The Comedy of Errors

Two sets of twins. One city. A case of mistaken identity so ridiculous it could only be true.

Shakespeare's shortest and fastest play is a farce of epic proportions, a door-slamming, wife-mistaking, money-losing, near-exorcism of a comedy that never pauses for breath.

Two pairs of identical twins, separated at birth in a shipwreck, have grown up without knowing the other exists. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant Dromio of Syracuse arrive in Ephesus, where their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus, happen to live. Chaos ensues. The Ephesian Dromio is beaten for errands he never heard of. The Ephesian Antipholus is locked out of his own house. His wife, Adriana, tries to seduce his twin. A gold chain changes hands. A conjurer is called. A near-exorcism is performed. And in the final scene, everyone comes together, just in time for the Abbess to reveal that she is, in fact, the long-lost mother of them all.

This is Shakespeare at his most playful and ridiculous: a comedy about identity, confusion, and the simple joy of a door slammed in the wrong face. The Comedy of Errors is not deep, but it is deliriously funny.

• Shakespeare's shortest play (fewer than 1,800 lines) and one of his earliest, written around 1592–1594

• Based on Plautus's Roman comedies Menaechmi and Amphitryon

• A masterclass in comic timing, mistaken identity, and theatrical chaos

Available in multiple formats:

• Paperback & Hardcover: Beautifully designed print editions presenting the complete, unabridged text made to last.

• Ebook: DRM-free EPUB compatible with Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, and all major e-readers.

• Audiobook: Professionally narrated, complete and unabridged, available on all major audiobook platforms.

A beautifully crafted edition for your shelf, your device, or your ears—or the perfect gift for anyone who knows that the best jokes are the ones that never stop escalating.

About the Author

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, he moved to London and became a shareholder in the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later the King's Men). The Comedy of Errors is believed to be one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, written around 1592–1594. It was performed at Gray's Inn in 1594 as part of the Christmas revels—and famously caused a riot when the audience stormed the stage. The play is unique in Shakespeare's canon for its strict adherence to the classical unities of time, place, and action (the action takes place in a single day in a single city). It has been adapted into the hit musical The Boys from Syracuse (1938) and a popular 1978 BBC television production. Shakespeare's other major works include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night. He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and is buried in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.