Human life is a stage, as many people have said! Only, it’s not enough just to say it, there are conclusions to be drawn

"Several characters are having a confrontation on stage. It appears so convincing, the audience is passionately taking sides with one lot against another. But if a member of the audience were to go backstage during the interval, they would find the same characters they’d just seen up in arms and about to murder each other now chatting amicably as they wait to go back on stage. How have they become friends again? It’s very simple, these men and women are not enemies: on stage they are in a play where their part involves confrontation, and they are true to their part; they know they are acting. But as soon as they leave the stage, they are friends.

Human life is a stage, as many people have said! Only, it’s not enough just to say it, there are conclusions to be drawn. When human beings finally become aware of the comedies they play, they will be happy to go onto the battlefield with their weapons loaded with blanks; they’ll pretend to fight for a bit, feel better, and then embrace and return home to fanfares."