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The Comedy of Errors - Act 2, scene 1
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The Comedy of Errors - Act 2, scene 1Act 2, scene 1
⌜Scene 1⌝
Synopsis:
Adriana angrily awaits her husband, who is late for dinner. Dromio (of Ephesus) enters and tells about his meeting with Antipholus (of Syracuse). Adriana, furious that Antipholus has denied that he has a wife, sends Dromio back to fetch him home.
Enter Adriana, wife to Antipholus ⌜of Ephesus,⌝ withLuciana, her sister.
ADRIANA
0267 Neither my husband nor the slave returned
0268 That in such haste I sent to seek his master?
0269 Sure, Luciana, it is two o’clock.
LUCIANA
0270 Perhaps some merchant hath invited him,
0271 5 And from the mart he’s somewhere gone to dinner.
0272 Good sister, let us dine, and never fret.
0273 A man is master of his liberty;
0274 Time is their master, and when they see time
0275 They’ll go or come. If so, be patient, sister.
ADRIANA
0276 10 Why should their liberty than ours be more?
LUCIANA
0277 Because their business still lies out o’ door.
ADRIANA
0278 Look when I serve him so, he takes it ⌜ill.⌝
LUCIANA
0279 O, know he is the bridle of your will.
ADRIANA
0280 There’s none but asses will be bridled so.
LUCIANA
0281 15 Why, headstrong liberty is lashed with woe.
p.
31
0282
There’s nothing situate under heaven’s eye0283 But hath his bound in earth, in sea, in sky.
0284 The beasts, the fishes, and the wingèd fowls
0285 Are their males’ subjects and at their controls.
0286 20 Man, more divine, the master of all these,
0287 Lord of the wide world and wild wat’ry seas,
0288 Endued with intellectual sense and souls,
0289 Of more preeminence than fish and fowls,
0290 Are masters to their females, and their lords.
0291 25 Then let your will attend on their accords.
ADRIANA
0292 This servitude makes you to keep unwed.
LUCIANA
0293 Not this, but troubles of the marriage bed.
ADRIANA
0294 But, were you wedded, you would bear some sway.
LUCIANA
0295 Ere I learn love, I’ll practice to obey.
ADRIANA
0296 30 How if your husband start some otherwhere?
LUCIANA
0297 Till he come home again, I would forbear.
ADRIANA
0298 Patience unmoved! No marvel though she pause;
0299 They can be meek that have no other cause.
0300 A wretched soul bruised with adversity
0301 35 We bid be quiet when we hear it cry,
0302 But were we burdened with like weight of pain,
0303 As much or more we should ourselves complain.
0304 So thou, that hast no unkind mate to grieve thee,
0305 With urging helpless patience would relieve me;
0306 40 But if thou live to see like right bereft,
0307 This fool-begged patience in thee will be left.
LUCIANA
0308 Well, I will marry one day, but to try.
0309 Here comes your man. Now is your husband nigh.
p.
33
Enter Dromio ⌜of⌝ Ephesus.ADRIANA
0310 Say, is your tardy master now at hand?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS 0311 45Nay, he’s at two hands with me,
0312 and that my two ears can witness.
ADRIANA
0313 Say, didst thou speak with him? Know’st thou his
0314 mind?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
0315 Ay, ay, he told his mind upon mine ear.
0316 50 Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it.
LUCIANA 0317 Spake he so doubtfully thou couldst not feel
0318 his meaning?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS 0319 Nay, he struck so plainly I could
0320 too well feel his blows, and withal so doubtfully
0321 55 that I could scarce understand them.
ADRIANA
0322 But say, I prithee, is he coming home?
0323 It seems he hath great care to please his wife.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
0324 Why, mistress, sure my master is horn mad.
ADRIANA
0325 Horn mad, thou villain?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS 0326 60 I mean not cuckold mad,
0327 But sure he is stark mad.
0328 When I desired him to come home to dinner,
0329 He asked me for a ⌜thousand⌝ marks in gold.
0330 “’Tis dinnertime,” quoth I. “My gold,” quoth he.
0331 65 “Your meat doth burn,” quoth I. “My gold,” quoth
0332 he.
0333 “Will you come?” quoth I. “My gold,” quoth he.
0334 “Where is the thousand marks I gave thee, villain?”
0335 “The pig,” quoth I, “is burned.” “My gold,” quoth
0336 70 he.
p.
35
0337
“My mistress, sir,” quoth I. “Hang up thy mistress!0338 I know not thy mistress. Out on thy mistress!”
LUCIANA 0339 Quoth who?
DROMIO OF EPHESUS 0340 Quoth my master.
0341 75 “I know,” quoth he, “no house, no wife, no
0342 mistress.”
0343 So that my errand, due unto my tongue,
0344 I thank him, I bare home upon my shoulders,
0345 For, in conclusion, he did beat me there.
ADRIANA
0346 80 Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
0347 Go back again and be new beaten home?
0348 For God’s sake, send some other messenger.
ADRIANA
0349 Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
0350 And he will bless that cross with other beating.
0351 85 Between you, I shall have a holy head.
ADRIANA
0352 Hence, prating peasant. Fetch thy master home.
DROMIO OF EPHESUS
0353 Am I so round with you as you with me,
0354 That like a football you do spurn me thus?
0355 You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither.
0356 90 If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.
⌜He exits.⌝
LUCIANA
0357 Fie, how impatience loureth in your face.
ADRIANA
0358 His company must do his minions grace,
0359 Whilst I at home starve for a merry look.
0360 Hath homely age th’ alluring beauty took
0361 95 From my poor cheek? Then he hath wasted it.
0362 Are my discourses dull? Barren my wit?
0363 If voluble and sharp discourse be marred,
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37
0364
Unkindness blunts it more than marble hard.0365 Do their gay vestments his affections bait?
0366 100 That’s not my fault; he’s master of my state.
0367 What ruins are in me that can be found
0368 By him not ruined? Then is he the ground
0369 Of my defeatures. My decayèd fair
0370 A sunny look of his would soon repair.
0371 105 But, too unruly deer, he breaks the pale
0372 And feeds from home. Poor I am but his stale.
LUCIANA
0373 Self-harming jealousy, fie, beat it hence.
ADRIANA
0374 Unfeeling fools can with such wrongs dispense.
0375 I know his eye doth homage otherwhere,
0376 110 Or else what lets it but he would be here?
0377 Sister, you know he promised me a chain.
0378 Would that alone o’ love he would detain,
0379 So he would keep fair quarter with his bed.
0380 I see the jewel best enamelèd
0381 115 Will lose his beauty. Yet the gold bides still
0382 That others touch, and often touching will
0383 ⌜Wear⌝ gold; ⌜yet⌝ no man that hath a name
0384 By falsehood and corruption doth it shame.
0385 Since that my beauty cannot please his eye,
0386 120 I’ll weep what’s left away, and weeping die.
LUCIANA
0387 How many fond fools serve mad jealousy!
⌜They⌝ exit.