Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

BALTHASAR

in The Comedy of Errors — Shakespeare, William

Metadata

PlayThe Comedy of Errors
AuthorShakespeare, William
Year (catalogued)1623
First performance1592
Decade1620s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyPembroke's Men (?)
Speech prefix(es)Bal. | Baliz. | Balth.
Words205
Characters1111
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11954.5
BritDrama no.944
ClusterCluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

I hold your dainties cheap sir, & your welcome deer. Good meat sir is common that every churl affords. Small cheer and great welcome, makes a mere rye feast. In debating which was best, we shall partly with neither. Have patience sir, o let it not be so, Herein you war against your reputation, And draw within the compass of suspect the unviolated honour of your wife. Once this your long experience of your wisdom, Her sober virtue, years, and modesty, Plead on your partly some cause to you unknown; And doubt not sir, but she will well excuse Why at this time the doors are made against you. Be ruled by me, depart in patience, And let us to the Tiger all to dinner, And about evening come your self alone, To know the reason of this strange restraint: If by strong hand you offer to break in Now in the stirring passage of the day, A vulgar comment will be made of it; And that supposed by the common rout Against your yet ungalled estimation, That may with foul intrusion enter in, And dwell upon your graven when you are dead; For slander lives upon succession; For ever hows'd, where it gets possession.

Plot summary

Plot — The Comedy of Errors
Egeon, a merchant of Syracuse, has been arrested under an Ephesian law which forbids Syracusans to set foot in Ephesus; he is unable to pay the fine and must face execution. He tells the Dike his story: long ago, a storm at sea separated him from his wife and one of his twin baby sons, along with one of a pair of infant twins destined to be family servants; once his remaining son grew up, he went looking for his lost brother; and now Egeon is looking for him. The Duke pities him and grants him a day to raise his fine from the Ephesians. Altipholis of Syracuse arrives in Ephesus and is advised to lie about his place of origin; he sends his servant D¥@iiio to take money to his lodgings. But Ephesus has an identical Antipholus and Dromio already in residence. The local Antipholus is late for dinner, much to his wife M@#iana’s annoyance, but it is the visiting Antipholus who is summoned by the local Dromio. When the latter reports that Antipholus denies even being married, Adriana suspects infidelity. She upbraids the Syracusan Antipholus and cajoles him in to eat. Though he suspects that her uncanny knowledge of him is attributable to witchcraft, he decides to take advantage of the proffered meal, and instructs Dromio to keep intruders out of the house. One prospective intruder is the house’s rightful owner, Antipholus of Ephesus; but Dromio of Syracuse refuses to open the door to him. He is ready to break in, but his friends advise him that this would publicly dishonour his wife. He goes off to dine with a courtesan, and sends for a chain he had ordered as a present for Adriana, to give to his hostess instead. Midian tries to encourage Antipholus of Syracuse to treat Adriana better, but he is attracted to her instead. Dromio also discovers an unexpected romantic entanglement in the rotund shape of a kitchen wench, the fiancée of his Ephesian counterpart. The chain goes astray: it is handed to the wrong Antipholus, but Aligeléithe goldsmith refuses to accept sews meter hie enattprne! Shanon athe ite ===== PAGE 207 ===== 1593 payment on delivery, insisting on calling back later instead. Angelo quickly mins into financial difficulties: he owes money to a merchant who is leaving town and needs it quickly; but happily the debt is equal to the sum Antipholus owes for the chain. Antipholus of Ephesus sends his Dromio to buy a rope’s end with which to beat his wife. Angelo asks him for his money and, when he denies receiving the chain, has him arrested for debt.…