No Fear Shakespeare
The Comedy of Errors
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Act 5, Scene 1, Page 4
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ADRIANA
As roughly as my modesty would let me.
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ADRIANA
I was as harsh as I could be while still being a lady.
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ABBESS
Haply in private.
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ABBESS
You scolded him in private?
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ADRIANA
And in assemblies too.
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ADRIANA
And in public too.
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ABBESS
Ay, but not enough.
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ABBESS
Fine, but not enough.
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ADRIANA
It was the copy of our conference.
In bed he slept not for my urging it;
At board he fed not for my urging it.
Alone, it was the subject of my theme;
In company I often glancèd it.
Still did I tell him it was vile and bad.
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ADRIANA
It was all we talked about. I kept him awake at night talking about it. He couldn’t eat without me talking about it. When we were alone, it was the only thing I talked about, and when we were with other people, I often found a way to mention it. All I ever did was tell him how hurtful and bad it was.
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ABBESS
And thereof came it that the man was mad.
The venom clamors of a jealous woman
Poisons more deadly than a mad dog’s tooth.
It seems his sleeps were hinder’d by thy railing,
And therefore comes it that his head is light.
Thou sayst his meat was sauced with thy upbraidings.
Unquiet meals make ill digestions.
Thereof the raging fire of fever bred,
And what’s a fever but a fit of madness?
Thou sayest his sports were hinderd by thy brawls.
Sweet recreation barred, what doth ensue
But moody and dull melancholy,
Kinsman to grim and comfortless despair,
And at her heels a huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures and foes to life?
In food, in sport, and life-preserving rest
To be disturbed, would mad or man or beast.
The consequence is, then, thy jealous fits
Have scared thy husband from the use of wits.
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ABBESS
And that’s why he went crazy. A jealous woman’s poisonous ranting is worse than the bite of a rabid dog. You disturbed his sleep with your complaining, which is why he’s disoriented. You seasoned his food with screams. Stress during mealtime ruins the digestion, and that gave him a raging fever. Fever, as we know, is a kind of madness. You spoiled his fun by fighting with him, and when people can’t enjoy themselves, they grow moody and dull with melancholy—they come very close to being grim and cheerlessly depressed. Next thing you know, all kinds of terrible illnesses break out. Ruining his meals, his enjoyment, and his sleep would drive any man or beast mad. What I’m saying is, your jealousy has pushed your husband away from his sanity.
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