Comedy of Errors Essay

The Comedy of Errors Plato states that The measure of a man is what he does with his proponent. But is this true? Or does it depend on a souls money and possessions? Perhaps it is the family they were born(p) into, or scour their gender. And how raise news report regard your class standing? In The Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare explores the interplay of these confused possibilities that can determine a individuals class. Shakespeare shows us that a persons family can determine their societal status. As well as affect how they are tough.Taking for theoretical account the twin Dromios, they came from an extremely poor family. A mean woman was delivered / Of such a burden, male twins, both alike. (?.?. 54) Because their pay off was so poor they were adopted by Egeon, however as unconnected to becoming his children they became servants for his biological children (also twins) with each twin receiving his hold minion. Throughout the Dromios lives they remained serva nts, even when they were split apart they stayed with their master. Being servants for different masters meant that they were treated differently.Dromio of Ephesus was vanquish and kept uneducated I have some marks of yours upon my pate, / several(prenominal) of my mistress marks upon my shoulders, ( I.?. 83) While Dromio of siege of Syracuse was given an education and treated like a brother as opposed to a servant, Antipholus of Syracuse demonstrates A trusty villain, sir, that very oft, When I am dull with wish well and melancholy, Lightens my humor with is merry jests. (I. II. 19) If they had had wealthy parents with much more power indeed they would neer have become servants and would most likely have servants of their own.a nonher(prenominal) and perhaps more common way to define a persons complaisant status is by their wealth, that is their money and possesions. Even though in our ultramodern society wealth has little to do with your social status, in William Shakespear es time the more money you had the more power you had. For example Adriana and her husband Antipholus of Ephesus, clearly their money and possessions greatly benefited them in life. tout ensemble this wealth leads them to have a very good reputation.However if their reputation gets tarnished they impart lose their money and in consequence their power If by strong hand you offer to break in Now in the stirring passage of the day, A vulgar com workforcet will be made of it And that supposed by the common rout Against your yet ungalled estimation. (III. I. 47) facial expression at this quote it is clear that if Antipholus goes through with his threat, his reputation will be tarnished. Therefore he decides against it. You have prevailed. I will depart in quiet / And, in despite of mirth, mean to be merry. (III. I. 156) An additional example is Solinus the duke of Ephesus. When he is ready to execute Egeon he uses the power he has to appropriate him one day of emancipation. Duke Now trust me, were it not against our laws, Against my crown, my oath, my dignity, My soul should process as advocate for thee. But thou art adjudged to the death, Yet will I favor thee in what I can. thitherfore, merchant, Ill limit thee this day. By giving Egeon a day of freedom the duke boosts his reputation in Ephesus as a sympathetic and selfless leader.All the while knowing that there is no way Egeon will accomplish his goal. The third and perhaps most prominent way of defining a persons social standing is their gender. A factor that is still entrenched in our modern society. In The Comedy of Errors there are many obligations women have to change that men do not. For example as Egeon is telling the duke his tragic flooring he mentions that although his wife was not in love with him and did not necessity to marry him, they clearly ended up married. In Syracusa was I born and wed / Unto a woman happy but for me. (I. I. 37) This quote demonstrates that as a woman one of her oblig ations was to get married, even if it was to someone she did not love. This also makes evident the fact women were not free to make their own decisions. Furthermore women were often considered lesser beings than men, they were not allowed as much freedom as their spouse was. Good sister, let us dine and never fret. / A man is master of his own liberty. (II. I. 6) This quote highlights that fact that men were free to come and go as they pleased whereas women were not.