Primary sourceBook1591
The Comedy of Errors
William Shakespeare · 1591
An early comedy written by William Shakespeare, preserved in full text as one of his dramatic works.
Shakespeare wrote this early comedy, making it a primary text for studying his developing craft.
About this source
What it is
This is the complete text of The Comedy of Errors, an early comedy written by William Shakespeare around 1591. It is listed among his comedies and opens with a scene set in Ephesus involving a merchant facing punishment under local law.
Why it matters
As one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, it shows his developing style before his later, more famous works. The opening scene's harsh law and tension reveal how Shakespeare used serious themes even within his comedies.
Look closer
- What does the Duke's speech reveal about the rules of this fictional world?
- How does the old-fashioned spelling affect your reading of the text?
- What might have been changed or modernized in later printed versions?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of William Shakespeare on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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