BBL 3208 SHAKESPEARE AND RENAISSANCE DRAMA

B.A (ENGLISH) EXECUTIVE

TOPIC : From the selection of Shakespearean plays covered in class, which

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

Another great play, The comedy of errors tells the story of two sets of identical

twins that were accidently separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his servant,

Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus, which turns out to be the home of their twin

brothers. When the Syracusans encounter the friends and families of their twins, a series

of wild mishaps based on mistaken identities lead to wrongful beatings, near-seduction,

the arrest of Anthipholus of Ephesus, and accusations of infidelity, theft, madness and

demonic possession. The comedy of error is a play that cannot be categorized as a

comedy or a farce. A comedy is a light dramatic work that is often humorous or satirical

in tone and that usually contains a happy resolution of the thematic conflict. While a farce

is a light dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated

characters, and often slapstick elements are used for humorous effect. In farce, character

is subordinate to the demands of the plot and in comedy; the plot is to a greater extent

driven by the characters. The characters in the play “The comedy of errors” do lack the

depth of those in the more mature comedies. The Comedy of Errors falls short of the

mature comedies. However, the characters are not as one-dimensional as would be

expected from a farce: Adriana, Antipholus S. and Egeon have a measure of complexity.
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The themes too appear too weighty for pure farce: debt, identity, and love and marriage,

though we have to wait for the later plays to see them explored more fully.

The four themes in this play are the most interesting part because of the variety of

themes that covers more than one issue/matter. As far as we know, William Shakespeare

seems very comfortable in producing a play that carries more than one theme. That shows

that he uses his level best of his ability to think and create a wonderful play like The

comedy of errors. This because he used aspect of theme as maximum as he can. As we go

into the first theme analysis, Identity. This is a play about identity is heralded by the

presence of two sets of identical twins who have been separated since they were babies.

In Ephesus, each twin is constantly mistaken for his brother, leading him to question who

he is. Antipholus S., on one hand, feels that he lost part of his identity when he was

separated from his mother and brother, and arrives in Ephesus hoping to complete

himself by finding them once more. Antipholus E., on the other hand, believes he knows

exactly who he is: a well-established merchant of Ephesus, with a wife, a comfortable

home, and a solid reputation as a businessman. At the end of the play, the characters have

their identities restored to them, thanks to the Abbess, who has the largest overview of

the truth.

The second theme is debt. Debt is a theme that arises in almost every scene of the

play. It appears in two forms: material debt (money and goods) and social or marital

obligations. The play opens with the shocking incident of Egeon's incurring a massive

debt of a thousand marks merely for being in the wrong place. If he cannot raise the

money, he will pay with his life. The incident highlights the inhumanity of debt and the

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B.A (ENGLISH) EXECUTIVE

law that supports its demands. In the final scene, all outstanding debts are paid except,

significantly, Egeon's ransom. The Duke, in his mercy, waives this debt, and thereby

elevates the humane values of love and forgiveness above monetary values.

The third theme is love and marriage. This theme is explored in the relationship

between Adriana and her husband, Antipholus E., and in the debate on marriage between

Adriana and Luciana. Adriana's marriage is not happy, though she undoubtedly loves her

husband even when she believes him to be unfaithful. Part of the reason for her

unhappiness seems to be that her love for her husband is so possessive that she feels she

is torn apart by his absences. Fiercely jealous of her husband's friendship with the

Courtesan, she nags him about it incessantly and rebukes him for neglecting her. She

feels that she has lost her attractiveness to him. The play lacks a single example of a

happy marriage. That of Egeon and Emilia (the Abbess) was curtailed by the shipwreck,

and they have been separated since then. And Luciana says she has not married because

she only sees troubled marriages around her. It is unclear to what extent the married

couples are fully reconciled at the end, and much room is left for interpretation by the

theater director or the reader.

The fourth theme is gender issues. The theme of gender overlaps with the theme

of love and marriage. Critical debate of this issue centers on Adriana and Luciana, in

terms of their respective attitudes to marriage and men. The Abbess, Emilia is discussed

both in terms of the restricted possibilities open to a woman in her situation (entering a

convent) and in terms of her redemptive role at the play's end, which some critics see as

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B.A (ENGLISH) EXECUTIVE

embodying the female principle. She explains the confusion that has occurred and

reunites her own divided family.

The most prevailing matter that shows that William Shakespeare is a very distinct

play writer was the quotes that inserted in almost most acts and scenes. The top ten

quotes that gives more than just literal or syntax meaning that only can be understandable

by those who really see the play carefully. The acts and scenes that contains these great

quotes are Act 1 Scene 1, Act 1 Scene 2, two quotes in Act 2 Scene1, Act 2 Scene 2, two

quotes in Act 3 Scene 2, and finally three quotes in Act 5 Scene 1. These quotes are

popular at the play because of the implicit meaning that comes together with the acts and

scenes. These quotes are more than enough to distinct William Shakespeare from all

other play writes at that time. This clearly shows that William Shakespeare is one of a

kind and genius too. The way on how W.Shakespeare tells on how the characters feeling

towards the scene is really making the audiens laugh but at the same time make them

think of the inner meaning of those quotes. For example, “I am an ass, I am a woman’s

man, and besides myself” (Act 3, Scene 3, line 76), tells the audience that even Dromio s.

has doubts about his own identity after being mistaken for his twin brother; he is being

claimed by a woman whom he does not know.

The play does not end prematurely, and for the simple reason that the characters

are meant to learn something. For example, the Duke claims that he is sympathetic, but

that his duty is to uphold the law at all costs, which is why he sentences Egeon to die.

However, the audience must remember that Egeon's death is contingent upon a thousand

mark ransom. So, the Duke also stands to gain potential profit by sentencing Egeon to

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death. His pardon of Egeon at the end of the play is supposed to indicate that he has not

only learned to pardon, but has overcome his selfishness by having him turn down the

ransom which Antipholus offers.

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BBL 3208 SHAKESPEARE AND RENAISSANCE DRAMA
B.A (ENGLISH) EXECUTIVE

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