The Comedy of Errors (Dover Thrift Editions)
Category: Books,Humor & Entertainment,Humor
The Comedy of Errors (Dover Thrift Editions) Details
About the Author "He was not of an age, but for all time," declared Ben Jonson of his contemporary William Shakespeare (1564–1616). Jonson's praise is especially prescient, since at the turn of the 17th century Shakespeare was but one of many popular London playwrights and none of his dramas were printed in his lifetime. The reason so many of his works survive is because two of his actor friends, with the assistance of Jonson, assembled and published the First Folio edition of 1623. Read more
Reviews
Some plays of Shakespeare are meant to be read. Few patrons of the arts are able to truly enjoy the full four hour production of Hamlet. Moreover, many of the soliloquies are more powerful in the reading and rereading then in listening to them on a distant stage.A Comedy of Errors is not on one of them.It’s not just that it lacks the sublime quality of Hamlet or Lear, it’s that most of the laughs are in the slapstick humor of two sets of identical twins being confused with one another.The humor depends upon the actors displaying increasing frustration and perplexity leading to a spontaneous release of joy when the errors are revealed. The written word cannot do the play the credit it deserves.So while a good edition can help one sort out the major characters and wordplay it doesn’t make for a completely satisfying experience. Recommended with caution.
