The Comedy of Errors is a comedy by the "Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare. It was performed c. 1593.
The main source is the Menaechmi of Plautus.
Antipholus of Syracuse arrives in Ephesus. He is unaware that his twin brother, also Antipholus, is being held in the city. The
situation is further complicated as the
brothers are served by twin slaves, whose names are both Dromio.
The purpose of the comedy's plot is to create a situation of mistaken identity – handled very well, and with maturity by the characters, before all the confusions are eventually resolved in an ending which reunites the brothers, as well as free up their father Egeon from sentence of death.
This early comedy was immensely successful in the Elizabethan theatre.