Does the brothers menaechmus set out to teach the audience anything or only to entertain? Discuss

Identity is a significant theme in this play. For nearly the entire play, Menaechmus of Syracuse is startled by everyone in Epidamnus knowing who he is, while he knows no one. In fact, Messenio warns him that the city is full of people that cannot be trusted, and everyone knowing who he is only proves that. Throughout the play, characters interact with one another without fully knowing who they are speaking with, even though they think they know. Both Erotium and Menaechmus of Epidamnus’ wife think that they are speaking with Menaechmus of Epidamnus during the play, when they are in fact speaking with his twin. The fact that they think he is Menaechmus of Epidamnus, who is just behaving strangely, leads them to believe that he is mad.