on a horse’s saddle

58
sportive
merry

61
charge
responsibility

61
from … custody
out of your own keeping

63
post
haste

64
post
beaten, like a tavern doorpost on which accounts were marked

65
score
engrave/count

65
pate
head

66
maw
stomach

68
out of season
irrelevant/inappropriate

72
have done
end

73
charge
responsibility, task

75
the Phoenix
the name of Antipholus’ house or sign of his shop

76
stays
wait

79
sconce
head

80
stands
insists

80
undisposed
not in the mood