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Accompanying the Antipholuses is another pair of twin brothers: the Dromios. The Antipholuses and the Dromios were born at the same time. When the Dromios’ parents couldn’t take care of their newborns, the Antipholuses’ parents adopt them as servants for their own sons. This is how the two Dromios came to be bondsmen, each one growing up alongside and serving their respective master. Not much distinguishes these two characters other than their names. But when taken together, the two Dromios provide the play with its comic heart. Despite the chaos of misidentification, each Dromio tries to serve his master faithfully. And as emotions being to run high, they each attempt to defuse the tension with jokes. Though both of their masters have mercurial tempers and often resort to violence, it’s clear that Dromio of Ephesus has it worse—Antipholus E. is much less responsive to humor than Antipholus S., leading him to pummel his Dromio more indiscriminately. Yet in the end, the Dromios both survive the violence directed toward them, and, significantly, the play concludes with their touching reunion: “We came into the world like brother and brother,” says Dromio E., “And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before the other” (5.1.439–40).
