Mountain Shakespeare Festival Blog

Comedy of Errors, an overview

June 27th, 2008

Hi there,

Check out this great write up by Holly Van Houten on Comedy of Errors.

“The Comedy of Errors” is likely Shakespeare’s first comedy and at 1800 lines is definitely his shortest. While the errors and confusion of mistaken identity created by long lost twins create much of the comedy, the overarching theme of reunion brings everything right in the end. Although details about Shakespeare’s life are all too scarce, we do know that his own twins (Hamnet and Judith) were born in 1585 and that by 1589 he was separated from his wife for much of the time as he pursued his theatrical career in London. It is hardly surprising then that Shakespeare should explore these ideas in “The Comedy of Errors” which was written between 1589 and 1594. Shakespeare’s primary source for “Comedy of Errors” was Plautus “Manaechmi” which similarly has a set of twins, both with the same name. But Shakespeare makes fundamental changes that give his own version of this story greater depth and take it far beyond mere farce. First of all, Shakespeare multiplies both the confusion and the laughs by doubling the twins and adding a pair of sisters. In doing so, Shakespeare provides a wife for Antipholus of Ephesus, freeing him to explore ideas about marriage and fidelity. He also changes the setting of the play to Ephesus, adding to the marital emphasis by harkening back to St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians and the marital admonitions contained therein. Luciana’s prim advice to her sister echoes St. Paul’s words: “Wives, submit yourselves unto your husbands.” The “dark” side of Ephesus is also prominent in St. Paul’s experience of the town as documented in the Acts of the Apostles, where he encounters witchcraft, sorcery and evil spirits. It is this reputation that Antipholus of Syracuse references when he contemplates Ephesus and its “Dark-working sorcerers” and “Soul-killing” witches. This also adds a dimension to Antipholus of Syracuse that is nowhere to be found in Plautus’ earlier play. When Antipholus of Syracuse is mistaken for his brother, he assumes he is dreaming or bewitched and begins to questions his own identity and sanity. Antipholus of Ephesus on the other hand, rightly assumes others are making “errors” and are either crazy or lying, never questioning his own identity or the possibility of witchcraft. Hilariously, it’s Antipholus of Ephesus on whom Dr. Pinch attempts to perform the exorcism. Lastly, Shakespeare increases the tension by adding a dark frame to his comedy, opening and closing it with the impending death sentence of Egeon. As the day wears on, the characters remind us with their references to the passing time, 12:00, 2:00, 5:00, that Egeon’s day of reprieve is moving along quickly. Antipholus of Syracuse may believe he’s losing his mind, but the audience knows that if the growing disorder does not resolve itself quickly, his father Egeon will literally lose his head. At the end though, Shakespeare’s emphasis shifts to a theme of reunion as Egeon reunites with Emilia, both sets of twins meet, and each Antipholus finds his mate. So even in this first comedy, Shakespeare provides us with his characteristic fare: food for thought and a frolicking good time.

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