ABSTRACT
Shakespeare's fusion of the Latin incidents has been closely analysed by T. W. Baldwin,1 and can be summarized in his words: 'The first two acts of The Comedy have been adapted from the materials of the first two of Menaechmi .•. For the machinery of the third act we ... turn to Amphitruo, (the fourth act of which) has furnished the principal machinery for the third of The Comedy.' 'The material of the third and fourth acts of Menaeclzmi • •. furnishes the fourth act of The Comed)1 . •• Then for the fifth act in both Menaeclzmi and The Comedy the twins are confronted and all is explained.' As Baldwin proves, Shakespeare learned in this play to shape his material to the 'five-act formula' for which Terence more than Plautus was responsible.
