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Definition:
One who deceives or is not what he or she pretends to be; an
imposter, a cheat, a turn-coat and fair-weather friend; to be
calculating, scheming, shifty, furtive, tricky, devious, double-dealing,
evasive: to manipulate through sham, affectation, conceit, hypocrisy and
pretense.
The choice of characters here might seem strange, but they were selected
as frauds because they not only fool the people in the play, but the
audience as well. Most of them are self-seeking, not so much for
material gains, but for praise and social approval which will net them
other fringe benefits, by maintaining an image which is not a genuine
part of their personalities, but a put-on.
In real life I would exchange civilities with them but I would be mighty
cautious about sharing my secrets with them. Looking after Number-One
has ever been a universal practice, and that's O.K. so why pretend with
loaded piety and lofty altruism?
As judgements of 'good' and 'bad' are related to other factors, so too
are their degrees; how good or how bad... depends. That's how come there
are such flourishing systems of judges and juries to decide if a mis-deed is a felony or misdemeanor..
Yet, one ponders: is a lie unacceptable because it is a lie or does it
depend on whether it was a big lie or a little lie? Is there one
assessment when it affects me personally?..another for my friends?.. and
still another for my enemies? What about the Golden Rule "Do unto
others"? and what has that got to do with justice? These questions
will not be discussed since they cannot be answered in 25 words or less,
so you are at liberty to ponder.
Copyright © 1982 Hannah Tompkins. All rights
reserved.
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