1) Introduction
The plot of “Comedy of Errors” as well as that of “Twelfth Night” is based on the theatrical device of mistaken identity, in which a particular character is supposed to be some one other than himself by one or more of the rest of the characters.
In the “Comedy of Errors” the frame is provided by Aegeon, a Syracrusian merchant, who provides the Duke of Ephesus his reasons for being in Ephesus. He has came to Ephesus in search of his wife and one of his twin sons, who were separated from him twenty-five years ago in a shipwreck. We also learn that the identical twin brothers each have an identical twin slave. As to make it even more difficult the twins all have the same name, Aegeon’s sons being both called Antipholus and their slaves Dromio. The errors of the play’s title refer to a complex series of mistaken identities created by the presence in one town, but unbeknown to each other, of the two sets of identical twins.
“Twelfth Night” also deals with the theme of mistaken identity, but does so in a different way. This play tells the story of a twin brother and sister being separated from each other due to a terrible shipwreck. Viola, the twin sister, shipwrecks onto the Illyrian shore and she assumes that her brother Sebastian was killed during the storm. She has to do some kind of work in order to stay at Illyria and so she decides to go work for Olivia, a rich countess. But the since the captain tells her that Olivia won’t talk to strangers, Viola comes up with a second plan to disguise herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and she goes to work for the Duke Orsino. Disguising herself as a man she deliberately pretends to have another identity, which as the play moves forward will lead to confusion all around.
I will start discussing the classical origins of the ploy of mistaken identity and explain the concept thoroughly. Further on I will explain that although both plays focus on the same concept of mistaken identity that Shakespeare’s approach of the concept eventually results to be quite different. One is fortuitous, the other is of intentional disguise. He also doubles the concept of mistaken identity but does it in different ways, as I will explain thoroughly and expand towards the end.
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