Desire Can Be Funny

Desire finds itself wound up in The Comedy of Errors in ways just as confusing to the characters themselves. Desire is derived in several forms: material, sexual, romantic, and the longing for family. These forms ultimately can be divided between two categories:  superficial and emotional. Furthermore, this duality can be transferred to the play as a whole. The Comedy of Errors in fact thrives in this contrast. The play is both a light-hearted comedy on the surface look, but within it is entangled with topics of slavery, execution, hierarchy, marriage/gender issues, and societal issues as well as roles. Shakespeare dances along the line between the two rendering him the ability to capture life’s complexity and uncertainty. The dueling desires ultimately reveal that a person must choose only one, between the superficial or emotional at a time. As, Antipholus of Syracuse says to Dromio:
 "You would all this time have proved, there is no time for all things." 2.1.100. 

Types of Desires in The Comedy of Errors

·      Romantic: This would fall under the OED’s “longing, craving; a particular instance of this feeling, a wish” (the definition alone is a bit romantic). Adriana is endowed with her husband despite his ‘misbehavior.’ She bails him out of jail even though she questions his fidelity after he has pleaded his love to her sister. Adriana desires nothing more than for her husband to be returned by her side.  

Adriana - “and therefore let me have him home with me”

Abbess: “be patient, for I will not let him stir.” (5.1.101-102)

·      Sexual: “physical or sensual appetite; lust.” While Antipholus of Syracuse is lusting over Luciana, contrastingly, the absent of desire is shown. Dromio of Syracuse and Antipholus of Syracuse mock Dromio of E’s wife, aka his “fat marriage.” He begins saying “I could find countries in her” and continues on to describe all of the different locations of them on her “globe-shaped” body.

·      Family: The topic of family fits with the OED definition of “longing for something lost or missed.” Egeon, Antipholus of Syracuse, and Emilia are all desperately seeking to be reunited with their family (the lost/missed). Egeon’s desire to be together with his family is so strong that even the possibility of his own death will not sway him. This desire is so strong

o   Antipholus describes this longing to find his twin as such:

“I to the world am like a drop of water

that in the ocean seeks another drop

who falling there to find his fellow forth,

unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself 1.2. 35-36.

·      Materialistic: “that feeling or emotion which is directed to the attainment or possession of some object from which pleasure or satisfaction is expected.” The gold chain is used in the play as a gift to please Adriana, but furthermore symbolizing the possessiveness in material assets. This occurs mainly as a negative aspect in the story – causing confusion amongst the characters and sending an innocent Antipholus and Angelo to jail. The power of this object over the people themselves is so strong it is enough to pardon Egeon of death. Money arises also in Egeon’s death based on his 1000 mark ransom from the Duke, who is bound himself by the ‘law’ or superficial restrictions despite having sympathy for Egeon.

While these desires for materialistic, sexual, family, and romantic are still longed for today, one important aspect that reoccurs in conversation throughout the story is the importance of having patience. This plays a large component to the attainment of desire within the play. In the modern world, we celebrate (even strive for) an immediate fix to our desires and longing (see McDonalds, IPhones, etc). Everything must be immediate gratification.

In The Comedy of Errors the characters are unconcerned with the restrictions of this time or immediacy that seems so ever bound to us today. To them, one’s desire, even if it has been searching for a long time, day seems limitless and has the power to transform all of their lives.

Examples of Patience:

Adriana To Luciana about Antipholus of Ephesus’s return:

“patience unmoved! No marvel though she pause;

they can be meek that have no other cause.”

“With urging helpless patience would relieve me,

But if thou live to see like right bereft,

This fool-begged patience in thee will be left.” (2.1.32-41)

Each character's wants become entangled with one another, both causing and relieving problems. Adriana wants her husband home for dinner with no exceptions; this results with the wrong Antipholus to go along with her unyielding desire he does not know how to counteract. When the confusion of paying for the gold chain arises, no one cares about whom it should belong to, only that it is paid for. When Antipholus is offered such goods, he doesn’t question the right or wrong of the matter, but accepts it without thinking of consequences. Money and superficiality tromps truth.

The play concurs with everything in its place, showing the necessity of all of these entwined desires.

Leaving the final line:

“we came into the world like brother and brother;

And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”