The story in one page
Aegeon of Syracuse arrives in Ephesus, a city that executes Syracusans on sight, searching for his son and his servant. He does not realize both his long-lost son and the son's twin are currently in town, both named Antipholus, and both served by twins named Dromio. For a single day, the city descends into madness as one Antipholus is locked out of his house, the other is forced to dine with a woman he doesn't know, and gold chains are delivered to the wrong men. Beatings, accusations of sorcery, and a very confused kitchen-maid named Nell follow until a final showdown at the local priory reveals the family tree.
Who's who
- Antipholus of Ephesus
The settled twin who gets locked out and nearly exorcised.
- Antipholus of Syracuse
The visiting twin who thinks the city is full of sorcerers.
- Dromio of Ephesus
The local servant who is constantly beaten for his master's confusion.
- Dromio of Syracuse
The servant who finds a 'spherical' kitchen-wench pursuing him.
- Adriana
The wife who accidentally hosts her brother-in-law for dinner.
- Aegeon
A merchant facing death while seeking his lost children.
What it's really about
- Identity
- Physical resemblance erasing personal social standing.
- Coincidence
- Extreme probability stretching city-wide logic.
Why it's memorable
- Dromio of Syracuse describing a kitchen-maid’s anatomy as a map of the world.
- The local Antipholus attempting to pluck out his wife's eyes as she binds him.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The Abbess reveals she is Aegeon's lost wife, the Duke grants a pardon, and the two Dromios exit hand-in-hand.
For your book club
- The absurdity of everyone accepting magic as an explanation before considering twins.
- The dark tension of Aegeon’s ticking execution clock against the slapstick comedy.