Aegeon, the old merchant of Syracuse is caught for trespassing into Ephesus and told to either pay 1000 Marks fine or face
a death sentence. Upon his hearing, he relates his sorry tale to the Duke who revokes the death sentence and demands 1000 Marks fine. The Duke gives him 1 day to come up with the amount but Aegeon agrees to go to jail. 25 years ago, his wife gave identical twins who were both named Antiphalus. At the same time his
servant’s wife gave birth to twins who were both named Dromio. Both servant boys lived with Aegeon’s family and each of them were raised to serve one each of the two Antiphalus. A storm at sea separates the family and the elder Antiphalus & elder Dromio along with Aegeon’s wife Amelia, were lost.
The two that remained with Aegeon in Syracuse, the younger Antiphalus (AS) and younger Dromio (DS), after 18 years went in search of their twins. They did not return for a further 7 years. Old Aegeon, now alone, goes himself to look for AS & DS and arrives in Ephesus, not knowing that AS & DS have also simultaneously arrived there. The elder two boys who were with Amelia ended up in Ephesus, where Amelia resorted to becoming a nun and the boys, elder Antiphalus (AE) and elder Dromio (DE) were sold to Duke Menaphon (uncle of the present Duke of Ephesus). AE was inducted into Duke of Ephesus’ army and proved himself a valiant, decorated soldier
and DE, his servant.
AS sends his servant DS on an errand and doesn’t expect him to be back so soon. Meanwhile, AE, also gone from his house and DE, while looking for him finds AS, and thinking him to be his own master tries to take him back to the house for dinner. AS refuses and says that he has no mother & wife and sends DE back. Adriana thinking her husband to be involved in an affair, she gets upset. AS and DS arrive at the house and the guards thinking them to be AE & DE, let them in. Confusions abound at the dinner table and tempers rise. Meanwhile AE & DE arrive, but, the guards, not recognizing them, refuse entry. They stand outside, banging on the doors.
After dinner, DE’s wife and AE’s wife Adriana try to appease them, but they scamper out. As they go, they meet a goldsmith who made a chain for AE, and gives it to AS and goes . The goldsmith, not able to get his payment returns with the police and AS goes to jail. DS must release his master so he goes and gets the bail money from Adriana. After release, AS & DS meet another lady who talks about a gold chain and shows a ring to refresh his memory. AS & DS can take no more. They arrange to pack up and leave thinking the city to be bewitched.
AE and DE finally come inside the house and AE complains why he was not allowed in. Adriana thinks he is crazy and calls a doctor. As both AE & DE are tied up, left in solitary confinement, one of Adriana’s servants who see AS & DS thinks them to be AE & DE and tells Adriana that they have escaped from confinement. Adriana herself went out to verify and saw and thought exactly as her servant. During this time AS pondered over the many happenings that were taking place with him due to this mistake in identity, but after the payment was made, the goldsmith was never seen again. Trying to get hold of her crazy husband and his servant, she followed them, but they ran into an abbey. A very dignified abbess guarded the entry and questioned Adriana. She concluded that Adriana’s temperament has caused AS to run from her and that she has always blamed & doubted him for something or another. Adriana feels at fault begs to have her husband back. The abbess refused and sent Adriana back, shutting the abbey gate on her.
The 'one day time limit' given by the Duke to Aegeon was ending, and as Aegeon was going towards the execution site, he went into the abbey to pray. The Duke even said that if anyone was able to pay Aegeon’s fine, he would release him. Adriana went to appeal to the Duke that the abbess had kept her husband from her, but when she reached there, AE was already with the Duke filing a charge against Adriana for putting him under solitary confinement & falsely declaring him mad. Aegeon, already at the abbey, saw his son AE, who . Although Aegeon recognized his son AE failed to reciprocate any attachment.
Aegeon wondered why his own son didn’t recognize him. Adriana was amazed to see two versions of her husband and his servant standing there. The Duke noticed this and figured out that these must be Aegeon’s two missing sons & their servants and the abbess turned out to be Amelia, Aegeon’s lost wife.
The Duke took no payment for the ransom, and released Aegeon. Adriana got Amelia as a wise mother-in-law. AS married Luciana. Finally, the family was united. They often look back at these events, laughing at their COMEDY OF ERRORS.