A father of newborn identical twins gives the boys the same name, while acquiring another set of twins (who also share a name) to be servant to his sons. What are the odds that a shipwreck will separate them, leaving two pairings of master and servant with identical names? If it's a Shakespeare comedy, it is virtually inevitable. it is also inevitable that these pairs will wind up in the same town, unaware of each other's presence, causing a great deal of confusion. Shakespeare is well-known for deriving comedy from mistaken identity, and here the device is taken to extremes, with hilarious results. Excerpted from The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
