Elizabeth McKinney

Dr. McManus
Introduction to Shakespeare
10/20/14
Questing and Jesting: Coping with Identity in The Comedy of Errors
The quest for identity in William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is perhaps the
most apparent theme of the play, but that does not mean it is the most readily understood.
Additionally, the humor in the play is one of the most discussed aspects, but again, it is not
entirely understood at face value. For example, Antipholus of Syracuse and Antipholus of
Ephesus are two characters searching for their identity. Their quests intertwine in humorous
ways, but The Comedy of Errors uses these jokes and wit to mask some of the anxiety that a
quest for identity brings to the characters involved. The comedy is overwhelming at times,
directing the reader's attention away from the grief and stress from the plot of the play.
According to the appraisal theory of emotion, individuals' emotions are a direct effect of the
situation the individual finds him or herself in, and the situation influences how the individual
interprets the emotions. The Antipholus brothers have different humor styles and handle stressful
situations differently, which contributes to the humor in the play, as well as leads the reader to a
better understanding of the character as a person. In regards to this theory, the visual portrayal of
this play is imperative to the audience's understanding, and must be done carefully, thoroughly,
and creatively.
Antipholus of Syracuse (also referred to as Antipholus S.) has already spent many long
years away from his father, searching for his brother and mother, which leads to him being worn
out physically and emotionally by the time he reaches Ephesus: "For with long travel I am stiff

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and weary" (1.2.15). He further speaks of his unhappiness, saying "He that commends me to
mine own content/Commends me to the thing I cannot get" (1.2.33-34). His exhaustion results in
lower expectations for success in Ephesus. Because he has little to no expectations, Antipholus S.
is able to look at each situation in Ephesus in a humorous light, with the help of Dromio of
Syracuse's (also referred to as Dromio S.) wit, and thus avoids feeling completely defeated.
Dromio S. often uses humor and wit to calm his master and escape a beating. For
example, after Dromio of Ephesus (also referred to as Dromio E.) speaks to Antipholus S. and
then Dromio S. returns, Antipholus beats Dromio S. for his jests about a mistress and dinner.
Dromio S. responds by asking why, and after hearing Antipholus S.'s response of ". . . for
flouting me and . . . for urging it the second time . . ." (2.2.44-46), he thanks his master, "for this
something that you gave me for something" (2.2.50-51). The conversation spins into a series of
jokes from here, including a pun on the word "basting" (2.2.62) and then an explanation of the
difference between bald men and hairy men, ending again with a pun on the word "bald"
(2.2.109). Antipholus S. has a quick temper, but his sense of humor and Dromio S.'s wit is
quicker. This combination results in Antipholus S.'s frustration turning into mirth in almost every
situation he faces in the play.
Antipholus of Ephesus (also referred to as Antipholus E.) is unaware of the existence of
living family members, so his conscious quest for identity does not begin until the end of the
play. He has a prosperous, blissfully happy life with his wife and enjoys the work he does for the
Duke. He does not suffer the same sense of loss and partial identity that Antipholus S. does, and
therefore does not need to use humor as a coping mechanismindeed, he has nothing bad to
cope with. On the other hand, Dromio E. does share his brother's cleverness. His wit goes

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unappreciated by Antipholus E., and he is often beaten for it. Furthermore, Antipholus E. treats
Dromio E. much more like a servant than Antipholus S. treats Dromio S.
Antipholus E. is much more likely to lash out in a rash or even violent manner because of
frustrating situations. An example of this occurs in act three, when Antipholus E., Dromio E.,
Angelo, and Balthasar approach Antipholus E.'s house, the Phoenix. Antipholus S. and Dromio
S. are already inside, dining with Luciana and Adriana, so the doors are locked, and Dromio S.
has been given clear instructions to not let anyone inside. Antipholus E. grows more and more
irritated as the Dromio brothers banter ("Maud, Bridget, Marian, Ciceley, Gillian, Ginn" (Dromio
E. 3.1.33)! "Mome, malt-horse, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch" (Dromio S. 3.1.34)!). His reaches
his wit's end when Adriana, his own wife, comes to the door and rejects him. In retaliation,
Antipholus E. first reacts violently and rashly, demanding a crowbar so he can break down the
door to his own home. His friends persuade him to act more rationally, though, and he decides to
get revenge on his wife by going to see the courtesan; he says "be it for nothing but to spite my
wife" (3.1.118). His jealousy and temper gets in the way of his ability to enjoy the clever repartee
between the two Dromios and he is unable to control his temper long enough to see any of the
humor of the situation.
In a play centered on the confusion of two twins with the same name, the visual aspects
lose some of their importance, and other details, such as personality, gain a great deal of
importance. In The Comedy of Errors, the way each Antipholus reacts to similar situations (such
as the other Dromio giving them wrong information in regards to their money) is one of the
easiest ways to differentiate between the brothers. Therefore, a staging of this play would be best
received by an audience if the costumes are plain and the facial expressionsparticularly in
terms of reaction expressionsare extravagant and overwhelmingly clear. The way each

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Antipholus reacts to his Dromio is especially important, because each brother treats his servant
differently, thus each servant behaves differently.
Additionally, in order to emphasize the twin theme, mirrors could be placed on stage, a
pun on the "mirror image" concept of twins. For example, in 3.1, at the Phoenix, there should be
mirrors situated so that each Dromio can see himself. This will add to the humor of the play,
because it invokes dramatic irony: the audience knows the image in the mirror mimics the other
twin, but each twin thinks he is looking at himself. Furthermore, in this scene (3.1), it is
important to have many other actors on stage. Part of why Antipholus E. doesn't break into his
own home is because of the "stirring passage of the day;" he is afraid people will talk about it,
which would mar his "yet ungalld estimation" (Balthasar 3.1.99, 102). This specific scene
shows Antipholus E.'s personality the most clearly, as reader and audience alike can watch his
rage grow until he snaps. This development of emotion can be visually shown through pacing
and through the actor clenching his fists. The actor portraying Antipholus E. could be physically
restrained by the other actors on stage with him. These visual actions can add more to the scene
than dialogue can, in certain regards. They can also pull the audience in more emotionally to the
content and to the characters.
Another scene that requires a great deal of visual support is the final scene of the play
(5.1). Clear, informative visuals are important for this scene because the great variety in
emotions among the characters reveals more about the identity of each character than dialogue
alone. For instance, Antipholus S. is much more excited to be reunited with his family than
Antipholus E. is, because his search is now over. Antipholus E. has just now learned that he has a
whole family, and he is overwhelmed and possibly even reluctant to believe the entire situation.
Furthermore, the characters continue to confuse each other, addressing the wrong people about

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the wrong things throughout their group explanation. For example, Dromio S. says to Antipholus
E. "Master, shall I fetch your stuff from shipboard" (5.1.407-08)? However, Antipholus E. has
not given Dromio S. any of his items, so Antipholus S. has to correct Dromio S. Adriana also has
trouble distinguishing between her husband and her brother in law. She asks Antipholus S. "And
are not you my husband?" to which Antipholus E. replies "No, I say no to that" (5.1.371-72).
Therefore, the twins should all wear the same outfits and move around the stage, so that it is easy
for the audience to understand the confusion.
The comedic theme throughout The Comedy of Errors is used by the characters as a way
for them to cope with stressful, emotionally difficult situations, but each character uses the
comedy differently, which helps build their identities as individuals within the same family.
Antipholus of Syracuse uses humor as an escape from his arduous quest to find his family and
himself. Antipholus of Ephesus is the character who is most content with his current life and is
the character who needs humor the least, but he is also the character who struggles the most with
the anagnorisis at the end of the play. Each character's identity is revealed completely in the final
scene, indicating the end of their quests. However, Antipholus E.'s quest is just the beginning; his
sense of identity has been shattered by the sudden revelation of a family. His serious personality
is juxtaposed with his brother's easy-going, good-natured personality. The reader can easily see
how important humor is to Antipholus S., and how his humor ultimately helps him accept and
adjust to being reunited with his family. Antipholus E. is left out because of his sullenness
revealing the importance of a comedic identity in The Comedy of Errors.

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Works Referenced
Pandit, Lalita. "Emotion, Perception and Anagnorisis in The Comedy of Errors: A Cognitive
Perspective." College Literature 33.1 (2006): 94-126. Web.
Shakespeare, William. The Comedy of Errors. Ed. Harry Levin. New York: Signet Classic, 2002.
Print.