The audience us not as confused as these characters
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 03/02/2010 - 10:29
I think this play is definitely representational. The audience or reader knows a lot more about what's going on than the characters because they have the ability to read or know what characters are on stage. The reader knows that there are two dromio's and two antipholus's but the main plot of the play is that the characters don't know that. I think it's dramatic irony when the haracters don't know something the audience does. I'm not sure on that.
Comical Confusion
Although I would think that it would be mostly presentational, the audience knowing more than the characters definitely effects the play. I think that is what makes the play comical. They characters have absolutely no idea what is going on, and the audience gets to witness this. They play would be less comical if more order and structure were added in.
dramatic irony
It is, at least that is what I remember being taught. I brought up dramatic irony in a response to a comment somebody posted about my blog.
Jennie
dramatic irony defined
I'm not sure if either of you checked the glossary (see the link just to the left), but this is the first sentence dealing with dramatic irony: "Dramatic Irony occurs when the reader shares with the narrator/speaker knowledge of a situation or intention unknown to the other characters." This is certainly the case with the characters in Comedy of Errors, with Dromio and Antipholus 1 and 2. Bradley
Bradley