René Girard published A Theatre of Envy in 1991. The book surveys how Shakespeare parallels and extends Girard’s mimetic theory. While countless people claim special insight into the great playwright, Girard’s anthropological model of human relations is well placed to realise this claim. Its ability to elucidate and connect intimate personal and large societal dynamics resonates with Shakespeare’s scope. But Girard’s ideas on the bard remain fairly obscure. This article applies his ideas to Shakespeare’s shortest, funniest play, The Comedy of Errors, to introduce Girard’s ideas and sharpen the relevance of both thinkers. Shakespeare’s relevance was questioned recently on the…