The Comedy of Errors

by William Shakespeare

The Comedy of Errors: Situational Irony 1 key example

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Act 1, Scene 1
Explanation and Analysis—Distinguished by Names:

Aegeon states that his two sons were so identical when they were young that they could be distinguished by name only, a claim that is deeply ironic, since much of the play's plot stems from the confusion brought about by the fact that his twin sons even share the same name—something he apparently does not know. He says:  

There had she not been long but she became

A joyful mother of two goodly sons,

And, which was strange, the one so like the other

As could not be distinguished but by names