How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Act.Scene.Line). Line numbers correspond to the Riverside edition.
Quote #7
LUCIANA
Alas, poor women, make us but believe,
Being compact of credit, that you love us.
Though others have the arm, show us the sleeve;
We in your motion turn, and you may move us.
Then, gentle brother, get you in again.
Comfort my sister, cheer her, call her wife.
'Tis holy sport to be a little vain
When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife. (3.2.23-30)
Luciana admits women are easily deceived, but in the same breath reveals that women enjoy being gullible. In her immediately preceding speech, Luciana had said it’s better to trick women and keep them happy than to tell them the unhappy truth. In the quote here, it seems Luciana might be asserting that women participate in men’s deceptive games by willingly "believing" the deception. At least in Luciana’s opinion, women would rather have flattery (even if it’s deceitful) than hear the awful truth.
Quote #8
S. ANTIPHOLUS
What claim lays she to thee?
S. DROMIO
Marry, sir, such claim as you
would lay to your horse, and she would have me as
a beast; not that I being a beast she would have me,
but that she, being a very beastly creature, lays
claim to me. (3.2.90-95)
Here’s an unusual instance where there’s no gloss over the fact that in love, women claim as much ownership over men as men tend to claim over women. Adriana has tried to justify her possessiveness of E. Antipholus as the feelings of a good wife, but there’s a hint that her feelings aren’t really that different than Nell’s ownership claims over her man.
Quote #9
S. ANTIPHOLUS
Satan, avoid! I charge thee, tempt me not.
S. DROMIO
Master, is this Mistress Satan?
S. ANTIPHOLUS
It is the devil.
S. DROMIO
Nay, she is worse, she is the
devil's dam, and here she comes in the habit of a
light wench. And thereof comes that the wenches
say 'God damn me'; that's as much to say 'God
make me a light wench.' It is written they appear
to men like angels of light. Light is an effect of fire,
and fire will burn; ergo, light wenches will burn.
Come not near her. (4.3.49-59)
S. Antipholus is quick to see the supernatural (as usual), but S. Dromio seems to recognize that the real danger of this woman is that she’s a woman. Lately, it seems women have been bringing nothing but trouble to S. Dromio. It’s interesting that he teases that woman is the "devil’s dam" (or the devil’s mother), which is even worse than her being the devil. Whether her evil is supernatural or practical is immaterial – she’s evil. If she’s a supernatural devil, she’ll burn in hell. If the Courtesan is a natural devil (i.e., a prostitute), she’ll burn just as well.