The Comedy of Errors

William ShakespeareProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.2

Word count: 92K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Comedy of Errors by William ShakespeareAuthor: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Nov 1, 1997

Editor's review

One of Shakespeare's early comedies, it centers on a chain of misunderstandings set off by two pairs of masters and servants who share the same names; mistaken identity and piled-up coincidences drive the plot at full speed until the truth comes out and all ends in reunion. The language is witty and playful, dense with puns and wordplay, and the pace is brisk, making it a complete dramatic experience in a short time. As a public-domain eBook, it is easy to search and read alongside other texts, and is especially suited to readers approaching Shakespeare's original works for the first time. While reading, watch for the threads about family, identity and belonging; behind the misunderstandings lies a making whole and reconciliation of lost kinship. Reading aloud or watching a performance will bring out its theatricality. Note that this edition is an English-language eBook without Chinese translation or notes, so readers need some foundation in English reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers new to Shakespeare's comedies who want an English original of moderate length
Theater lovers interested in themes of misunderstanding and mistaken identity
Students of English or English literature courses who need to read Shakespeare
Readers who like to read and look things up on electronic devices, comparing texts as they go

Not a good fit for

Beginners whose English reading is still labored and who need Chinese notes or a translation
Researchers expecting in-depth scholarly introductions and detailed textual collation
Readers who prefer serious tragedy or modern novelistic narrative styles

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the plot, then read again to study the puns and the design of the misunderstandings.
Draw a character relationship chart while reading, marking which master and servant belong together, to avoid confusion.
Listen along with an audiobook or clips of stage performances to feel the rhythm of the lines.
After finishing, try retelling the key moments of misunderstanding to check whether you have sorted out the threads.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can I read this edition without any background in Shakespeare?

You can try, but you need basic English reading ability. This is an English-language eBook without Chinese notes, and Early Modern English expressions and dense puns may get in the way. It is best to learn the plot outline first, then go scene by scene, using a dictionary or a Chinese translation for difficult sentences.

Is this play suitable for classroom discussion or book clubs?

Fairly suitable. The play is not long, the structure of misunderstandings is clear, and the character relationships can serve as a starting point for discussion on identity, family and coincidence. A book club can assign roles for reading aloud, then discuss together how the misunderstandings grow layer by layer; this is efficient.

What should I keep in mind when reading the electronic edition?

The layout of a public-domain eBook may be plain; use reading software that supports dictionary lookup and annotation so you can check new words and record character threads at any time. Since there is no standard pagination, note the act and scene when taking notes, for easy reference and citation later.

Comments

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About the author

William Shakespeare Author · English · 1564–1616

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was the greatest playwright, poet and actor of the English Renaissance. Born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, he is known as the "Bard of Avon." He wrote roughly thirty-seven to thirty-nine plays, one hundred and fifty-four sonnets and narrative poems. His representative works include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. His works span tragedy, comedy and history play, distinguished by rich, poetic language and profound characterization. His explorations of human nature, power, love and fate have had a lasting influence, and his works have been translated into many languages and circulated widely around the world.