In my copy of the collected works of William Shakespeare, every play is preceded by a list giving the title and/or name of each of the characters that appear in it. The Latin label for the list is “Dramatis Personae.”
The words literally mean the “Masks of the Play.” This is because of the ancient Greek and Roman custom of an actor wearing a mask to identify the role, part, character, or (as we now say) person he was representing.
Now, of course, we rarely use masks, but we do disguise the actor using costumes and sometimes elaborate makeup to help identify and support the role and part he or she is playing.
For Shakespeare, and in ancient times as well, theatrical companies would be relatively small, so many actors would play more than one role—and, of course, would attempt to change their voice, mannerisms, and style as appropriate.
By now, as words and their meanings evolve, by “person” we usually mean the individual human being in his or her uniqueness—which more than includes the role in life he or she plays and the varied ways he or she relates to other persons.
It’s very hard to describe the uniqueness of any one human being. Each person is perceived differently by others, each person has a different part to play regarding every other person.
Our identity is not only described in terms of age, gender, complexion, height, weight, citizenship, ethnicity, health, employment, and other such factors but also by our interrelationships with others, the different roles we play.
A person simultaneously can be a child to a parent and a parent to children, a student to a teacher and a teacher to a student, a friend to some and an enemy to others, an inspirer to one person and a tempter to another—the possibilities are endless.
In my day, as children preparing for First Communion we had to learn—in the sense of memorize—questions and their answers from the Baltimore Catechism. The ones about the unity and trinity of God were hard to understand, especially:
Q: “How many persons are there in God?” A: “In God there are three Divine persons, really distinct, and equal in all things—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”
Of course, as little kids we weren’t at the stage where we could learn about the etymology of the word, “person.” Even if we had been, it still wouldn’t have and couldn’t have adequately explained the mystery of the unity and trinity of God—but it does help a little.
“Three Divine persons” does not refer to three entirely separate, individual, and unique divine beings—but it does at very least suggest three different roles God plays and three different kinds of relationships God has to human persons and all the rest of creation
– God as the loving begetter, maker, creator, and source of all that exists;
– God as the intervenor in human history who uniquely reveals himself and his love through the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus;
– God as the sustainer, guide, and inspirer of our lives, the interior wellspring of our creativity, strength, and love.
Having the Dramatis Personae preceding the play is curious—knowing the cast of characters beforehand isn’t necessary to understand what follows. The play itself gradually reveals the players and their roles.
Life’s like that!
25 August 2019