ABSTRACT
Twins may be used as split-off aspects of self, as doubles, and this double frequently represents the unconscious “dark side” that emerges in a split-off and disowned “evil” character. The concept of a double was a feature of Romanticism in the nineteenth and early twentieth century literature, and much of this writing illustrated fears about the threat to the integrity of the self and the dangers posed by splitting or fragmentation of the self. Fictional twins may be used to represent different aspects of a character, as a concrete expression of a known or a knowable part, or a hidden darker side. They may represent desired alternative aspects of the self, or discarded aspects. From Shakespeare onwards, the twin relationship has often been used in literature to exploit the comic potential of mistaken identity. The chapter discusses the processes involved in the creation of doubles which have some bearing on the way twins are used in literature.
