The mood of The Comedy of Errors is disorienting and chaotic. As its title suggests, central to the play is a series of errors that grow increasingly complex as the plot progresses. One pair of identical twins would be sufficient grounds for some comedic misunderstandings, but Shakespeare raises the stakes and heightens the disorientation by introducing two sets of identical twins who, implausibly, also share two sets of identical names. It is little wonder that the arrival of Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse sparks chaos in Ephesus.
The Syracuse twins cannot understand why they are being treated in such a familiar manner everywhere they go; the Ephesus twins, in comparison, cannot understand the strange stories that are being attributed to them. As the Syracuse twins wade deeper into the thick web of the Ephesus twins’ social relations, encountering courtesans, merchants, spouses, and servants in quick succession, the ensuing chaos seems irresolvable. Shakespeare prolongs this sense of disorientation by delaying the meeting of the two sets of twins until the very end of the play, at which point all is swiftly cleared up.
In many ways, this sense of chaos and confusion spreads from the stage to the audience. The audience, unlike the characters of the play, knows that the source of the mayhem is the presence in Ephesus of two sets of identical twins. However, this awareness does not fully insulate the audience from the disorientation onstage. By the play’s convoluted final act, it is increasingly difficult to recall which Antipholus and which Dromio have been responsible for which action, roping the audience into the sense of chaos and confusion that pervades the play.
