The Comedy of Errors

"The Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare is a classic play written in the late 16th century. This comedic farce revolves around the themes of mistaken identity and familial confusion, featuring two sets of identical twins, separated at birth, whose encounters in the city of Ephesus lead to a series of humorous and chaotic situations. The story begins with Egeon, a merchant from Syracuse, seeking his lost family and facing execution due to the enmity between Syracuse and Ephesus. At the start of the play, Egeon is caught in Ephesus violating a law that condemns any Syracuse-born individual who enters the city. As he pleads for his life, he recounts his tragic backstory of separation from his wife and their twin sons. Simultaneously, the audience is introduced to his son, Antipholus of Syracuse, and his servant, Dromio of Syracuse, who have just arrived in Ephesus, unaware of the chaos that awaits them. Their presence, along with the intertwined fates of their counterparts, Antipholus of Ephesus and Dromio of Ephesus, hints at a whirlwind of comedic misunderstandings and mistaken identities that will unfold throughout the play. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Shakespeare remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.