Menander THE RAPE OF THE LOCK (PERIKEIMENE) Five Acts 4/3B.C.
Glycera, abandoned as a baby and grown up to be a common-law wife of Polemon, is estranged from him, because of the rape of the lock which he committed as he saw her being kissed by Moschion, a young man. While Bataechus an old neighbour tries to make peace between husband and wife, he turns out to be the father of Glycera and Moschion. Glycera is given by Bataechus as legal wife to Polemon. Bataechus' new role(Act IV) to testify to the pattern of the embroidery and Glycera's birth token of a necklace, an ornamental stone and a crimson girdle cause anagnorisis to occur. Act V is devoted to reconciliation and announcement of two marriages.
Menander The ARBITRATORS (EPITREPONTES) Five Acts 4/3B.C.
Learning from a servant that Pamphile his wife abandoned her baby born from the rape at an all-night festival, Charisios deserts her and indulges in debauchery with a courtesan. Smikrines, Pamphile's offended father, coming to take his daughter back, happens to be asked on his way to arbitrate a quarrel between a shepherd and a charcoal-maker as to which of them an expensive ring found with an abandoned baby belongs to, both claiming to be its foster-parents. Through this ring Charisius turns out to be the father of the baby (i.e. the man who raped Pamphile in the darkness) and Smikrines the grandfather. Part of anagnorisis (Charisios-baby-Pamphile) is reached by the end of Act IV, but in Act V Smikrines, by meeting the charcoal-maker, seems to turn out to be the grandfather of the baby for whom he arbitrated.
Plautus EPIDICUS 781 lines 3/2B.C.
Epidicus, slave of Periphanes, an Athenian senator, after finding out and redeeming for his master his long-lost daughter begotten in Epidaurus, wheedles money out of him pretending that ransom is needed for a harp-girl whom his son Stratippocles is in love with. Actually Stratippocles is no longer in love with the harp-girl but with a captive girl (Telestis) whom he met during his military service abroad. Periphanes, after the payment of the money, finds in anger that he erroneously took his son's former lover for his own long-lost daughter, but the redeemed Telestis turns out to be his long-lost daughter, that is, Stratippocles'sister. Epidicus is forgiven for his trick. Without the arrival of Telestis' mother from Epidaurus with a memory of the past affair in quest for her captured daughter on line 525 and without Epidicus' encounter with Telestis on line 635 anagnorisis would not have occurred.
Plautus CURCULIO 729 lines 3/2 B.C.
Phaedromus, a penniless young gentleman , asks his parasite Curculio to help him redeem Planesium a harp-girl. Curclio, learning that a captain (Therapontigonus) has entrusted his money for redeeming Planesium to a banker, steals from drunken Therapontigonus his ring, with which he seals a forged letter and redeems Planesium for Phaedromus. The loss of the ring, his deceased father's keepsake causes Therapontigonus to mention his father's name, from which Planesium learns herself to be his long-separated sister. She is given as wife to Phaedromus and Curculio gets permission to stay as a parasite. Without Therapontigonus' memory of the hurricane by which the brother and sister were separated (651) anagnorisis would not have occurred.
Terentius THE LADY OF ANDROS (ANDRIA) 981 lines 166 B.C.
Glycerium, erroneously supposed to be the sister of a courtesan from Andros, receives, when with child, the promise to marry her by Pamphilus, a young Athenian. Simo his father has already arranged a match for him with a daughter of Chremes, another old gentleman of Athens, and on discovering his son's intrigue made as if the marriage were still to take place, hoping in this way to discover his son's real sentiments. Acting on the advice of his servant, Pamphiulus raises no objection. When Glycerium is found to have given birth to a child, Chremes breaks off the match between his daughter and Pamphilus. Glycerium, however, is found to be Chremes' daughter(933) and is given in marriage by Chremes to Pamphilus. His other daughter Chremes gives in marriage to her lover. But for the arrival of the merchant from Andros (796) with information about Glycerium anagnorisis would not have occurred.
Terentius MOTHER-IN-LAW (HECYRA) 880 lines 165/160 B.C.
Philumena, giving birth to a baby too soon after the marriage, is estranged from Pamphilis her husband . Through a ring which Pamphilis gave to Bacchus a courtesan the baby's father turns out to be Pamphilis who, in an all-night festival, unknowingly raped Philumena and took it from her finger. Bacchus, though in love with Pamphilis, wishes him a happy married life and retires. Without the appearance of Bacchus ( 727) and being seen with the ring on her finger by Philumena's mother (812), anagnorisis would not have occurred. But for Bacchus' unexpected generosity the happy ending would not have been possible.
Shakespeare THE COMEDIE OF ERRORS Five Acts 1591?
Two sets (master and servant) of long-separated twins are mistaken and thus give rise to a trouble, but, in order to avoid misfortune, master and servant flee in to an abbey where the abbess turns out (Act Five) to be the mother of the master twin. Two marriages are announced. The likeness of the twin brothers and their sharing of the same names being the cause of confusion, their meeting together brings in an easy anagnorisis. The appearance of the abyss gives a final touch to the festivity.
Shakespeare TWELFTH NIGHT Five Acts 1602?
Viola, shipwrecked and washed up on the coast of Illyria, is involved in trouble arising from her disguise as a boy, while falling in love with the Duke. When Sebastian, her lost brother and her likeness, caught in a bloody affair, appears before the Duke, the sister and brother joyfully recognize each other. Their likeness being the cause of confusion, their meeting in the last Scene of the last Act leads instantly to anagnorisis, which resolves all problems. Viola with the Duke and two other marriages are announced.
Moliere A MISER (L'AVARE) Five Acts 1668
Arpagon the miser plans to give his son and daughter to rich old woman and man in marriage and marry himself with Marianne, a young beauty. By an accident of having his cash (treasure) box stolen, Marianne turns out to be sister of Valere, his daughter's lover. His daughter and Valere get married, Marianne and his son get married and the box is restored. But for the appearance of Anserm with double name in Act V Scene v Valere and Marianne would not have turned out to be Anserm's son and daughter and the young people would not have got married happily.
Moliere THE TRICK OF SCAPIN (LES FOURBERIES DE SCAPIN) Three Acts 1671
Octave and Leandre, sons of two old men each (Arcanto and Jeronto, respectively) fall in love each with a girl (Iasanto and Zelbinette, respectively) during the father's absence. Scapin, servant of Leandre, plays a trick on the old men to get the young couples united. When the trick has succeeded, the nurse of Jeronto's daughter appears and Iasanto turns out to be the daughter of Jeronto and his second wife and Zelbinette, erroneously thought to be a gipsy, turns out to be Arcanto's daughter. Scapin's trick is punished by a masonry's tub falling from the roof on his head. Dying Scapin, forgiven, is carried to the table of the feast of two marriages. Without the Nurse's appearance in Act III Scene viii Iasanto would not have been proved as Jerome's daughter and the two couples would have been torn apart.
Oscar Wilde THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST 1894
With a funny confusion created by his supposing a brother's existence under the name of Earnest, John Worthing wins the love of Gwendolen Fairfax. Unable to get permission for marriage from Lady Bracknell her mother, because of his obscure status as a foundling discovered in a handbag in Victoria Station, he holds back his permission for marriage of Cecily Cardew his ward with Algernon nephew of Lady Bracknell. By the confession of Miss Prisim, governess of Cecily and former nurse of the baby of Lady Bracknell's deceased sister, John turns out to be Lady Bracknell's nephew named Earnest after his deceased father and so can marry Gwendollen, whose principles only allow her to marry an Earnest. Three marriages are announced. Without Miss Prism's new role as the former nurse of the lost baby, anagnorisis would not have occurred.
T.S. Eliot THE CONFIDENTIAL CLERK 1949
Sir Claude Mulhammer, whose natural daughter Lucasta is already betrothed to B. Kaghan, appoints Colby whom he believes to be his natural son to the position of his confidential clerk thus to make him his heir in the future. Lady Elizabeth Mulhammer, while inquiring into Colby's background, suspects him to be her long-lost natural son . By the confession of a Mrs. Guzzard, whose deceased sister Sir Claude once made pregnant, Colby turns out to be Mrs. Guzzard's son and Bkaghan son of Lady Elizabeth. Mrs. Guzzard is summoned up when about four-fifth of the action has passed. Without her final decision anagnorisis would not have occurred.
Joe Orton WHAT THE BUTLER SAW 1969
Mrs. Prentice who as a young chambermaid of the Station Hotel has had twins from a rape in a linen cupboard later unknowingly has married their father. The grown-up twins are recognized through their possession of lucky elephant charms, which together make up a brooch. Unless the brooch is quite casually mentioned near the end anagnorisis would not have occurred.
