mistaken identity

Confused for another

Mistaken identity is the confusion of one person for another.

The phrase appears in contexts ranging from mundane mix-ups to serious consequences: The police arrested him in a case of mistaken identity.

In drama and comedy, mistaken identity is a classic plot device where characters are confused for someone else, generating conflict or humor.

narrative

trope

Recurring narrative device

comedy of errorsChain of compounding mishaps
farceAbsurd, laughable situation
plot deviceStorytelling element advancing action

Shakespeare · disguise · reveal · dramatic irony · switcheroo · Hitchcock · thriller · suspense · whodunit · red herring

recognition

doppelganger

Supernatural duplicate of oneself

lookalikeOne who closely resembles another
twinOne of matched pair
resemblanceLikeness between things

confusion · misrecognition · mix-up · wrong person · double · dead ringer · spitting image · carbon copy · impersonation · coincidence

legal

wrongful accusation

Unfounded claim of guilt

false arrestIllegal detention of someone
exonerationOfficial clearing of blame
alibiDefense of location

wrongful conviction · suspect · witness · testimony · trial · defense · prosecution · evidence · acquittal · plea

Categories

Shakespeare comedycomic relief, dramatic irony, Falstaff, Malvolio, eavesdropping
mystery fictionwhodunit, whodunnit, sleuth, murder mystery, detective novel
comedy termsjokes, puns, wit, sarcasm, irony
comedy tropespratfall, parody, sight gag, running gag, satire
mix-upsmix-up, error, confusion, mix, swap
plot twistsplot twist, twist ending, surprise ending, unexpected turn, final reveal

Opposites

certainty of knowledge

mistaken identityknown quantity

Established, predictable element

familiar face · beyond doubt

Family

mistake, identity, mistaken, mistakes, unmistakable, mistakenly, mistaking, identities, unmistakably

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G