Comparing Roles:
Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse
The Comedy of Errors: Comparing Roles of Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse
“The Comedy of Errors” expresses the story of two sets of identical twins that were unintentionally separated at birth. Antipholus of Syracuse and his man servant, Dromio of Syracuse, arrive in Ephesus (which is a neighboring merchant country), which turns out to be the home of their twin brothers, Antipholus of Ephesus and his man servant, Dromio of Ephesus. When Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse encounter the friends and families of their counterparts, a series of wild mishaps occur. Mistaken identities lead to unfair beatings, a near-seduction, the detention of Antipholus of Ephesus, and untruthful accusations of infidelity, robbery, insanity, and demonic possession. Through these unfortunate mistakes and series of comical mishaps we find Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse two wonderful characters to compare and contrast throughout the play. Antipholus of Ephesus has an entirely conventional (domestic) life in Ephesus. He has a home of his own where he lives with his wife Adriana and his sister-in-law Luciana. Antipholus appears to know every person there is to know within the city of Ephesus. Antipholus has created a reputable reputation with his community that he worked hard to build and has indeed accomplished. Antipholus E., unlike his brother, pays no consideration to his misplaced family because he is engrossed entirely by the new life he has created for himself and his wife. Antipholus E. is also a man labeled within his own household as one to have a “quick to anger” temper. His relationship with Dromio of Ephesus tends to exhibit a servant-master relationship and not one of a great distinguished friendship.
Antipholus of Syracuse is