Answer: The device of mistaken identity.
Explanation: In his comedies, Shakespeare often employs two interesting devices:
Mistaken identity. Either characters aren’t what they seem to be (appearing in disguise), or they mistake the identity of others (due to a spell, for example, as you’ll see in A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Fool or clown. This character may seem silly or mischievous, but he’s often wiser than some of the more respectable characters in the play.
