From Plautus to Shakespeare

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Mistaken identity

The Two Menaechmuses Twin brothers were separated when they

were very young; the one who stayed at home was given the name of his lost brother to his memory. Hence the two brothers have the same name and same appearance. When the boy who stays at home decided to search for his lost brother the story begins and followed by many chaos and funny situations. In the end the twin brothers finally met and all the mistakes are solved.

A Comedy of Errors Twin brothers – Antipholus of Ephesus Antipholus of Syracuse Twin bondmen– Dromio of Ephesus Dromio of Syracus

Wife of Antipholus -Adriana Sister of Adriana- Luciana Father & Mother

Comedy? Farce?顏元叔 Good plot: logically , no coincidence ex: Oedipus the King Bad plot :artificial , too many coincidences →lack of possibility and logicality

Wife’s character in two play Ancient Roman: Double standards toward wife and husband Wife has to tolerate the adultery of husband Erotium vs. Wife (The Two Menaechmuses) Adriana vs. Courtesan (A Comedy of Errors)

”But inasmuch as he keeps you well supplied with jewels and clothes, furnishes you with plenty of maidservants and provision, you had better be sensible about thing, my girl.”

marriage base on material and not base on love

“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. Keep then fair league and truce with thy true bed, I live unstrained, thou undishonoured.”

Adriana vs. Luciana

“(men) Are masters to their females, and their lords. Then let your will attend on their records.”

Link The Comedy of Errors Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=ha6-15TVQOM&feature=related The Comedy of Errors-Royal Shakespeare Com

pany 0:33

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hie-ks6gD8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljljrWa8W9s&feature=BFa&list=PL917DA8412F6A578F

Other edition Musical: The Boys from Syracuse

Reference Susanna Morton Braund-Marriage, Adultery, and Divor

ce in Roman Comic Dramahttp://site.ebrary.com/lib/nctu/docDetail.action?docID

=10373106 Erich Segal -Roman Laughter The Comedy of Plautushttp://site.ebrary.com/lib/nctu/docDetail.action?docID=10085373 Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menaechmi

Loeb Classical Library -PlautusⅡ William Shakespear The Complete Works The Comedy of Errors 錯中錯 –梁實秋譯 錯盡錯絕 - 方平譯 - 木馬文化 古羅馬戲劇選 ( 電子書 ) 莎士比亞總論 - 喜劇