Goffman's Dramaturgy

In “Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life,”Goffman establishes, dramaturgy, a principle that demonstrates the contrived nature of all human social interaction. Employing Shakespeare’s metaphor of “all life is a stage,” Goffman expands the metaphor arguing that humans actively decide how to behave to gain acceptance into society, which includes acceptance of the forces that diminish individuality. Unlike puppetry or other forms of manipulation, individuals confine their potential, succumbing to societal stereotypes, codes of conduct, as well as the revisionist forms of themselves. Dependence on time, place, and audience allows variation in social interaction to enhance commonalities, manage behavior, or exaggerate limitations on identity. Therefore, Goffman’s dramaturgy challenges true knowledge of others or oneself, leaving the question remaining: who is the fool? Expanding Goffman’s metaphor concerning the performance all individuals engage in, actors continually oscillate on a spectrum of sincerity and cynicism. Sincerity refers to the believability of an actor. Inwardly, actors convince themselves that their impressions accurately reflect reality; while
A front regulates situations in a routine manner through impression management. When displaying a front, individuals consciously reveal the identity they wish others to see through their appearance, mannerisms, and interactions with the setting. As actors attempt to persuade their audience’s beliefs, they often promote their relatable qualities, suppress their vulnerabilities, and conceal ulterior motives. While front stage intends to influence the audience in a social setting, backstage reveals a more authentic self when the actor is alone. Isolation renders the actor capable of letting their guard down temporarily and allows the actor to practice social etiquette to appear more polished