Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and Plautus' Menaechmi and Amphitruo One of Shakespeare's earliest plays (its first recorded performance in December 1594), The Comedy of Errors has frequently been dismissed as pure farce, unrepresentative of the playwright's later efforts. While Errors may very well contain farcical elements, it is a complex, layered work that draws upon and reinterprets Plautine comedy. Shakespeare combines aspects of these Latin plays with biblical source material, chiefly the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistle to the Ephesians. While Menaechmi is the most frequently cited classical source for Errors, Plautus' Amphitruo is just as relevant an influence; Shakespeare's treatment of identity and its.

1. Twin Menaechmi

1916 Words 8 Pages The Seriousness of The Comedy of Errors The Comedy of Errors has often been dismissed as a mere farce, unworthy of any serious attention. Yet, when the author is Shakespeare, even a 'farce' is well worth a second look. Shakespeare himself may have takent his comedic work quite seriously, for audiences expected comedy of his day not only to entertain, but also to morally instruct. It is not surprising, therefore, that for one of his earliest comedies, Shakespeare found a model in the. 1069 Words 5 Pages A Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare is a chilling play full of misfortune and comedy. Throughout the play, the themes of death and suffering are present, but yet the way in which they are presented is both comical and strange. The way in which the dialogue takes place or the way in which actions occur seem to be ambiguous.

Twin Menaechmi

MACCIVS PLAVTVS (born c. 254 B.C.) Amphitruo: Asinaria: Aulularia: Bacchides: Captivi: Casina: Cistellaria: Curculio: Epidicus.

One of the most pivotal points of the story takes place over a very short time span, climaxing over three pages, and declining almost immediately thereafter. In this case, the. 1156 Words 5 Pages Farce and Satire in The Comedy of Errors All is not as it seems in The Comedy of Errors. Some have the notion that The Comedy of Errors is a classical and relatively un-Shakespearean play. The plot is, in fact, based largely on Plautus's Menaechmi, a light-hearted comedy in which twins are mistaken for each other. Shakespeare's addition of twin servants is borrowed from Amphitruo, another play by Plautus. Like its classical predecessors, The Comedy of Errors mixes farce and satire.

1115 Words 5 Pages Merchant of Venice, Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night and As You Like It The ploy of mistaken identity as a plot device in writing comedies dates back at least to the times of the Greeks and Romans in the writings of Menander and Plautus. Shakespeare borrowed the device they introduced and developed it into a fine art as a means of expressing theme as well as furthering comic relief in his works. Shakespeare's artistic development is clearly shown in the four comedies The Merchant of Venice. 1309 Words 6 Pages Plautus’s comedies seem to be a double edged sword. One edge makes an audience laugh while the other is embedded with hidden messages. A Roman audience watching The Brothers Menaechmus might even laugh at a cleverly concealed insult.

Plautus, a Roman playwright, managed to create this double tasking play by using a setting which down played the stereotypical Greek setting of Athens, and opted instead for something a little less Greek. The setting also played a part in creating a link between. 913 Words 4 Pages Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s first plays. The minor characters, in the play, Egeon and the Duke, set up the framework of the play.

Egeon, at the request of the Duke, describes his adventures and relates his life story. This provides the history of The Comedy of Errors, and helps keep track of the confusion, which unfolds during the play. There are several themes that Shakespeare uses which are only loosely related to the actual comedy. The conflicts between. 883 Words 4 Pages “The Comedy of Errors” Plato states that: “The measure of a man is what he does with his power.” But is this true? Or does it depend on a person’s money and possessions? Perhaps it is the family they were born into, or even their gender.

And how can reputation affect your class standing? In “The Comedy of Errors” William Shakespeare explores the interplay of these various possibilities that can determine a person’s class. Shakespeare shows us that a persons family can determine their social. 3188 Words 13 Pages Shakespeare's Use of Song in the Early Comedies Undertaken to determine what features make a song germane to the story in successful musical theater, this study outlines some characteristics of Shakespeare's use of song. Chosen from the plays with which the present author is most familiar-the early comedies-are three substantial pieces (each headed in the play by either 'Song' or 'sing,' and each with at least two stanzas and refrain): 'You Spotted Snakes,' 'Sigh No More,' and 'Under the Greenwood. 1630 Words 7 Pages only has room for twos: sperm and egg; man and wife; big spoon and little spoon. Groups of three in the world of love create tension for the characters and audience, and the discomfort with the situation and sense of powerlessness leads to comedy.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night has central love triangle between Cesario/Viola, Orsino, and Olivia; the excesses and complications within the triangle causes disorder for the characters and audience, and increases hilarity. Shakespeare further confounds the.