One of the earliest of Shakespeare's plays, The Comedy of Errors is a brief and genuinely farcical comedy, filled with knockabout humour, and the havoc wrought by mistaken identity.
The play tells the story of two sets of identical twins, accidentally separated at birth. Antipholus and his servant, Dromio, both of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, where they encounter their twin brothers, Antipholus and his servant, Dromio, of Ephesus. When the Syracusan strangers meet the friends and families of their twins, they are subject to unjust beatings, a near-seduction, and arrest, as well as accusations of infidelity, theft, madness, and possession by demons.
As well as the play itself, this edition contains:
• An extended introduction that looks at the play's history, its structure, and characters
• A glossary of words and terms
• Notes on the text
• A timeline of William Shakespeare's life and work
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Shakespeare Editions series brings together many of Shakespeare's celebrated plays and poetry, presented with striking contemporary cover designs. Each edition is based on the First Folio and includes an informative introduction, glossary and timeline.
About the Author :
William Shakespeare is perhaps the world's greatest literary figure, famed for his insights into the human condition. Records show that he married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18 and had three children with her. At some point he went to London and joined the theatrical profession, as an actor, playwright, poet and, latterly, theatre manager and impresario. He died in April 1616, aged 52. The body of work left by Shakespeare included 37 plays, four poems and a collection of sonnets.
Chris McNab is an author and editor who has written more than 100 titles, on topics ranging from history to popular culture to biography. He holds a Ph.D in English Literature and Theology and some of his recent titles include A History of War, Jeff Bezos and J. Robert Oppenheimer. He has also written several scholarly introductions to Shakespeare's plays, including Julius Caesar and Much Ado About Nothing. In addition to his writing work, Chris has made regular contributions on radio and television.
