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| Character | Antipholus of Syracuse?Dromio of Syracuse??? | |
|---|---|---|
| Scene type / Who are | Colleagues, Having an argument | |
| Type | Comic | |
| Period | Renaissance | |
| Genre | Comedy | |
| Description | Antipholus of Syracuse beats up his servant | |
| Location | ACT II, Scene 2 | |
Summary
The story is set in Ephesus. Aegeon, a merchant from Syracuse is facing execution for having broken a rule between the two rival cities, that is if anybody from a rival city is caught there then they have to pay a ransom to avoid being executed. He is led to his execution by Solinus, the Duke of Ephesus. Aegeon tells him that he is traveling in Ephesus because he is actually looking for his long lost son, one of his two twin brothers that were separated 25 yeas before because of a storm. His slave's twin sons were also separated and one of them ended up with his wife and other twin son.
Antipholus of Syracuse, Aegeon's son, is also in Ephesus, but neither of them knows of each other's presence. Antipholus is traveling with his slave Dromio of Syracuse. Antipholus's twin brother, Antipholus of Ephesus, is a prominent citizen of the city and has as a slave Dromio's twin brother.
S. Antipholus sends S. Dromio to deposit some money at an inn but then encounters E. Dromio who mistakens him for his master. S. Antipholus asks about his money and E. Dromio doesn't understand what he is talking about. S. Antipholus beats him. Later Antipholus meets his real servant, S. Dromio, who obviously doesn't know what happened before with E. Dromio. Thinking that his servant is making fun of him, he beats him too while his servant tries to calm him down through a long joke about baldness.
Antipholus of Syracuse, Aegeon's son, is also in Ephesus, but neither of them knows of each other's presence. Antipholus is traveling with his slave Dromio of Syracuse. Antipholus's twin brother, Antipholus of Ephesus, is a prominent citizen of the city and has as a slave Dromio's twin brother.
S. Antipholus sends S. Dromio to deposit some money at an inn but then encounters E. Dromio who mistakens him for his master. S. Antipholus asks about his money and E. Dromio doesn't understand what he is talking about. S. Antipholus beats him. Later Antipholus meets his real servant, S. Dromio, who obviously doesn't know what happened before with E. Dromio. Thinking that his servant is making fun of him, he beats him too while his servant tries to calm him down through a long joke about baldness.
Written by Administrator
| Excerpt |
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| [SCENE II. A public place.] [Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse] ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE The gold I gave to Dromio is laid up Safe at the Centaur; and the heedful slave Is wander'd forth, in care to seek me out By computation and mine host's report. I could not speak with Dromio since at first I sent him from the mart. See, here he comes. [Enter DROMIO of Syracuse] How now sir! is your merry humour alter'd? As you love strokes, so jest with me again. You know no Centaur? you received no gold? Your mistress sent to have me home to dinner? My house was at the Phoenix? Wast thou mad, That thus so madly thou didst answer me? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE What answer, sir? when spake I such a word? ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Even now, even here, not half an hour since. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE I did not see you since you sent me hence, Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt, And told'st me of a mistress and a dinner; For which, I hope, thou felt'st I was displeased. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE I am glad to see you in this merry vein: What means this jest? I pray you, master, tell me. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Yea, dost thou jeer and flout me in the teeth? Think'st thou I jest? Hold, take thou that, and that. Beating him DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Hold, sir, for God's sake! now your jest is earnest: Upon what bargain do you give it me? ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Because that I familiarly sometimes Do use you for my fool and chat with you, Your sauciness will jest upon my love And make a common of my serious hours. When the sun shines let foolish gnats make sport, But creep in crannies when he hides his beams. If you will jest with me, know my aspect, And fashion your demeanor to my looks, Or I will beat this method in your sconce. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Sconce call you it? so you would leave battering, I had rather have it a head: an you use these blows long, I must get a sconce for my head and ensconce it too; or else I shall seek my wit in my shoulders. But, I pray, sir why am I beaten? ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Dost thou not know? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Nothing, sir, but that I am beaten. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Shall I tell you why? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Ay, sir, and wherefore; for they say every why hath a wherefore. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Why, first,--for flouting me; and then, wherefore-- For urging it the second time to me. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season, When in the why and the wherefore is neither rhyme nor reason? Well, sir, I thank you. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Thank me, sir, for what? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Marry, sir, for this something that you gave me for nothing. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE I'll make you amends next, to give you nothing for something. But say, sir, is it dinner-time? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE No, sir; I think the meat wants that I have. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE In good time, sir; what's that? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Basting. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Well, sir, then 'twill be dry. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE If it be, sir, I pray you, eat none of it. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Your reason? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Lest it make you choleric and purchase me another dry basting. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Well, sir, learn to jest in good time: there's a time for all things. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE I durst have denied that, before you were so choleric. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE By what rule, sir? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Marry, sir, by a rule as plain as the plain bald pate of father Time himself. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Let's hear it. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE There's no time for a man to recover his hair that grows bald by nature. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE May he not do it by fine and recovery? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig and recover the lost hair of another man. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Why is Time such a niggard of hair, being, as it is, so plentiful an excrement? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Because it is a blessing that he bestows on beasts; and what he hath scanted men in hair he hath given them in wit. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Why, but there's many a man hath more hair than wit. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Not a man of those but he hath the wit to lose his hair. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Why, thou didst conclude hairy men plain dealers without wit. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE The plainer dealer, the sooner lost: yet he loseth it in a kind of jollity. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE For what reason? DROMIO OF SYRACUSE For two; and sound ones too. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Nay, not sound, I pray you. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Sure ones, then. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Nay, not sure, in a thing falsing. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Certain ones then. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE Name them. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE The one, to save the money that he spends in trimming; the other, that at dinner they should not drop in his porridge. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE You would all this time have proved there is no time for all things. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Marry, and did, sir; namely, no time to recover hair lost by nature. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE But your reason was not substantial, why there is no time to recover. DROMIO OF SYRACUSE Thus I mend it: Time himself is bald and therefore to the world's end will have bald followers. ANTIPHOLUS OF SYRACUSE I knew 'twould be a bald conclusion: But, soft! who wafts us yonder? |
