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The Comedy of Errors /

Textual Notes: The Comedy of Errors

The reading of the present text appears to the left of the square bracket. Unless otherwise noted, the reading to the left of the bracket is from F, the First Folio text (upon which this edition is based). The earliest sources of readings not in F are indicated as follows: F2 is the Second Folio of 1632; F3 is the Third Folio of 1663–64; F4 is the Fourth Folio of 1685; Ed. is an earlier editor of Shakespeare, beginning with Rowe in 1709. No sources are given for emendations of punctuation or for corrections of obvious typographical errors, like turned letters that produce no known word. SD means stage direction; SP means speech prefix; uncorr. means the first or uncorrected state of the First Folio; corr. means the second or corrected state of the First Folio; ~ stands in place of a word already quoted before the square bracket; ^ indicates the omission of a punctuation mark.


1.1

1 and hereafter in this scene. SP EGEON] Ed.; Marchant (Mer., Merch.) F
17. at Syracusian] Ed.; at any Siracusian F
42. the] Ed.; he F
55. burden, male ^ twins,] ~ ^ ~, ~ ^ F
60. agreed.] ~, F
75. was, . . . none:] ~: ( . . . ~) F
102. upon] Ed.; vp F
116. bark] F2; backe F
123. thee] F2; they F
144. princes, would they,] ~^~ ~^ F
151. life] Ed.; helpe F


1.2

0. SD Antipholus of Syracuse] Ed.; Antipholis Erotes F (Erotes, an error, perhaps for Errans, or Erraticus, referring to Antipholus’s wanderings) First] Ed.; a F
1. SP FIRST MERCHANT] Ed.; Mer. F
4. arrival] F2; a riuall F
9 and hereafter. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE] Ed.; Ant., Anti., Antiph., An. F, except at
3.2.31,
4.4.158, and
5.1.348–424, where F hasS. Ant.,”S. Anti.” and
2.2.14 (See textual note.)
15. travel] F (trauaile)
17,
2.2.167,
3.2.83,
87–171,
4.1.87,
4.2.32,
4.4.162. SP DROMIO OF SYRACUSE] Ed.; Dro., Drom. F
24,
32. SP FIRST MERCHANT] Ed.; E. Mar. F
32. SD He exits] this ed.; Exeunt F
40. them, unhappy, lose] F2; them (vnhappie a) loose F
43 and hereafter with the exceptions listed in the note to line
2.1.81
. SP DROMIO OF EPHESUS] F (E. Dro., E.D., E. Dr., E Drom., E. Dromio)
55. o’] F (a)
67. clock] Ed.; cooke F
75. from] F (frõ)
95. God’s sake] F (God sake)
97. SD Dromio . . . exits.] F (Exeunt Dromio Ep.)
99. o’erraught] Ed.; orewrought F


2.1

0. SD of Ephesus] Ed.; Sereptus F (an error perhaps for Surreptus, referring to his being taken from his father in infancy)
11. o’] F (a)
12. ill] F2; thus F
43. SD Dromio of Ephesus] F (Dromio Eph.)
45. two hands] F (too hands)
63. thousand] F2 (1000.); hundred F
77. errand] F (arrant)
81,
84,
87,
4.1.21,
4.4.74–134,
5.1.302,
313. SP DROMIO OF EPHESUS] Ed.; Dro. F
91. loureth] F (lowreth)
96. wit?] ~, F
112. alone ^ ] ~, F o’] F (a)
117. Wear] Ed.; Where F gold;] ~ ^ F yet] Ed.; and F
120. weep^ what’s left away,] ~ (~ ~ ~) F
121. SD They exit] this ed.; Exit F


2.2

0. SD of Syracuse] Ed.; Errotis F (See textual note to line
1.2.0. SD.)
1. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE] F (Ant.)
3–4. out. | I . . . report, |] ~ ^| . . . ~.| F
6. SD of Syracuse] F (Siracusia)
12. thou didst] F2; thou did didst F
13 and hereafter (with the exceptions listed in note to line
1.2.17. )
SP DROMIO OF SYRACUSE] F (S. Dro., S. Drom., S. Dromio)
14. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE] Ed.; E. Ant. F
17 and hereafter in this scene. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE] Ed.; Ant. or An. F
23. SD Dromio] F (Dro.)
24. sake!] ~, F
29. hours.] ~, F
35. it? So^] F corr.; ~ ^ ~? F uncorr.
37. head.] ~, F
88. men] Ed.; them F
106. one,] ~ ^ F
107. tiring] Ed.; trying F
111. e’en] F (in)
132. me,] ~: F
133. That, . . . incorporate,] ~ ^  . . . ~ ^ F
147. off] F (of)
185. vine,] ~: F
186. stronger] F3; stranger F
197. offered] Ed.; free’d F
205. thou, Dromio] ~^ ~ F
232. too] F (to)


3.1

31 and hereafter. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF EPHESUS] Ed.; Anti., Ant., An. F, except 54,
4.1.22,
5.1.196,
203,
210,
220,
273,
287,
306,
376–422, where F has “E. Ant.,” “E. Anti.,” “E. An.,” or “Eph. Ant.” (as at
3.1.1,
17,
22,
26 )
58. not. Come] ~^ ~ F
78. that’s—When,] ~^~? F
118. you] F2; your F
129–30.a feather] afether F
138. this:] ~^ F
138. her] Ed.; 2your F
140. her] Ed.; your F
159. too,] ~^ F
160. mean,] ~^ F
168. there.] ~, F


3.2

0. SD Luciana] F2; Iuliana F
1. SP LUCIANA] Ed.; Iulia. F
4. building . . . ruinous] Ed.; buildings . . . ruinate F
18. attaint] Ed.; attaine F
23. but] Ed.; not F
28. wife] F2; wise F
48. sister’s] F2; sister F
51. bed] F2; bud F
51. them] Ed.; thee F
71. sister,] ~^ F
97. reverend] F (reuerent)
112. sweats.] ~^ F
119. and] Ed.; is F
138. chalky] chalkle F
149. carracks] F (Carrects)
162. curtal] F (Curtull)
174. high] F (hie)
182. Master] F (Mr)
194. now,] ~. F


4.1

1 and hereafter. SP SECOND MERCHANT] Ed.; Mar. F
7 and hereafter. SP ANGELO] Ed.; Gold. F
10. chain.] ~, F
13. SD Ephesus] F (Ephes.)
17. her] Ed.; their F
35. town.] ~, F
47. to] F (too)
56. by me] Ed.; me by F
86. SD Syracuse] F (Sira.)


4.2

6. Of] F2; Oh, F
24. making,] ~^ F
31. SD Dromio of Syracuse] F (S. Dromio)
39. One] F (On)
44. alleys] F (allies); lands] F corr.; lans F uncorr.
58. That] F2; Thus F
75. he] Ed. (as “a”); I F
81. SD They exit] Ed.; Exit F


4.3

0. SD Syracuse] F corr. (Siracusia); Siracusian F uncorr.
1. SP ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE] F2 (An. S.); omit F
11. SD Syracuse] F (Sir.)
18. calf’s] F (calues)
41. Delay] F corr.; delay F uncorr.
62. you] F2; omit F
62. do,] ~^ F
68. all,] ~^ F
82. SD Antipholus . . . exit] this ed.; Exit F


4.4

0. SD Ephesus] F (Ephes.)
7. SD Ephesus] F (Eph.)
48. SD Dromio] F (Dro.)
63. wert] F (wer’t)
84. contraries] crontraries F
104. master] F (Mr)
112. SD 1 line earlier in F
115. me? . . . thou,] ~,  . . . ? F
138. SD 1 line later in F
138. SD Officer . . . remain] F (Manet Offic. Adri. Luci. Courtizan)
153. SD Syracuse . . . Syracuse] Siracusia . . . Sirac. F
157. SD Run all out] 1 line earlier in F; “Exeunt omnes” printed here in its place in F


5.1

5,
128. reverend] F (reuerent)
18. Besides] F (Beside)
33. God’s] F (God)
71. woman^] ~, F
125. death] F3; depth F
142. letters,] ~^ F
152. Anon, . . . not^] ~^ . . . ~, F
179. master] F (Mr)
180. scissors] F (Cizers)
191. SD 4 lines later in F; Dromio] E. Dromio F
195. human] F (humane)
201. SP EGEON] Ed.; Mar. Fat. F
253. all together] F (altogether)
290. SD 1 line later in F
292 and hereafter. SP EGEON] Ed.; Fa., Fath., Father, Fat. F
318. extremity] e tremity F
328. err—] ~. F
340. SD Dromio of Syracuse] Ed.; Dromio Sir. F
409. place^] ~: F
415. ne’er] Ed.; are F
420. SD except] this ed.; Manet F
421. Master] F (Mast.)
426. SD The brothers . . . exit] Exit. F
441. SD They exit] this ed.; Exennt F