Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

Act 5 - Scene 1

A street before a Priory.

Aegeon : Unless the fear of death doth make me dote, [p]I see my son Antipholus
and Dromio.

Antipholus of Ephesus : Justice, sweet prince, against that woman there! [p]She whom thou
gavest to me to be my wife, [p]That hath abused and dishonour'd
me [p]Even in the strength and height of injury! [p]Beyond imagination
is the wrong [p]That she this day hath shameless thrown on me.

Solinus : Discover how, and thou shalt find me just.

Antipholus of Ephesus : This day, great duke, she shut the doors upon me, [p]While she with
harlots feasted in my house.

Solinus : A grievous fault! Say, woman, didst thou so?

Adriana : No, my good lord: myself, he and my sister [p]To-day did dine
together. So befall my soul [p]As this is false he burdens me withal!

Luciana : Ne'er may I look on day, nor sleep on night, [p]But she tells to your
highness simple truth!

Angelo : O perjured woman! They are both forsworn: [p]In this the madman justly
chargeth them.

Antipholus of Ephesus : My liege, I am advised what I say, [p]Neither disturbed with the
effect of wine, [p]Nor heady-rash, provoked with raging ire, [p]Albeit
my wrongs might make one wiser mad. [p]This woman lock'd me out this
day from dinner: [p]That goldsmith there, were he not pack'd with
her, [p]Could witness it, for he was with me then; [p]Who parted with
me to go fetch a chain, [p]Promising to bring it to the
Porpentine, [p]Where Balthazar and I did dine together. [p]Our dinner
done, and he not coming thither, [p]I went to seek him: in the street
I met him [p]And in his company that gentleman. [p]There did this
perjured goldsmith swear me down [p]That I this day of him received
the chain, [p]Which, God he knows, I saw not: for the which [p]He did
arrest me with an officer. [p]I did obey, and sent my peasant
home [p]For certain ducats: he with none return'd [p]Then fairly I
bespoke the officer [p]To go in person with me to my house. [p]By the
way we met [p]My wife, her sister, and a rabble more [p]Of vile
confederates. Along with them [p]They brought one Pinch, a hungry
lean-faced villain, [p]A mere anatomy, a mountebank, [p]A threadbare
juggler and a fortune-teller, [p]A needy, hollow-eyed, sharp-looking
wretch, [p]A dead-looking man: this pernicious slave, [p]Forsooth,
took on him as a conjurer, [p]And, gazing in mine eyes, feeling my
pulse, [p]And with no face, as 'twere, outfacing me, [p]Cries out, I
was possess'd. Then all together [p]They fell upon me, bound me, bore
me thence [p]And in a dark and dankish vault at home [p]There left me
and my man, both bound together; [p]Till, gnawing with my teeth my
bonds in sunder, [p]I gain'd my freedom, and immediately [p]Ran hither
to your grace; whom I beseech [p]To give me ample satisfaction [p]For
these deep shames and great indignities.

Angelo : My lord, in truth, thus far I witness with him, [p]That he dined not
at home, but was lock'd out.

Solinus : But had he such a chain of thee or no?

Angelo : He had, my lord: and when he ran in here, [p]These people saw the
chain about his neck.

Second Merchant : Besides, I will be sworn these ears of mine [p]Heard you confess you
had the chain of him [p]After you first forswore it on the
mart: [p]And thereupon I drew my sword on you; [p]And then you fled
into this abbey here, [p]From whence, I think, you are come by
miracle.

Antipholus of Ephesus : I never came within these abbey-walls, [p]Nor ever didst thou draw thy
sword on me: [p]I never saw the chain, so help me Heaven! [p]And this
is false you burden me withal.

Solinus : Why, what an intricate impeach is this! [p]I think you all have drunk
of Circe's cup. [p]If here you housed him, here he would have
been; [p]If he were mad, he would not plead so coldly: [p]You say he
dined at home; the goldsmith here [p]Denies that saying. Sirrah, what
say you?

Dromio of Ephesus : Sir, he dined with her there, at the Porpentine.

Courtezan : He did, and from my finger snatch'd that ring.

Antipholus of Ephesus : 'Tis true, my liege; this ring I had of her.

Solinus : Saw'st thou him enter at the abbey here?

Courtezan : As sure, my liege, as I do see your grace.

Solinus : Why, this is strange. Go call the abbess hither. [p]I think you are
all mated or stark mad.

Aegeon : Most mighty duke, vouchsafe me speak a word: [p]Haply I see a friend
will save my life [p]And pay the sum that may deliver me.

Solinus : Speak freely, Syracusian, what thou wilt.

Aegeon : Is not your name, sir, call'd Antipholus? [p]And is not that your
bondman, Dromio?

Dromio of Ephesus : Within this hour I was his bondman sir, [p]But he, I thank him, gnaw'd
in two my cords: [p]Now am I Dromio and his man unbound.

Aegeon : I am sure you both of you remember me.

Dromio of Ephesus : Ourselves we do remember, sir, by you; [p]For lately we were bound, as
you are now [p]You are not Pinch's patient, are you, sir?

Aegeon : Why look you strange on me? you know me well.

Antipholus of Ephesus : I never saw you in my life till now.

Aegeon : O, grief hath changed me since you saw me last, [p]And careful hours
with time's deformed hand [p]Have written strange defeatures in my
face: [p]But tell me yet, dost thou not know my voice?

Antipholus of Ephesus : Neither.

Aegeon : Dromio, nor thou?

Dromio of Ephesus : No, trust me, sir, nor I.

Aegeon : I am sure thou dost.

Dromio of Ephesus : Ay, sir, but I am sure I do not; and whatsoever a [p]man denies, you
are now bound to believe him.

Aegeon : Not know my voice! O time's extremity, [p]Hast thou so crack'd and
splitted my poor tongue [p]In seven short years, that here my only
son [p]Knows not my feeble key of untuned cares? [p]Though now this
grained face of mine be hid [p]In sap-consuming winter's drizzled
snow, [p]And all the conduits of my blood froze up, [p]Yet hath my
night of life some memory, [p]My wasting lamps some fading glimmer
left, [p]My dull deaf ears a little use to hear: [p]All these old
witnesses--I cannot err-- [p]Tell me thou art my son Antipholus.

Antipholus of Ephesus : I never saw my father in my life.

Angelo : I am sorry, sir, that I have hinder'd you; [p]But, I protest, he had
the chain of me, [p]Though most dishonestly he doth deny it.

Second Merchant : How is the man esteemed here in the city?

Angelo : Of very reverend reputation, sir, [p]Of credit infinite, highly
beloved, [p]Second to none that lives here in the city: [p]His word
might bear my wealth at any time.

Second Merchant : Speak softly; yonder, as I think, he walks.

Angelo : 'Tis so; and that self chain about his neck [p]Which he forswore most
monstrously to have. [p]Good sir, draw near to me, I'll speak to
him. [p]Signior Antipholus, I wonder much [p]That you would put me to
this shame and trouble; [p]And, not without some scandal to
yourself, [p]With circumstance and oaths so to deny [p]This chain
which now you wear so openly: [p]Beside the charge, the shame,
imprisonment, [p]You have done wrong to this my honest friend, [p]Who,
but for staying on our controversy, [p]Had hoisted sail and put to sea
to-day: [p]This chain you had of me; can you deny it?

Antipholus of Syracuse : I think I had; I never did deny it.

Second Merchant : Yes, that you did, sir, and forswore it too.

Antipholus of Syracuse : Who heard me to deny it or forswear it?

Second Merchant : These ears of mine, thou know'st did hear thee. [p]Fie on thee,
wretch! 'tis pity that thou livest [p]To walk where any honest man
resort.

Antipholus of Syracuse : Thou art a villain to impeach me thus: [p]I'll prove mine honour and
mine honesty [p]Against thee presently, if thou darest stand.

Second Merchant : I dare, and do defy thee for a villain.

Adriana : Hold, hurt him not, for God's sake! he is mad. [p]Some get within him,
take his sword away: [p]Bind Dromio too, and bear them to my house.

Dromio of Syracuse : Run, master, run; for God's sake, take a house! [p]This is some
priory. In, or we are spoil'd! [p][Exeunt Antipholus of Syracuse and
Dromio of Syracuse] [p]to the Priory]

Aemilia : Be quiet, people. Wherefore throng you hither?

Adriana : To fetch my poor distracted husband hence. [p]Let us come in, that we
may bind him fast [p]And bear him home for his recovery.

Angelo : I knew he was not in his perfect wits.

Second Merchant : I am sorry now that I did draw on him.

Aemilia : How long hath this possession held the man?

Adriana : This week he hath been heavy, sour, sad, [p]And much different from
the man he was; [p]But till this afternoon his passion [p]Ne'er brake
into extremity of rage.

Aemilia : Hath he not lost much wealth by wreck of sea? [p]Buried some dear
friend? Hath not else his eye [p]Stray'd his affection in unlawful
love? [p]A sin prevailing much in youthful men, [p]Who give their eyes
the liberty of gazing. [p]Which of these sorrows is he subject to?

Adriana : To none of these, except it be the last; [p]Namely, some love that
drew him oft from home.

Aemilia : You should for that have reprehended him.

Adriana : Why, so I did.

Aemilia : Ay, but not rough enough.

Adriana : As roughly as my modesty would let me.

Aemilia : Haply, in private.

Adriana : And in assemblies too.

Aemilia : Ay, but not enough.

Adriana : It was the copy of our conference: [p]In bed he slept not for my
urging it; [p]At board he fed not for my urging it; [p]Alone, it was
the subject of my theme; [p]In company I often glanced it; [p]Still
did I tell him it was vile and bad.

Aemilia : And thereof came it that the man was mad. [p]The venom clamours of a
jealous woman [p]Poisons more deadly than a mad dog's tooth. [p]It
seems his sleeps were hinder'd by thy railing, [p]And therefore comes
it that his head is light. [p]Thou say'st his meat was sauced with thy
upbraidings: [p]Unquiet meals make ill digestions; [p]Thereof the
raging fire of fever bred; [p]And what's a fever but a fit of
madness? [p]Thou say'st his sports were hinderd by thy
brawls: [p]Sweet recreation barr'd, what doth ensue [p]But moody and
dull melancholy, [p]Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair, [p]And at
her heels a huge infectious troop [p]Of pale distemperatures and foes
to life? [p]In food, in sport and life-preserving rest [p]To be
disturb'd, would mad or man or beast: [p]The consequence is then thy
jealous fits [p]Have scared thy husband from the use of wits.

Luciana : She never reprehended him but mildly, [p]When he demean'd himself
rough, rude and wildly. [p]Why bear you these rebukes and answer not?

Adriana : She did betray me to my own reproof. [p]Good people enter and lay hold
on him.

Aemilia : No, not a creature enters in my house.

Adriana : Then let your servants bring my husband forth.

Aemilia : Neither: he took this place for sanctuary, [p]And it shall privilege
him from your hands [p]Till I have brought him to his wits
again, [p]Or lose my labour in assaying it.

Adriana : I will attend my husband, be his nurse, [p]Diet his sickness, for it
is my office, [p]And will have no attorney but myself; [p]And
therefore let me have him home with me.

Aemilia : Be patient; for I will not let him stir [p]Till I have used the
approved means I have, [p]With wholesome syrups, drugs and holy
prayers, [p]To make of him a formal man again: [p]It is a branch and
parcel of mine oath, [p]A charitable duty of my order. [p]Therefore
depart and leave him here with me.

Adriana : I will not hence and leave my husband here: [p]And ill it doth beseem
your holiness [p]To separate the husband and the wife.

Aemilia : Be quiet and depart: thou shalt not have him.

Luciana : Complain unto the duke of this indignity.

Adriana : Come, go: I will fall prostrate at his feet [p]And never rise until my
tears and prayers [p]Have won his grace to come in person
hither [p]And take perforce my husband from the abbess.

Second Merchant : By this, I think, the dial points at five: [p]Anon, I'm sure, the duke
himself in person [p]Comes this way to the melancholy vale, [p]The
place of death and sorry execution, [p]Behind the ditches of the abbey
here.

Angelo : Upon what cause?

Second Merchant : To see a reverend Syracusian merchant, [p]Who put unluckily into this
bay [p]Against the laws and statutes of this town, [p]Beheaded
publicly for his offence.

Angelo : See where they come: we will behold his death.

Luciana : Kneel to the duke before he pass the abbey. [p][Enter DUKE SOLINUS,
attended; AEGEON bareheaded; with the] [p]Headsman and other
Officers]

Solinus : Yet once again proclaim it publicly, [p]If any friend will pay the sum
for him, [p]He shall not die; so much we tender him.

Adriana : Justice, most sacred duke, against the abbess!

Solinus : She is a virtuous and a reverend lady: [p]It cannot be that she hath
done thee wrong.

Adriana : May it please your grace, Antipholus, my husband, [p]Whom I made lord
of me and all I had, [p]At your important letters,--this ill day [p]A
most outrageous fit of madness took him; [p]That desperately he
hurried through the street, [p]With him his bondman, all as mad as
he-- [p]Doing displeasure to the citizens [p]By rushing in their
houses, bearing thence [p]Rings, jewels, any thing his rage did
like. [p]Once did I get him bound and sent him home, [p]Whilst to take
order for the wrongs I went, [p]That here and there his fury had
committed. [p]Anon, I wot not by what strong escape, [p]He broke from
those that had the guard of him; [p]And with his mad attendant and
himself, [p]Each one with ireful passion, with drawn swords, [p]Met us
again and madly bent on us, [p]Chased us away; till, raising of more
aid, [p]We came again to bind them. Then they fled [p]Into this abbey,
whither we pursued them: [p]And here the abbess shuts the gates on
us [p]And will not suffer us to fetch him out, [p]Nor send him forth
that we may bear him hence. [p]Therefore, most gracious duke, with thy
command [p]Let him be brought forth and borne hence for help.

Solinus : Long since thy husband served me in my wars, [p]And I to thee engaged
a prince's word, [p]When thou didst make him master of thy bed, [p]To
do him all the grace and good I could. [p]Go, some of you, knock at
the abbey-gate [p]And bid the lady abbess come to me. [p]I will
determine this before I stir.

Servant : O mistress, mistress, shift and save yourself! [p]My master and his
man are both broke loose, [p]Beaten the maids a-row and bound the
doctor [p]Whose beard they have singed off with brands of fire; [p]And
ever, as it blazed, they threw on him [p]Great pails of puddled mire
to quench the hair: [p]My master preaches patience to him and the
while [p]His man with scissors nicks him like a fool, [p]And sure,
unless you send some present help, [p]Between them they will kill the
conjurer.

Adriana : Peace, fool! thy master and his man are here, [p]And that is false
thou dost report to us.

Servant : Mistress, upon my life, I tell you true; [p]I have not breathed almost
since I did see it. [p]He cries for you, and vows, if he can take
you, [p]To scorch your face and to disfigure you. [p][Cry
within] [p]Hark, hark! I hear him, mistress. fly, be gone!

Solinus : Come, stand by me; fear nothing. Guard with halberds!

Adriana : Ay me, it is my husband! Witness you, [p]That he is borne about
invisible: [p]Even now we housed him in the abbey here; [p]And now
he's there, past thought of human reason.

Antipholus of Ephesus : Justice, most gracious duke, O, grant me justice! [p]Even for the
service that long since I did thee, [p]When I bestrid thee in the wars
and took [p]Deep scars to save thy life; even for the blood [p]That
then I lost for thee, now grant me justice.

Aegeon : But seven years since, in Syracusa, boy, [p]Thou know'st we parted:
but perhaps, my son, [p]Thou shamest to acknowledge me in misery.

Antipholus of Ephesus : The duke and all that know me in the city [p]Can witness with me that
it is not so [p]I ne'er saw Syracusa in my life.

Solinus : I tell thee, Syracusian, twenty years [p]Have I been patron to
Antipholus, [p]During which time he ne'er saw Syracusa: [p]I see thy
age and dangers make thee dote. [p][Re-enter AEMILIA, with ANTIPHOLUS
of Syracuse and] [p]DROMIO of Syracuse]

Aemilia : Most mighty duke, behold a man much wrong'd.

Adriana : I see two husbands, or mine eyes deceive me.

Solinus : One of these men is Genius to the other; [p]And so of these. Which is
the natural man, [p]And which the spirit? who deciphers them?

Dromio of Syracuse : I, sir, am Dromio; command him away.

Dromio of Ephesus : I, sir, am Dromio; pray, let me stay.

Antipholus of Syracuse : AEgeon art thou not? or else his ghost?

Dromio of Syracuse : O, my old master! who hath bound him here?

Aemilia : Whoever bound him, I will loose his bonds [p]And gain a husband by his
liberty. [p]Speak, old AEgeon, if thou be'st the man [p]That hadst a
wife once call'd AEmilia [p]That bore thee at a burden two fair
sons: [p]O, if thou be'st the same AEgeon, speak, [p]And speak unto
the same AEmilia!

Aegeon : If I dream not, thou art AEmilia: [p]If thou art she, tell me where is
that son [p]That floated with thee on the fatal raft?

Aemilia : By men of Epidamnum he and I [p]And the twin Dromio all were taken
up; [p]But by and by rude fishermen of Corinth [p]By force took Dromio
and my son from them [p]And me they left with those of
Epidamnum. [p]What then became of them I cannot tell [p]I to this
fortune that you see me in.

Solinus : Why, here begins his morning story right; [p]These two Antipholuses,
these two so like, [p]And these two Dromios, one in
semblance,-- [p]Besides her urging of her wreck at sea,-- [p]These are
the parents to these children, [p]Which accidentally are met
together. [p]Antipholus, thou camest from Corinth first?

Antipholus of Syracuse : No, sir, not I; I came from Syracuse.

Solinus : Stay, stand apart; I know not which is which.

Antipholus of Ephesus : I came from Corinth, my most gracious lord,--

Dromio of Ephesus : And I with him.

Antipholus of Ephesus : Brought to this town by that most famous warrior, [p]Duke Menaphon,
your most renowned uncle.

Adriana : Which of you two did dine with me to-day?

Antipholus of Syracuse : I, gentle mistress.

Adriana : And are not you my husband?

Antipholus of Ephesus : No; I say nay to that.

Antipholus of Syracuse : And so do I; yet did she call me so: [p]And this fair gentlewoman, her
sister here, [p]Did call me brother. [p][To Luciana] [p]What I told
you then, [p]I hope I shall have leisure to make good; [p]If this be
not a dream I see and hear.

Angelo : That is the chain, sir, which you had of me.

Antipholus of Syracuse : I think it be, sir; I deny it not.

Antipholus of Ephesus : And you, sir, for this chain arrested me.

Angelo : I think I did, sir; I deny it not.

Adriana : I sent you money, sir, to be your bail, [p]By Dromio; but I think he
brought it not.

Dromio of Ephesus : No, none by me.

Antipholus of Syracuse : This purse of ducats I received from you, [p]And Dromio, my man, did
bring them me. [p]I see we still did meet each other's man, [p]And I
was ta'en for him, and he for me, [p]And thereupon these errors are
arose.

Antipholus of Ephesus : These ducats pawn I for my father here.

Solinus : It shall not need; thy father hath his life.

Courtezan : Sir, I must have that diamond from you.

Antipholus of Ephesus : There, take it; and much thanks for my good cheer.

Aemilia : Renowned duke, vouchsafe to take the pains [p]To go with us into the
abbey here [p]And hear at large discoursed all our fortunes: [p]And
all that are assembled in this place, [p]That by this sympathized one
day's error [p]Have suffer'd wrong, go keep us company, [p]And we
shall make full satisfaction. [p]Thirty-three years have I but gone in
travail [p]Of you, my sons; and till this present hour [p]My heavy
burden ne'er delivered. [p]The duke, my husband and my children
both, [p]And you the calendars of their nativity, [p]Go to a gossips'
feast and go with me; [p]After so long grief, such festivity!

Solinus : With all my heart, I'll gossip at this feast. [p][Exeunt all but
Antipholus of Syracuse, Antipholus] [p]of Ephesus, Dromio of Syracuse
and Dromio of Ephesus]

Dromio of Syracuse : Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard?

Antipholus of Ephesus : Dromio, what stuff of mine hast thou embark'd?

Dromio of Syracuse : Your goods that lay at host, sir, in the Centaur.

Antipholus of Syracuse : He speaks to me. I am your master, Dromio: [p]Come, go with us; we'll
look to that anon: [p]Embrace thy brother there; rejoice with him.

Dromio of Syracuse : There is a fat friend at your master's house, [p]That kitchen'd me for
you to-day at dinner: [p]She now shall be my sister, not my wife.

Dromio of Ephesus : Methinks you are my glass, and not my brother: [p]I see by you I am a
sweet-faced youth. [p]Will you walk in to see their gossiping?

Dromio of Syracuse : Not I, sir; you are my elder.

Dromio of Ephesus : That's a question: how shall we try it?

Dromio of Syracuse : We'll draw cuts for the senior: till then lead thou first.

Dromio of Ephesus : Nay, then, thus: [p]We came into the world like brother and
brother; [p]And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another.

Previous: Act 4 - Scene 4

Next: Act 5 - Scene 1

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