Which Shakespearean comedy is described as a farce influenced by Greek drama?

• A. Much Ado About Nothing
• B. A Midsummer Night's Dream
• C. A Comedy of Errors
• D. Twelfth Night

Answer: (C)

Think about what makes a farce: quick pacing, broad physical humor, and a chain of escalating misunderstandings. A Comedy of Errors fits this mold best because it runs on mistaken identities caused by two sets of twins, leading to rapid, over-the-top situations, door-slamming chaos, and nonstop gags. This heightens the sense of farce and clearly echoes ancient Greek comedy (via Plautus) in its reliance on improbable coincidences and theatrical exaggeration. The other Shakespearean comedies emphasize different tonal leanings—romantic wit and social maneuvering in one, magical misunderstandings in another, and romantic mix-ups in a third—rather than a sustained, Greek-style farce. So the work most aligned with a farce influenced by Greek drama is A Comedy of Errors.