The Comedy of Errors · Chapter
Scene II explained
Antipholus of Syracuse encounters Dromio of Syracuse and beats him for denying he received gold and mentioning a mistress and dinner.
What happens
Antipholus of Syracuse encounters Dromio of Syracuse and beats him for denying he received gold and mentioning a mistress and dinner. Dromio of Syracuse denies any prior conversation. Adriana and Luciana enter, and Adriana confronts Antipholus of Syracuse, believing him to be her husband. Antipholus of Syracuse is bewildered but decides to go along with the mistaken identity. Dromio of Syracuse is ordered to guard the gate.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Mistaken Identity
Antipholus of Syracuse is mistaken for his twin, leading to confusion and a crisis of self-perception.
Marriage and Jealousy
Adriana's jealous accusations and pleas reveal the strain in her marriage, though she addresses the wrong man.
Madness and Perception
Both Antipholus and Dromio question their sanity, wondering if they are dreaming or bewitched.
Characters to notice
- Antipholus of Syracuse
Confused by the mistaken identity, he decides to play along with Adriana's claims.
- Dromio of Syracuse
Beaten by his master for a misunderstanding; he is bewildered by the events.
- Adriana
Mistakes Antipholus of Syracuse for her husband and pleads with him.
- Luciana
Accompanies Adriana and scolds Dromio of Syracuse for not responding.
Key passages
“What error drives our eyes and ears amiss? Until I know this sure uncertainty, I’ll entertain the offer’d fallacy.”
What mistake is confusing my senses? Until I understand this uncertain situation, I'll go along with the deception.
Antipholus of Syracuse decides to accept the mistaken identity rather than resist it.
“Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine, Whose weakness married to thy stronger state Makes me with thy strength to communicate.”
You are like an elm tree, and I am a vine; my weakness is joined to your strength, allowing me to share in your power.
Adriana uses a metaphor to describe the ideal marital union, appealing to the man she believes is her husband.
“I am possess’d with an adulterate blot; My blood is mingled with the crime of lust: For if we two be one and thou play false, I do digest the poison of thy flesh, Being strumpeted by thy contagion.”
I am stained with adultery; my blood is mixed with the sin of lust. If we are one and you are unfaithful, I am poisoned by your body, corrupted by your infection.
Adriana argues that her husband's infidelity would corrupt her as well, since they are one flesh.