The Comedy of Errors - Couverture souple

Shakespeare, William

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0553212915 ISBN 13 : 9780553212914

Editeur : Bantam Classics, 1988

Synopsis

Hilarious fun, this early comedy is filled with the merry violence of slapstick and farce. When two sets of twins, separated and apparently lost to each other, all end up in the rowdy, rollicking city of Ephesus, the stage is set for mix-ups, mayhem, and mistaken identity—plus the timeless puns, jokes, gags, and suspense that makes this play a wonderful theatrical frolic and a brilliant tour de force of language and laughter.

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À propos de l'auteur

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was a poet, playwright, and actor who is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers in the history of the English language. Often referred to as the Bard of Avon, Shakespeare's vast body of work includes comedic, tragic, and historical plays; poems; and 154 sonnets. His dramatic works have been translated into every major language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

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1.1 A Enter the Duke of Ephesus, with [Egeon] the mer- chant of Syracuse, Jailer, and other attendants.

egeon

Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall,

And by the doom of death end woes and all.

duke

Merchant of Syracusa, plead no more.

I am not partial to infringe our laws.

The enmity and discord which of late

Sprung from the rancorous outrage of your Duke

To merchants, our well-dealing countrymen,

Who, wanting guilders to redeem their lives,

Have sealed his rigorous statutes with their bloods,

Excludes all pity from our threat’ning looks.

For since the mortal and intestine jars

Twixt thy seditious countrymen and us,

It hath in solemn synods been decreed,

Both by the Syracusians and ourselves,

To admit no traffic to our adverse towns.

Nay, more, if any born at Ephesus

Be seen at any Syracusian marts and fairs;

Again, if any Syracusian born

Come to the bay of Ephesus, he dies,

His goods confiscate to the Duke’s dispose,

Unless a thousand marks be levièd

To quit the penalty and to ransom him.

Thy substance, valued at the highest rate,

Cannot amount unto a hundred marks;

Therefore by law thou art condemned to die. 32unspeakable indescribable. (But with a punning oxymoron on the literal sense: Egeon will speak that which cannot be spoken.)

34by nature i.e., by natural affection; here, a father’s love

35gives me leave allows me.

37–8 happy . . . bad happy only in having me, and happy indeed through me if we had not suffered misfortune.

41Epidamnum (So spelled in Plautus’s The Menaechmi); Epidamnus, a port on the coast of modern Albania. factor’s agent’s

42care of anxiety about

52As that they

54mean of low birth egeon

Yet this my comfort: when your words are done,

My woes end likewise with the evening sun.

duke

Well, Syracusian, say in brief the cause

Why thou departed’st from thy native home

And for what cause thou cam’st to Ephesus.

egeon

A heavier task could not have been imposed

Than I to speak my griefs unspeakable.

Yet, that the world may witness that my end

Was wrought by nature, not by vile offense,

I’ll utter what my sorrow gives me leave.

In Syracusa was I born, and wed

Unto a woman, happy but for me,

And by me, had not our hap been bad.

With her I lived in joy; our wealth increased

By prosperous voyages I often made

To Epidamnum, till my factor’s death

And the great care of goods at random left

Drew me from kind embracements of my spouse;

From whom my absence was not six months old

Before herself, almost at fainting under

The pleasing punishment that women bear,

Had made provision for her following me,

And soon and safe arrivèd where I was.

There had she not been long but she became

A joyful mother of two goodly sons,

And, which was strange, the one so like the other

As could not be distinguished but by names.

That very hour and in the selfsame inn

A mean woman was deliverèd

Of such a burden male, twins both alike.

Those, for their parents were exceeding poor,

I bought and brought up to attend my sons. 58not meanly to no small degree

59motions proposals, entreaties

62league a measure of distance, about three miles

64instance proof, sign

68doubtful dreadful

72plainings wailings

73for fashion in imitation

74delays i.e., delays from death

77sinking-ripe ready to sink

78careful anxious. latter-born (Compare line 124, however, from which we learn that the younger or “latter-born” was saved with the father.)

84whom those on whom, or, him on whom

86straight at once

89vapors clouds

92making amain proceeding at full speed

93Epidaurus a Greek town southwest of Athens and Corinth; or possibly Dubrovnik, on the Adriatic coast My wife, not meanly proud of two such boys,

Made daily motions for our home return;

Unwilling I agreed. Alas, too soon

We came aboard.

A league from Epidamnum had we sailed

Before the always-wind-obeying deep

Gave any tragic instance of our harm.

But longer did we not retain much hope;

For what obscurèd light the heavens did grant

Did but convey unto our fearful minds

A doubtful warrant of immediate death,

Which, though myself would gladly have embraced,

Yet the incessant weepings of my wife—

Weeping before for what she saw must come—

And piteous plainings of the pretty babes,

That mourned for fashion, ignorant what to fear,

Forced me to seek delays for them and me.

And this it was, for other means was none:

The sailors sought for safety by our boat

And left the ship, then sinking-ripe, to us.

My wife, more careful for the latter-born,

Had fastened him unto a small spare mast

Such as seafaring men provide for storms;

To him one of the other twins was bound,

Whilst I had been like heedful of the other.

The children thus disposed, my wife and I,

Fixing our eyes on whom our care was fixed,

Fastened ourselves at either end the mast,

And, floating straight, obedient to the stream,

Was carried towards Corinth, as we thought.

At length the sun, gazing upon the earth,

Dispersed those vapors that offended us,

And by the benefit of his wishèd light

The seas waxed calm, and we discoverèd

Two ships from far, making amain to us,

Of Corinth that, of Epidaurus this. 95that that which

98had . . . so i.e., had the gods shown pity

99Worthily justly

103helpful ship i.e., the mast

106What something

107as as if

114healthful saving

115reft bereft

116bark sailing vessel

122dilate at full relate at length

But ere they came—Oh, let me say no more!

Gather the sequel by that went before.

duke

Nay, forward, old man. Do not break off so,

For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

egeon

Oh, had the gods done so, I had not now

Worthily termed them merciless to us!

For, ere the ships could meet by twice five leagues,

We were encountered by a mighty rock,

Which being so violently borne upon,

Our helpful ship was splitted in the midst,

So that in this unjust divorce of us

Fortune had left to both of us alike

What to delight in, what to sorrow for.

Her part, poor soul, seeming as burdenèd

With lesser weight, but not with lesser woe,

Was carried with more speed before the wind,

And in our sight they three were taken up

By fishermen of Corinth, as we thought.

At length, another ship had seized on us,

And, knowing whom it was their hap to save,

Gave healthful welcome to their shipwrecked guests,

And would have reft the fishers of their prey

Had not their bark been very slow of sail;

And therefore homeward did they bend their course.

Thus have you heard me severed from my bliss,

That by misfortunes was my life prolonged,

To tell sad stories of my own mishaps.

duke

And, for the sake of them thou sorrowest for,

Do me the favor to dilate at full

What have befall’n of them and thee till now.

egeon

My youngest boy, and yet my eldest care, 127so . . . like in a similar situation

128Reft . . . name (Evidently Egeon, presuming that the lost son and servant are dead, has given their names to the surviving twin brothers.)

130–1 Whom . . . loved i.e., while I labored lovingly to find the lost twin, I ran the risk of losing my younger son, whom I loved no less.

133clean entirely. bounds boundaries, territories

134coasting traveling along the coast

135Hopeless despairing

136Or either

138timely speedy, opportune

139travels “travails,” or hardships, as well as travels. warrant assure

141mishap (Punning on Hapless in line 140.)

143dignity high office

144would they even if they wished. disannul annul, cancel

146the death i.e., death by judicial sentence

147recalled revoked

148But except

150limit allow, appoint

At eighteen years became inquisitive

After his brother, and importuned me

That his attendant—so his case was like,

Reft of his brother, but retained his name—

Might bear him company in the quest of him,

Whom whilst I labored of a love to see,

I hazarded the loss of whom I loved.

Five summers have I spent in farthest Greece,

Roaming clean through the bounds of Asia,

And, coasting homeward, came to Ephesus—

Hopeless to find, yet loath to leave unsought

Or that or any place that harbors men.

But here must end the story of my life,

And happy were I in my timely death

Could all my travels warrant me they live.

duke

Hapless Egeon, whom the fates have marked

To bear the extremity of dire mishap!

Now, trust me, were it not against our laws,

Against my crown, my oath, my dignity,

Which princes, would they, may not disannul,

My soul should sue as advocate for thee.

But though thou art adjudgèd to the death,

And passèd sentence may not be recalled

But to our honor’s great disparagement,

Yet will I favor thee in what I can.

Therefore, merchant, I’ll limit thee this day

To seek thy health by beneficial help.

Try all the friends thou hast in Ephesus;

Beg thou, or borrow, to make up the sum,

And live; if no, then thou art doomed to die.—

Jailer, take him to thy custody.

jailer

I will, my lord.

158procrastinate postpone

1.2Location: The street.

1give out say

8keep safeguard.

9Centaur the name of an inn, identified by its sign over the door. In mythology, a centaur is half horse, half man. host lodge

11dinnertime i.e., noon

18mean (1) opportunity (2) money.

19villain servant. (Said good-humoredly.)

21humor mood, disposition

egeon

Hopeless and helpless doth Egeon wend,

But to procrastinate his lifeless end.Exeunt.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Bantam Classics
• Date d'édition: 1988
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0553212915
• ISBN 13: 9780553212914
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 240
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible