The Comedy of Errors

Antipholus of Ephesus’s narrative and thematic role parallels his twin. However, he does not fit the part of the sympathetic protagonist quite so clearly—he is introduced through Adriana’s negative view of him, rather than through his own quest, and his behavior when he first appears fits with her depiction. His first scene is laden with dramatic irony as the audience knows he is locked out despite his assurances of a warm welcome for his acquaintance, creating a layer of separation between the audience and this Antipholus.

This Antipholus is more violent toward Dromio and also expresses very violent intentions toward Adriana. In an early modern context, such behaviors were not unacceptable as they are to a modern audience; they are modelled to a lesser degree by his twin too. However, these actions were still open to critique: When his fellow acquaintances see him beating Dromio particularly angrily, they think he must be “mad” to act that way; similarly, Solinus commands his soldiers to protect Adriana. Shakespeare depicts the complex social codes of this period, in which people could own other people and enormous inequalities were accepted, but there was still an expectation of regulation and some recognition of the humanity of the disenfranchised.

This Antipholus’s different behavior could also be connected to his greater suffering in his character arc. Unlike his brother, who chooses to adventure in a strange land, a strange land comes to him against his will. His familiar world is suddenly hostile and alien. He has things taken from him, not given: His wife, his money, and the chain. He is threatened, imprisoned, and accused of “madness.” While he already has hostile relationships, as Dromio of Ephesus seems used to regular violence and his marriage is already antagonistic, the confusions surrounding his identity exacerbate his tensions with others. 

At the end of the play, normality is restored, but his normality already contained these discords, and there is no suggestion that they are fully resolved. He never set out to seek his twin, so he has not completed a meaningful quest like his twin, only survived. The reconciliation and recovery is still presented as positive but there is an ambivalent element: He and his twin leave together without speaking, entering an unknown future.

Dromio of Syracuse is presented as a companion character to Antipholus of Syracuse. They share humor: Antipholus encourages and joins in with Dromio’s wordplay. They support each other against adversity, acting as allies as they try to navigate strange events. However, there is a fundamental power imbalance, as Antipholus is completely in charge. He beats Dromio and reminds him that they are not friends, insisting his joking should only be on his terms. Their personal pseudo-friendship is thus always overruled by their formal social hierarchy. This dynamic allows Dromio to fulfil a greater range of comedic roles: Within the broad clown archetype, he produces both farce and wordplay as he is beaten for his apparent mistakes but also banters wittily. While these types of comedy are often separated into separate characters (i.e., a buffoon archetype and a verbal wit), Shakespeare uses both Dromios to embody both of them.

Dromio’s social role as a servant also impacts his narrative role: He doesn’t have his own objective, instead serving Antipholus’s. He is sent on missions without making the choices himself. However, Shakespeare shows that he still has his own wishes and concerns: He horrified to find he is apparently married to the kitchen maid, and wants reassurance he is still himself. He has a distinct personality that is similar to his twin’s: They are quick-witted, employing wordplay, and they are outspoken and bold in stating their perspective. They are actually competent and work hard, quickly dispatching their tasks; their competence is juxtaposed against how they appear to everyone around them thanks to their mistaken identity, creating comedy but also pathos as they can’t seem to do anything right.

In finding his twin at the end of the play, Dromio finds a companion who, unlike Antipholus, insists on their equality: Dromio of Syracuse, used to his main companion asserting his superiority, tries to let his twin go into the abbey first, but he refuses, saying they should go in together.

Dromio of Ephesus is similar to his brother in character: He uses quick wordplay and humor, and displays traits of loyalty and diligence despite his treatment. He seemingly has very different ideas about attraction from his twin, as his marriage to the kitchen maid seems happy.

This Dromio has a similar narrative role as a clown archetype and acts as a comedic lynchpin for the plot. He runs errands dutifully with mistaken identity causing mishaps, resulting in comedic violent scapegoating. He uses comedy to amuse his social superiors, who tolerate or encourage it on their own terms. Like his counterpart, he is an extension or addendum to Antipholus. He suffers the same problems as him (locked out of his home, threatened with imprisonment), but the focus is not on his own experiences or on solving his problems, but on Antipholus’s—Dromio’s fate is determined by, or part of, his. This Dromio seems to be treated worse than his counterpart, since he is used to being beaten and disparaged.

However the play offers a happy ending for him. He still has the wife his brother was so horrified by, and he has now found his twin, someone who accepts him as an equal. The Dromios’ respect for each other amplifies their own self-respect: “I see by you I am a sweet fac-d youth” (V.1.418). Through his recognition that his twin is worthy, he sees this in himself too.

Adriana is Antipholus of Ephesus’s wife, and as such contributes to the confusion over the twins’ identities, creating high stakes due to the intimate nature of their relationship. However, she has her own thematic and narrative significance too. Through her perspective, the theme of rifts in interpersonal relationships is developed through the lens of a marriage. Her distress shows the damage that such a romantic rift can cause.

Adriana is not just a victim of this rift; she is also portrayed as responsible for it to a great degree. She is placed into the misogynistic stereotype of the “shrew” or “nag,” a jealous, overbearing wife. Her debate with Luciana shows that these negative labels reflect early modern expectations around women’s behavior, in particular within marriage. Whereas Luciana feels her actions go against the “correct” way to behave within marriage, Adriana asserts that her criticized behavior is actually about trying to reinforce the structure of marriage when her husband neglects it. Through her, the play explores the expectations for gender roles in marriage and questions who has responsibility for upholding them. 

The play also uses Adriana and Luciana to portray a positive sisterly bond, suggesting the importance of female relationships. The sisters support and trust each other, and even their disagreements allow them an arena to engage with the meaning of womanhood and marriage.

Luciana is Adriana’s sister. She is both an ally and companion to her, but also challenges her. She is a mouthpiece for early modern Christian ideas about gender and marriage, blaming Adriana for the problems in her marriage. However, she is also loyal to her and cares for her interests: She defends her to Antipholus and Emilia, chides Antipholus for his treatment of her, and seeks solutions for her, encouraging her to appeal to the Duke against the Abbess.

Despite Luciana’s traditional Christian rhetoric, Antipholus of Syracuse places her into a magical, pagan realm, characterizing her as a mermaid, siren, and witch. He imposes his transformative feelings of attraction onto her; he considers his own emotional state an action by her, rather than something internal to him, just as Adriana is held responsible for the other Antipholus’s supposed “madness.”

Egeon is a beleaguered figure sentenced to death at the opening of the play, immediately creating pathos and stakes. His long monologues describing his tragic past set up the main plot, serving a similar role to a prologue. The different ways that his identity can be understood shape his fate: His identity as an Ephesian merchant condemns him, but the materialization of his role as father and husband saves him. Through his character, Shakespeare shows that the significance of these identity markers is partly determined by the society around a person.

Emilia is an Abbess who is revealed to be the lost wife and mother of Egeon’s story. Through her, Shakespeare depicts some of the roles available to women in this period: Wife, abbess, and mother. He shows that in certain contexts, these roles can offer some limited types of power. Emilia’s religious authority as Abbess imbues her with some social authority, as she determines to keep Antipholus inside and treat him, though this is confined within the walls of her abbey. She crosses into the role of mother instead when it suits her, directing the resolution of plot: Her reveal reunites the family, which resolves all the confusion and also validates Egeon’s identity as father and husband, freeing him from condemnation.

Angelo is a secondary character who represents the world of Ephesus, including The Importance of Commerce and Wealth in this society. He is a goldsmith, and his social relationship with Antipholus is tied to their commercial dealings. Angelo’s presence raises the stakes of the comedic mishaps because he represents the financial, social, and legal consequences for Antipholus: He has him arrested in public over the money he owes.

The Courtesan also represents the commercial world of Ephesus. Her character suggests that social, and possibly romantic or sexual connections, have transactional foundations. Her narrative role revolves around the respective value of a ring and gold chain. Even when Antipholus chooses to spend time with her, this is motivated by revenge on his wife: He is settling a score through this personal connection. 

The Courtesan is a flat character who serves the plot and fits into an archetype. She is savvy and skilled in protecting her own interests. She also maintains peace, humoring Antipholus and creating a satisfactory story for Adriana and the public, but she is determined to get her accounts settled fairly.

Pinch is a comedic character whom Shakespeare uses to lampoon false spiritual and medical authorities. He is variously described as a schoolmaster and a doctor, but he also takes on the role of exorcist, with this range of different labels suggesting his quackery. He confidently diagnoses supernatural possession when the audience knows the real reason for the twins’ behavior, creating comedic irony. His harsh treatment of Antipholus and Dromio contrasts with the calm authority of the Abbess.