Dromio’s Wife

Act 3 Scene 2 – Key Scene

In this comic exchange, Dromio of Syracuse returns in shock to his master after meeting Dromio of Ephesus’ wife, Nell. Nell, referred to as a large woman, has obviously mistaken him for her husband. Shakespeare uses a lot of geographical imagery to convey Nell’s size and Dromio’s shock of suddenly having a wife he knew nothing about. Antipholus of Syracuse feeds him questions which he answers elaborately. As we don’t meet Nell in the text, our image of her exists only in Dromio’s description.

Take a look at an extract from this scene and watch it in performance here. Using the following steps, remember to look at it line by line and if you’re looking at the scene for the first time don’t worry if you don’t understand everything at once.

• Look

  Take a look at the scene. Who has the most lines? Are they using prose or verse? Actors at the RSC often put the language into their own words to help them understand what they are saying. We’ve added some definitions (in green), questions (in red) and paraphrased some sections (in blue) to help with this. You can click on the text that is highlighted for extra guidance.

  Close

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  What’s her name?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  Nell, sir. But her name and three quarters — that’s an ell and three quarters — will not measure her from hip to hip.

  Close

  An old English measurement of about 45 inches.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Then she bears some breadth?

  Close

  What does this scene reveal about the relationship between master and servant?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  No longer from head to foot than from hip to hip: she is spherical, like a globe. I could find out countries in her.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  In what part of her body stands Ireland?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  Marry, sir, in her buttocks; I found it out by the bogs.

  Close

  Dromio is making a pun on ‘bogs’, a kind of marshland found in Ireland but also another word for toilet.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where Scotland?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  I found it by the barrenness, hard in the palm of the hand.

  Close

  A ‘ness’ is a wide open space in Scotland. Nell’s hard and calloused palms remind Dromio of this rough and barren ground in Scotland.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where France?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  In her forehead, armed and reverted, making war against her hair.

  Close

  At the time Shakespeare wrote this play, there had been a rebellion in France. Dromio is saying Nell is going bald as her forehead is rebelling against her hair.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where England?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  I looked for the chalky cliffs, but I could find no whiteness in them. But I guess it stood in her chin, by the salt rheum that ran between France and it.

  Close

  The white cliffs of Dover/her teeth.

  Close

  The English Channel, which is salty like sweat.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where Spain?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  Faith, I saw it not, but I felt it hot in her breath.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where America, the Indies?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  O, sir, upon her nose, all o’er embellished with rubies, carbuncles, sapphires, declining their rich aspect to the hot breath of Spain, who sent whole armadoes of carracks to be ballast at her nose.

  Close

  In Shakespeare’s time, America and the West Indies were places to find exotic jewels.

  Antipholus of Syracuse

  Where stood Belgia, the Netherlands?

  Dromio of Syracuse

  O, sir, I did not look so low.

  Close

  This is a long scene between them with a lot of extended imagery. Why do you think Shakespeare makes it so long? How effective do you think it is?

• Watch

  Read the scene aloud, and think about how you would act out this scene. Which words would you make stand out, and how would you show the emotion of the scene? Then, watch the video and see the actors in rehearsal making these decisions, then acting out the scene in performance. What do you think of their choices? What do they tell you about the characters?

  

  Play Scene
• Imagine

  Although Nell doesn't appear in the play, some productions do show her on stage. Compare the two images below. What do they tell you about Nell? How do you imagine her from the way she is described in this scene?