The
power of the metaphor probably lies in its emphasis on the existential
tension between the "I" as agent
and the historical flow that, at times, as in Macbeth, appears
to carry "I" in directions that "I" cannot change, as an actor playing
a script he has not written.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Parsons, Goffman on act (-ion) by people in"roles"
Victor Turner and theories of "performance" (with possible cross-reference
to socio-linguistics disputes about the distinction between performance
and competence)
Clifford Geertz and the "theatre state"
McDermott on people in classrooms and Pirandello: looking for an author