Abbess

When Antipholus of Syracuse flees into her priory for refuge, the Abbess bars the doors against Adriana and the crowd demanding him back, insisting she will cure his madness with syrups, drugs, and holy prayers. Her sparring with Adriana is the play's sharpest argument: she blames a wife's jealous clamour for driving men mad, and she speaks with the authority of someone who has weathered grief of her own. Her stubborn charity keeps the fugitive out of reach long enough for the final reckoning — and quietly sets up the recognition that resolves it.