"Often under-rated as a mechanical farce, The Comedy of Errors, hilarious in its exploitation of mistaken identity, masterly in construction, and brilliant in linguistic invention, is the first of Shakespeare's romantic comedies, deeply moving in the reunions and reconciliations of its conclusion. This, the first major edition since 1988, bases itself directly on the 1623 Folio text and provides explanatory notes." The Introduction, appreciative of the play's theatrical success over the centuries, argues that it was specifically written for and performed at the Gray's Inn Christmas revels on 28 December 1594, making it among the first plays composed by Shakespeare for his new company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Discussion of the play's origins argues that the immediate source for the frame plot (Egeon and his family) was not Gower's Confessio Amantis, as is usually assumed, but a recent Elizabethan short novel, Lawrence Twine's Pattern of Painful Adventures. The main plot is unquestionably based on the Roman dramatist Plautus's Menaechmi, here reprinted in its entirety in a modernized version of William Warner's translation (1595).
Used availability for William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors
See all available used copies of this book at: Abebooks UK or Abebooks US
Hardback Editions
September 2010 : Library Binding
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Graphic Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-60270-762-6 / 9781602707627 (USA edition) Publisher: Magic Wagon Availability: Amazon More details... |
February 2004 : Hardback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-82794-9 / 978-0-521-82794-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
July 2003 : Library Binding
| Title: Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-613-64226-0 / 978-0-613-64226-2 (USA edition) Publisher: Turtleback Books: A Division of Sanval Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 2002 : Hardback
| Title: The Oxford Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-19-812933-5 / 978-0-19-812933-2 (UK edition) Publisher: OUP Oxford Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
June 2002 : Hardback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-7807-5710-6 / 978-0-7807-5710-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Perfection Learning Availability: Amazon More details... |
September 1996 : Library Binding
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (New Folger Library Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-613-02510-5 / 978-0-613-02510-2 (USA edition) Publisher: Topeka Bindery Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
July 1992 : Hardback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Charnwood Soft Cover) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-7089-4512-0 / 978-0-7089-4512-4 (UK edition) Publisher: Ulverscroft Large Print Books Ltd Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
December 1962 : Hardback
| Title: Comedy of Errors (New Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare, X pre 1970 ISBN: 0-521-06289-6 / 978-0-521-06289-3 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
Paperback Editions
December 2025 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-451-52724-0 (USA edition) Publisher: Signet Classics Availability: Amazon More details... |
October 2011 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-61382-110-7 / 9781613821107 (USA edition) Publisher: Simon & Brown Availability: Amazon More details... |
June 2011 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Modern Library Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-8129-6933-2 / 978-0-8129-6933-7 (USA edition) Publisher: Modern Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
April 2011 : Paperback
| Title: Comedy Of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-4610-3320-9 / 978-1-4610-3320-2 Publisher: CreateSpace Availability: Amazon More details... |
April 2011 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (The RSC Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-230-28412-4 / 978-0-230-28412-8 (UK edition) Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
September 2007 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare Library Classic) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-59986-779-6 / 9781599867793 (USA edition) Publisher: FQ Classics Availability: Amazon More details... |
January 2006 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Webster's Thesaurus Edition) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-497-25358-5 / 978-0-497-25358-5 (USA edition) Publisher: ICON Group International, Inc. Availability: Amazon More details... |
October 2005 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Penguin Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-101667-1 / 978-0-14-101667-2 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 2005 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-4209-2623-3 / 978-1-4209-2623-1 (USA edition) Publisher: Digireads.com Availability: Amazon More details... |
December 2004 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Folger Shakespeare Library) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-7434-8488-6 / 978-0-7434-8488-6 (USA edition) Publisher: Simon & Schuster Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
February 2004 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-53516-6 / 978-0-521-53516-8 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 2003 : Paperback
| Title: The Oxford Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors (Oxford World's Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-19-281461-3 / 978-0-19-281461-6 (UK edition) Publisher: OUP Oxford Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
September 2002 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Dover Thrift Editions) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-486-42461-8 / 978-0-486-42461-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Dover Publications Availability: Amazon More details... |
December 1999 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Wordsworth Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-85326-243-9 / 9781853262432 (UK edition) Publisher: Wordsworth Editions Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 1999 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (The Pelican Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-071474-X / 978-0-14-071474-6 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 1999 : Paperback
| Title: Comedy of Errors (Applause Shakespeare Library: The Folio Texts) (Applause First Folio Editions) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-55783-319-2 / 9781557833198 (USA edition) Publisher: Applause Theatre Book Publishers Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
February 1994 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Signet Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-451-52311-3 / 978-0-451-52311-2 (USA edition) Publisher: Signet Books Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1991 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Cambridge School Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-39575-5 / 978-0-521-39575-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
August 1991 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare, Louis B. Wright, Virginia A. Lamar ISBN: 0-671-73990-5 / 978-0-671-73990-4 (USA edition) Publisher: Washington Square Press Availability: Amazon More details... |
June 1988 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (The New Cambridge Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-521-29368-5 / 978-0-521-29368-6 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
March 1988 : Mass Market Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-671-46717-4 / 978-0-671-46717-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Washington Square Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1981 : Paperback
| Title: Comedy of Errors, The (Penguin) (Shakespeare, Penguin) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-070725-5 / 978-0-14-070725-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
September 1980 : Paperback
| Title: Shakespeare : Comedy of Errors (Pelican Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-071432-4 / 978-0-14-071432-6 (UK edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Australia Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
January 1980 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Bantam Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare, David M Bevington ISBN: 0-553-21291-5 / 978-0-553-21291-4 (USA edition) Publisher: Bantam USA Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
January 1969 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-070126-5 / 978-0-14-070126-5 (UK edition) Publisher: Washington Square Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
1969 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-671-45704-7 / 978-0-671-45704-4 (USA edition) Publisher: Washington Square Press Availability: Amazon More details... |
July 1968 : Paperback
| Title: "The Comedy of Errors" (Arden Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-17-443609-2 / 978-0-17-443609-6 (UK edition) Publisher: Thomson Learning Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
December 1965 : Paperback
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-451-51163-8 / 978-0-451-51163-8 (USA edition) Publisher: Signet Classics Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
December 1962 : Paperback
| Title: Comedy of Errors (New Shakespeare) Author(s): William Shakespeare, X pre 1970 ISBN: 0-521-06290-X / 978-0-521-06290-9 (UK edition) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Audio Editions
September 2004 : Audio Cassette
| Title: The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 1-932219-45-5 / 9781932219456 (USA edition) Publisher: Audio Partners Publishing Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
January 2002 : Audio Cassette
| Title: The Comedy Of Errors, (Classic Books on Cassettes Collection) [UNABRIDGED] (Classic Books on Casettes) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Flo Gibson (Narrator) ISBN: 1-55685-714-4 / 9781556857140 (USA edition) Publisher: Audio Book Contractors, Inc. Availability: Amazon Amazon UK Amazon CA More details... |
May 1999 : Audio Cassette
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Arkangel Complete Shakespeare Series) Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-14-086889-5 / 978-0-14-086889-0 (UK edition) Publisher: Arkangel Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
August 1996 : Audio Cassette
| Title: Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare ISBN: 0-694-51705-4 / 978-0-694-51705-3 (USA edition) Publisher: Caedmon Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
Other Editions
April 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (2012 Academic Edn. / Interactive TOC / Incl. Study Guide) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Mark.C Garde Publisher: DIGIPUBLISHED Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
April 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: The Comedy of Errors Author(s): William Shakespeare Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
February 2012 : Kindle edition
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Annotated Edition) Author(s): William Shakespeare Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
September 2011 : Kindle edition
| Title: A Comedy of Errors (with notes and detailed explanations for students) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Sidney Lee Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
June 2011 : Kindle edition
| Title: The Comedy of Errors (Modern Library Classics) Author(s): William Shakespeare, Jonathan Bate, Eric Rasmussen Publisher: Modern Library Availability: Amazon Amazon UK More details... |
June 2011 : Kindle edition
| Title: The Comedy of Errors(Newly Annotated Edition-Excellent Student Resource) Author(s): William Shakespeare Publisher: 99 Cent E-Press Availability: Amazon UK More details... |
© 2012 FantasticFiction
Questions? Comments? Corrections? Please email webmaster@fantasticfiction.co.uk
Questions? Comments? Corrections? Please email webmaster@fantasticfiction.co.uk

