The Comedy of Errors

The play revolves around two sets of identical twins, who were separated at birth, and their families' confusion and hilarity that ensues when they accidentally encounter each other in the city of Syracuse. Antiproverb: * "Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing."

By William Shakespeare · First published 1592 · Genre: Comedy, Drama, Farce · 11 chapters · 30,523 words

First lines

A hall in the Duke's palace.

Enter Duke, Aegeon, Gaoler, Officers, and other Attendants.

What this Textopian page supports

The Comedy of Errors is listed on Textopian as a play by William Shakespeare, dated 1592 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Play
• Author: William Shakespeare
• Date: 1592 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Comedy, Drama, Farce, Romantic
• Length: 30,523 words
• Structure: 11 chapters, 671 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

• What should a reader notice first when entering The Comedy of Errors?
• How does this play by William Shakespeare fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
• Where does Comedy first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

• The Bath Comedy by Egerton Castle
• Alls Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
• The Flying Doctor by Moliere
• The School For Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
• Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
• A Comedy In Rubber by O. Henry

Genres

• Comedy — The play is part of Shakespeare's comedies, and is known for its humor and comic situations centered around mistaken identities.
• Drama — As a play, it automatically falls under the drama genre. It involves conflict through mistaken identity and misunderstandings.
• Farce — The play frequently uses exaggerated circumstances and improbable events for comedic effect, which is typical of the farce genre.
• Romantic — Though not a primary genre, there are elements of romance and romantic entanglement throughout.

Tags

Comedy · Tragicomedy · Farce · Mistaken identity · Humor · Slapstick · Romance · Revenge · Deception · Disguise · Mischief · Mayhem

Contents

• SCENE I
• SCENE I
• SCENE I
• SCENE I
• SCENE I
• SCENE II
• SCENE II
• SCENE II
• SCENE II
• SCENE III
• SCENE IV

More by William Shakespeare

• Shakespeare's Sonnets (1609)
• The Tragedy of Macbeth (1606)
• The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1595)
• The Merchant of Venice (1596)
• The Tragedy of Othello (1603)
• Hamlet (1623)
• King Lear (1606)
• Antony and Cleopatra (1607)
• All works by William Shakespeare