Kennon, Identity #2

The theme of identity is inescapable in both The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew. In both plays the notion of identity drives the plot: In The Comedy of Errors Antipholus S. seeks his identity in the form of his estranged family, while in The Taming of the Shrew Kate and the parallel character of Christopher Sly are each trained to alter their identities by changing their behaviors. In both works the characters’ identities lie outside of themselves and are entirely malleable, reinforcing Shakespeare’s assertation that identity is fluid and performative

From the opening of The Comedy of Errors Antipholus S. struggles to find his own identity, which only becomes more difficult as the play progresses. This sense of searching for the self is evident from his first scene, wherein Antipholus S. anticipates events to come, “I will go lose myself/And wander up and down to view the city.” (I.2, ll. 29-30). This line indicates that one’s identity becomes lost in a sea of strangers, and this fluid interpretation of identity becomes even more literal as Antipholus S. elaborates that, “I to the world am like a drop of water/That in the ocean seeks another drop…So I, to find a mother and a brother/In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself.” (I.2 ll. 35-40). These lines remark on the vastness of the world, and how particularly in large cities one’s personal identity is irrelevant and instead becomes an inconsequential unit that contributes to something much larger than the individual self. Shakespeare also uses these lines to cleverly foreshadow the identity confusion that results from Antipholus E.’s entrance later in the play. Antipholus hopes that by entering this "ocean" he will be able to locate his family and thereby find himself, expounding on the notion that the identity is not something within the self, but something that must be found in the surrounding world.  

Of course, the Antipholus’ (Antipholi?) are not the only characters to experience identity confusion. Not only do the Dromios encounter similarly farcical twin situations, but Dromio S. faces confusion about his place in society as a slave. He is beaten for being too casual and joking with his master, and Antipholus S. reprimands him by saying, “Because that I familiarly sometimes/Do use you for my fool, and chat with you/Your sauciness will jest upon my love/And make a common of my serious hours.” (II.2, ll. 26-29). Situations like this reinforce the idea that identity is determined largely by the way society treats us and the situations we are in – Dromio became confused because he was being treated like an equal by Antipholus, while in actuality he was still slave. Outside factors such as birth and rank determine identity in this world Shakespeare creates, and failing to perform the identity you are assigned can have negative and often violent consequences.   

Though I could write a lengthy thesis on identity in The Comedy of Errors alone, I think it is worthwhile to digress and explore a bit about identity in The Taming of the Shrew as well. Much of this play addresses the idea of molding someone's identity into something else. In the opening the drunk, Falstaff-remniscent Christopher Sly is made to pose as a lord, then the majority of the play's action focuses on Petruchio "taming" Kate and thereby transforming her from a shrew into a proper 16th century wife. This indicates how performative identity can be - though Sly is still a drunkard and it is doubtful that Kate has completely altered her thoughts and feelings by the final scene, because they outwardly do and say what they are told their identity is perceived as having changed. 

In both of these plays identity is determined largely by the way society perceives the characters - the Antipholi and the Dromios are perceived as being the wrong twin because they look alike, while Kate is perceived as being a shrew because she does not conform to contemporary standards of how a good wife should behave. Though class and gender divides may not play such an obvious role on our identity today as they did in 16th Century England, I think Shakespeare would agree that to a large extent we still perform our identities in accordance with what society demands of us.