Explanatory Notes. The Explanatory Notes in this edition have been specially selected and adapted, with emendations after the latest and best authorities, from the most eminent Shakespearian scholars and commentators, including Johnson. Malone, Steevens, Singer, Dyce, Hudson, White, Furness, Dowden, and others. This method, here introduced for the first time, provides the best annotation of Shakespeare ever embraced in a single edition. ACT FIRST. Scene I. 1. The paternal geon resembles the Egeus of MidsummerNight's Dream, as in name so in position and function in the play; introduced with a Duke judicial in the first Scene, he supplies the place of prologue, and only reappears, after the development of the situations he set forth into a wild succession of ingenious entanglements, to assist at and witness their final evolution with surprise and satisfaction. 13 et seq. It hath in solemn synods been decreed, etc. :-" The offence which Egeon had committed," says Knight, "and the penalty which he had incurred, are pointed out with a minuteness by which the Poet doubtless intended to convey his sense of the gross injustice of such enactments. In The Taming of the Shrew, written most probably about the same period as The Comedy of Errors, the jealousies of commercial states, exhibiting themselves in violent decrees and impracticable regulations, are also depicted by the same powerful hand":— Tranio. Of Mantau, sir? marry, God forbid! Tranio. 'Tis death for any one in Mantua To come to Padua. Know you not the cause? 52 et seq. the one so like the other, etc. :-Knight remarks: "In Plautus we have no broken-hearted father bereft of both his sons: he is dead; and the grandfather changes the name of the one child who remains to him. Shakespeare does not stop to tell us how the twin-brothers bear the same name; nor does he explain the matter any more in the case of the Dromios, whose introduction upon the scene is his own creation. In Plautus, the brother, Menæchmus Sosicles, who remained with the grandsire, comes to Epidamnum, in search of his twin-brother who was stolen, and he is accompanied by his servant Messenio; but all the perplexities that are so naturally occasioned by the confusion of the two twin-servants are entirely wanting. The mistakes are carried on by the 'meretrix, uxor, et socer' (softened by Warner into 'father, wife, neighbours')." On this point of the perplexities Lloyd says: The entire action of the Menæchmi of Plautus is generated by the mistaken identities and twin brothers; and of like nature is the mainspring of The Comedy of Errors, and the importance which a mere casualty and coincidence asserts for itself in the action, is an original quality in the stuff of the play that would render a varied display of fine characterization, inappropriate at least, if not impossible. But the poet who chooses a theme of restricted capability, is at least bound to avail himself to the utmost of what capability it has; that this was not done by Plautus is proved by the comedy of Shakespeare which complicates the source of embarrassment-the personal resemblance of two masters, by the addition of a pair of servants equally undistinguishable; and most triumphantly overcomes all the difficulty of the double complication carried out to the most extravagant pitch of mistakes and misconception. The reader and still more the spectator, enjoys the perplexities of a well-filled scene while he never falls into perplexity himself." 88. towards Corinth :-" Towards," says Hudson, "is one or two syllables, and has the accent on the first or second syllable, indifferently in Shakespeare, according to the needs of his verse. Here it is two syllables, with the accent on the first." 152. beneficial help:—“ Assistance rendered out of charity or kindness." 155. if no:—No, which is the reading of the first Folio, was formerly often used for not. Scene II. 97 et seq. "Steevens considered that the description of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors, 'They say this town is full of cozenage,' etc. was derived from Warner's translation, where 'ribalds, parasites, drunkards, catchpoles, coney-catchers, sycophants, and courtesans,' are found; the voluptarii, potatores, sycophantæ, palpatores, and meretrices of Plautus. But the jugglers,' sorcerers,' 'witches,' of Shakespeare are not these. With his exquisite judgement, Shakespeare gave Ephesus more characteristic 'liberties of sin.'" Lloyd remarks that "the description is in accordance with various classical notices of Ephesian practice, but inasmuch as it is still more so with the account in the Acts of the Apostles of the exorcists in that city, Jewish and other, we cannot argue from the passage either in favour of the classical acquirements of Shakespeare, or against his originality if these are denied him. We see at least the Poet's motive for transferring his Comedy of Errors to a locality where such errors would most alarm and bewilder, and professors of exorcism like our zealous anatomy Pinch, be within call." ACT SECOND. Scene I. 4. Luciana:-A fair reward is by the introduction of this character provided for Antipholus, the traveller-a pleasing scene of love-making, although a little at cross purposes, and the prospect of a wedding at last, the only true benediction to the fortunes of a comedy. Richard Grant White says that in the substitution of Luciana, the sister of Adriana, for the Father of the Latin comedy, we very surely have an indication of Shakespeare's dramatic skill; the expostulations which he puts into the mouth of the young woman are far more convincing and to the purpose than the reproaches which Plautus makes the old man deal out to both husband and wife. The 30. start some other where?-That is, somewhere else. sense seems to be, how if your husband fly off in pursuit of some other woman? 32. though she pause:-" Meaning, I suppose," says Hudson, "that it is no wonder if patience keeps quiet when she has nothing to fret or disturb her." 33. that have no other cause:-That is, no cause to be otherwise. 41. fool-begg'd patience, etc.:-Referring to the old custom of soliciting the guardianship of fools and idiotic persons with a view to their property. The king, being the legal guardian of such persons, might make over the trust to whom he pleased; and relatives or other interested parties would beg the office. 95. master of my state:-State here means estate. This usage was frequent in Shakespeare's day. 98. Of my defeatures:-Cotgave has "Un visage desfaict: Growne very leane, pale, wan, or decayed in feature and colour." It occurs again in the last Act; and is also used by the Poet in Venus and Adonis: "To mingle beauty with infirmities, And pure perfection with impure defeature." Scene II. 38. and insconce it too:-To insconce was to hide, to protect as with a fort. 62. Lest it make you choleric:—Meats overdone in cooking were supposed to induce this condition. So in The Taming of the Shrew: "I tell thee, Kate 'twas burnt and dried away; And I expressly am forbid to touch it, For it engenders choler, planteth anger." 82, 83. there's many a man, etc. :-The following lines upon Suckling's Aglaura, printed in folio, may serve to illustrate this proverbial sentence: "This great voluminous pamphlet may be said ΙΟΙ 84, 85. hath the wit to lose his hair :-An allusion to the effects of the so-called French disease, which caused loss of hair. 172. you are from me exempt:-Shakespeare uses the word exempt in 1 Henry VI., II. iv., in a similar sense :— "And, by his treason, stand'st thou not attainted, So in The Triumph of Honour, by Beaumont and Fletcher :- They fix you there a rock whence they 're exempt." 175. Thou art an elm, my husband, I a vine:-So Milton's Paradise Lost, v. 215: “They led the vine to wed her elm: she, spoused, about him twines her marriageable arms." Thus also in Midsummer-Night's Dream: "The female ivy so enrings the barky fingers of the elm." Douce observes that there is something extremely beautiful in making the vine the lawful spouse of the elm, and the parasite plants here named its concubines. See also Ovid's tale of Vertumnus and Pomona. 179. idle moss:-That is, unfruitful. So in Othello, I. iii.: "Antres vast and deserts idle." ACT THIRD. Scene I. 6,7. would face me down, etc. :-The meaning, according to Hudson, is: "Would convince me that he met me on the mart, and that I beat him." 15. Marry:-This interjection is a short way of putting the old form of swearing or affirming by the Virgin Mary. It thus evolved into a common exclamation of the Elizabethan period. 60. a pair of stocks:-The stocks were a rude device for the punishment of evil-doers. The device consisted of timbers or boards with holes cut in them. The boards were held between upright posts. The offender's feet were thrust through the holes in the boards and securely fastened. 83. we'll pluck a crow together:-To pluck a crow with any one was to quarrel or fight with him; a proverbial phrase. 95. let us to the Tiger:-An inn of that name. Phonix, already mentioned, were likewise inns. Centaur and |