The Supernatural in Theatre
By Jasmine Ross
 Throughout the beginning of The Comedy of
Errors,Antipholus of Syracuse is very suspicious that
witchcraft is afoot in Ephesus.
Copyright Patricia Müller Theme: Connections by Patricia
Müller - This blog is hosted at
ComfortHost.
 when Antipholus of Syracuse is met by Dromio of Ephesus who insists that his
master come home to dinner, something that Antipholus of Syracuse knows
nothing about. Antipholus of Syracuse also accuses Dromio of Ephesus of running
away with his money that was supposed to be deposited, and their argument
escalates until Antipholus strikes Dromio of Ephesus, who runs away. When
Dromio of Syracuse returns, he has no idea what Antipholus of Syracuse is speaking
about, leading both men to believe that the city is under a spell.
dark.pozadia.org
 This experience with E. Dromio is S.
Antipholus’s first hint that something is
amiss in Ephesus. S. Antipholus’ immediate
conclusion is that sorcery and witchcraft are
to blame.


2007 Yourcompany.com
website templates.bz
Other Scenes
with Witchcraft
(1)
“Upon my life, by some
device or other
The villain is o'erraught
of all my money.
They say this town is
full of cozenage;
As, nimble jugglers
that deceive the eye,
Dark-working sorcerers
that change the mind,
Soul-killing witches
that deform the body,
Disguised cheaters,
prating mountebanks,
And many such-like
liberties of sin”

Again, S. Antipholus is quick to chalk up the strangeness of
Adriana knowing he and Dromio’s name to "inspiration" (meaning
divination or clairvoyance). This is rather surprising, considering
that S. Antipholus did come to Ephesus to look for a twin brother,
and, if that were the case, shouldn’t his first assumption be that
Adriana is married to his twin? Regardless, S. Antipholus seems to
have accepted that he’s come to a magical place. With that
premise, nothing that follows seems particularly strange and S.
Antipholus has no reason to look for logical answers to the strange
situations that befall him.
Other scenes
with
witchcraft(2)
“How can she thus,
then, call us by our
names, Unless it be
by inspiration?”

S. Antipholus is certain he is dreaming, or was dreaming when he
married this woman. This dream-state is an echo of all the
supernatural stuff he assumes is afoot in Ephesus. Again S.
Antipholus seems to use the supernatural as an excuse to avoid
looking at a more complex reality.
Other scenes
with witchcraft
(3)
“To me she speaks;
she moves me for
her theme.
What, was I married
to her in my dream?
Or sleep I now, and
think I hear all this?
What error drives our
eyes and ears amiss?
Until I know this sure
uncertainty,
I'll entertain the
offer'd fallacy.”
http://www.realbollywood.com

Like his master, S. Dromio clearly believes in supernatural forces,
but is less comfortable succumbing to sorcery. Rather than let all
of this seeming witchcraft roll over him (like S. Antipholus does),
S. Dromio cries out and appeals to his rosary (which, if this is set
in the pre-Christian era, is one of the play’s many playful
anachronisms). How is it that S. Dromio and S. Antipholus believe
that sorcery is the cause of their problems in Ephesus but E.
Dromio and E. Antipholus never resort to this sort of strange
reasoning?
Other scenes
with
witchcraft(4)
“O, for my beads! I
cross me for sinner.
This is the fairy
land. O spite of
spites! We talk with
goblins, owls, and
sprites. If we obey
them not, this will
ensue: They'll suck
our breath, or pinch
us black and blue.”
designyourway.net

S. Dromio’s romantic connection with Nell serves as a foil to S.
Antipholus’s connection with Luciana. Both feel they’re being
bewitched, but while S. Antipholus describes his enchantment in
the romantic terms of mermaids and songs, S. Dromio’s
enchantment is darker, and involves dogs. It’s a reminder that the
supernatural is all about perspective – one man’s evil bewitching is
another man’s lovely enchantment.
Other scenes
with witchcraft(5)
“O, Sir, I did not look so
low. To conclude: this
drudge or diviner laid claim
to me; call'd me Dromio;
swore I was assur'd to her;
told me what privy marks I
had about me, as, the mark
of my shoulder, the mole in
my neck, the great wart on
my left arm, that I, amaz'd,
ran from her as a witch.
And, I think, if my breast
had not been made of
faith, and my heart of steel,
She had transform'd me to
a curtal dog, and made me
turn i' th' wheel.”
Enchantment.com
 Antipholus shows some strength of spirit by choosing not
to bask in the good treatment he’s been getting in Ephesus.
Though he’s being treated kindly, it doesn’t sit well with
him that people really seem to think he is who he’s not.
Even if the seeming magic at hand has good consequences,
it’s still not real, so he chooses to reject it.
josephnewton.com
Other scenes
with
witchcraft(6)
“Even now a tailor
call'd me in his
shop, and show'd
me silks that he had
bought for me, And
therewithal took
measure of my body.
Sure, these are but
imaginary wiles,
And Lapland
sorcerers inhabit
here.”

ADRIANA : “Good Doctor Pinch, you are
a conjurer: Establish him in his true
sense again, And I will please you what
you will demand.”

LUCIANA:” Alas, how fiery and how
sharp he looks!”

COURTEZAN: “Mark how he trembles in
his ecstasy.”

PINCH: “Give me your hand, and let me
feel your pulse.

E. ANTIPHOLUS: “There is my hand,
and let it feel your ear.” [Striking him]

PINCH: “I charge thee, Satan, hous'd
within this man, To yield possession to
my holy prayers, And to thy state of
darkness hie thee straight. I conjure thee
by all the saints in heaven.”

This is all rather hilarious. Throughout
the entire play, the supernatural has
seemed a dark and mysterious force in
Ephesus, but actually, when this guy
who’s supposed to be a conjurer shows
up, he’s clearly viewed as an innocuous
old quack. Adriana seems as foolish as S.
Antipholus to believe in all of this stuff,
and though Pinch takes himself very
seriously, that’s all the more reason we
don’t take him seriously. In case it wasn’t
clear before, Pinch’s character shows us
that relying on explanations like magic is
ludicrous. Also, this is where E.
Antipholus finally smacks around
somebody that deserves it.
clipartillustration.com

Again we see there are many sides to the supernatural – the
Abbess equates her holy prayers with her wholesome syrups. This
whole healing of madness is all a matter of perspective, whether
done by a witch doctor, a wife, or a holy woman.
Other scenes
with witchcraft(7)
“Be patient; for I will
not let him stir Till I
have us'd the approved
means I have, with
wholesome syrups,
drugs, and holy
prayers, to make of him
a formal man again. It
is a branch and parcel
of mine oath, a
charitable duty of my
order; therefore depart,
and leave him here
with me.”
holydevotions.blogspot.com
Shakespeare’s play Macbeth is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its
name (the euphuism "The Scottish Play" is used instead). Actors also avoid
even quoting the lines from Macbeth inside a theatre, particularly the
Witches' incantations. Outside of a theatre the play can be spoken of
openly. If an actor speaks the name Macbeth in a theatre, he or she is
required to leave the theatre building, spin around three times, spit, curse,
and then knock to be allowed back in.
theatregeeks.com
There are several possible origins for this superstition. One is the assumption that the
song of the Weird Sisters is an actual spell that will bring about evil spirits. Another
is that there is more swordplay in it than most other Shakespeare plays, and the
more swordplay must be rehearsed and performed, the more chances there are for
someone to get injured. Yet another option is that the play is often run by theatres
that are in debt and looking to increase patronage.
matthewholtzclaw.com
Generally, it is considered bad luck to wish someone good luck in a theatre. Prior to
performances, it is traditional for the cast to gather together to avert the bad luck by
wishing each other bad luck or cursing.
academiclink.stevensonuniversity.org

In English-speaking countries, the expression “break a leg” replaces the phrase “good
luck”, which is considered unlucky. Recently, the term "chookas" has also come into use,
replacing "good luck". The expression is sometimes used outside the theatre, as
superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use. If
someone says "good luck", they must go out of the theatre, turn around 3 times, spit,
curse, then knock on the door and ask to be readmitted to the theatre.
robertronnes.com
One ghost-related superstition is that the theatre should always be closed one
night a week to give the ghosts a chance to perform their own plays. This is traditionally
on Monday nights, conveniently giving actors a day off after weekend performances.
Theatres that have stood for more than a few decades tend to have lots of associated
ghost stories, more than other public buildings of similar age.
ghosttheory.com
Not surprisingly, given the number of things that can go wrong, sometimes with no apparent
logical cause, theatre folk often are a superstitious lot. Superstitions aren't limited to the
theatre, of course.
thesbians.blogspot.com
Undoubtedly you’ve heard of athletes who feel they absolutely must always wear a given
article of clothing or they’ll have a bad game. For example, Jack Nickalausmust carry
three pennies with him every time he plays golf, Babe Ruth had to touch first base with
his foot on the way to the outfield, and race-car driver Rick Mears refuses to allow
peanuts near his car.
auntiestreasures.com
Surely we all have our personal superstitions about avoiding walking under ladders, not
stepping on a sidewalk’s crack, and changing direction so the black cat does not cross our
paths. And as for breaking a mirror--of course we know that means seven years of bad
luck!
hopelessromantic.com
For many of us, there’s a comfort in the ritual of superstition. Perhaps the logical part of
your brain tells you there’s no magic in the first star you see at night but your heart
encourages you to say, “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I
might....” Not only is there comfort, we are happy that our art has interesting quirks.
pastorcraigsermonblog.blogspot.com
falconlit.com
grandlakebusinessjournal.com
grandlakebusinessjournal.com
 doitincolumbia.com
doitincolumbia.com
Andrews, John. Concise Dictionary of British Literary Biography, Volume 1: Writers of the middle Ages and Renaissance
before 1660, Gale, 1992, pp. 251-337.
Fletcher, Martha. “A Short History of the Drama”. Bellinger, New York. Henry Holt&
Company. 1927, p.224-6, 234.
Lablanc L., Micheal. Shakespearean Criticism. Gale Research Co., 2003
Miola S., Robert. “The Comedy of Errors Critical Essays”. Library of Congress Cataloging-inPublicaton Data. 1997
Papatola P., Dominic. “Theater review: Few Errors, Plenty of Comedy in Acting Company
Productions” Pioneer Press, 2011
Rolfe J., William “The Comedy of Errors: The History of the Play” New York Harper & Brothers
(1894)
Shakespeare, William. “The Comedy of Errors” Public Domain. 1594
Shakespeare , William. “Exploring Shakespeare” Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003
Snider J., Denton. System of Shakespeare’s Dramas. GI Jones and co. 1877 p.370-82.
Latham Collin, Looking at Shakespeare, Chicago times, 1975