Dromio of Syracuse: The Funnier Twin
First appears: Act 1, Scene 2
Dromio of Syracuse is Shakespeare's first great clown. He and his twin exist to be beaten and bewildered, but he faces the bewilderment with more wit than his counterpart.
His description of Nell (the kitchen maid who claims him as a husband) is one of Shakespeare's most sustained comedy sequences. He maps her body as a globe, matching countries to her physical features. It is funny, crude, and completely at odds with any claim Dromio might have to dignity.
His final speech with his brother ('We came into the world like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another') is the play's most touching moment, arriving with no warning at the end.
Key Scenes
Famous Quotes
“We came into the world like brother and brother; And now let's go hand in hand, not one before another.”
Dromio of Syracuse — Act 5, Scene 1
Themes
Other Characters in The Comedy of Errors
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