--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a really good play is ambiguous - which…" description: "\"a really good play is ambiguous - which is exactly why it endures. Every succeeding generation develops theories about it. The play's words provide ver..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/glenda-jackson-10384_ambiguous_a-really-good-play-is-ambiguous-which-is_1263196.jpg" --- # a really good play is ambiguous - which is exactly why it… ![“a really good play is ambiguous - which is exactly why it endures. Every succeeding generation develops theories about it. The play's words provide very little clue. On the contrary, words are notoriously imprecise and open to every kind of interpretation, so you must search.” quote by Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/glenda-jackson-10384_ambiguous_a-really-good-play-is-ambiguous-which-is_1263196.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/glenda-jackson-10384_ambiguous_a-really-good-play-is-ambiguous-which-is_1263196.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23d/glenda-jackson-10384_ambiguous_a-really-good-play-is-ambiguous-which-is_1263196.jpg) > “a really good play is ambiguous - which is exactly why it endures. Every succeeding generation develops theories about it. The play's words provide very little clue. On the contrary, words are notoriously imprecise and open to every kind of interpretation, so you must search.” [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ambiguity in drama invites endless reinterpretation, ensuring its lasting relevance across eras. **In simple terms:** Ambiguity makes a play endure. Key Takeaway Value open-ended storytelling. Themes theatre ambiguity interpretation timelessness artistic legacy Mood analytical thoughtful Type literary critical When to use this quote - film adaptations - academic curricula - public debates Key Concepts symbolism dialogue cultural context critical analysis Questions to Reflect On - Why do we seek definitive meanings? - How does ambiguity enrich artistic experience? A Different Perspective Ambiguity can frustrate audiences seeking clarity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generations/) [Interpretation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpretation/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) ## Related quotes > [If I serve good and play aggressive from the baseline, I can beat everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karolina-pliskova/if-i-serve-good-and-play-aggressive-from-the-baseline-i-can-beat/) [Karolina Pliskova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karolina-pliskova/) > [Obviously, it's good to play for India; it's been a dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-binny/obviously-it-s-good-to-play-for-india-it-s-been-a-dream/) [Stuart Binny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-binny/) > [Over the course of a season, a miscue will cost you more than a good play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-coleman/over-the-course-of-a-season-a-miscue-will-cost-you-more-than-a-good/) [Jerry Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-coleman/) > [It's good to play 100 per cent live - no tricks, no samples, no messing about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/it-s-good-to-play-100-per-cent-live-no-tricks-no-samples-no-messing/) Adam Ant > [“You don't always get the role you're going to play in life, but it's good to play whatever role you got the best way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/you-don-t-always-get-the-role-you-re-going-to-play-in-life-but-it-s/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [When I see one of my teammates make a good play, to keep that energy going, I feel like that's what I do on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avery-bradley/when-i-see-one-of-my-teammates-make-a-good-play-to-keep-that-energy/) [Avery Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avery-bradley/) > [I mean, I don't necessarily want to leave because I have this job, but I would love to do a good play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-slezak/i-mean-i-don-t-necessarily-want-to-leave-because-i-have-this-job-but/) [Erika Slezak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-slezak/) > [In a good play every speech should be as fully flavoured as a nut or apple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/in-a-good-play-every-speech-should-be-as-fully-flavoured-as-a-nut-or/) [John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/) > [What I always say is, "Look good, feel good, play good."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-poulter/what-i-always-say-is-look-good-feel-good-play-good/) [Ian Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-poulter/) > [I love a good play, but they're too hard to find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-love-a-good-play-but-they-re-too-hard-to-find/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I've got to prove I'm good enough to play for Everton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-calvert-lewin/i-ve-got-to-prove-i-m-good-enough-to-play-for-everton/) [Dominic Calvert-Lewin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-calvert-lewin/) > [I can play in different positions, and if I can do what I'm good at, score goals, show how good I can play football,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georginio-wijnaldum/i-can-play-in-different-positions-and-if-i-can-do-what-i-m-good-at/) [Georginio Wijnaldum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georginio-wijnaldum/) > [It's good to play in different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcos-alonso/it-s-good-to-play-in-different-ways/) [Marcos Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcos-alonso/) > [You can't have a good play without good fundamentals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/you-can-t-have-a-good-play-without-good-fundamentals/) [Brian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-flores/) > [“He who sees a play that is regular, and answerable to the rules of poetry, is pleased with the comic part, informed by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/he-who-sees-a-play-that-is-regular-and-answerable-to-the-rules-of/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) ## More by Glenda Jackson > [I studiously avoid any academic dissections of the play and any kind of previous experience of playing. For me, it's all in the play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-studiously-avoid-any-academic-dissections-of-the-play-and-any-kind/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-look-forward-to-growing-old-and-wise-and-audacious/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [You don't do a play to compete for an award. This was the argument I always had over the Oscars. I didn't win them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-don-t-do-a-play-to-compete-for-an-award-this-was-the-argument-i/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [Nobody really needs a mink coat... Except the mink.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/nobody-really-needs-a-mink-coat-except-the-mink/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [Why put make-up on when you only have to take it off again?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/why-put-make-up-on-when-you-only-have-to-take-it-off-again/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [You'd think is something one would grow out of. But you grow into it. The more you do, the more you realize how painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/you-d-think-is-something-one-would-grow-out-of-but-you-grow-into-it/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [My job is to see the world through the character's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/my-job-is-to-see-the-world-through-the-character-s-eyes/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [No, I'm not recognized in London. What would people recognize?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/no-i-m-not-recognized-in-london-what-would-people-recognize/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I'm less confident now than I've ever been. In this peculiar craft, confidence is something you spend a lifetime losing. I used to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-m-less-confident-now-than-i-ve-ever-been-in-this-peculiar-craft/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [The best teacher is an audience. The ideal performance is when that group of strangers sitting in the dark gets energy from the group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/the-best-teacher-is-an-audience-the-ideal-performance-is-when-that/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [Usually, if there is a woman's part in a piece, there's only one, so you've got no other actresses to work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/usually-if-there-is-a-woman-s-part-in-a-piece-there-s-only-one-so-you/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I told them I wouldn't sign a blank cheque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-told-them-i-wouldn-t-sign-a-blank-cheque/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [It would be nice if education was free to everyone who wanted it, but that's not the world we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/it-would-be-nice-if-education-was-free-to-everyone-who-wanted-it-but/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [I'm the world's worst bearer of grudges. I'm sure I'll be bearing grudges and paying off old scores on my death-bed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/i-m-the-world-s-worst-bearer-of-grudges-i-m-sure-i-ll-be-bearing/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) > [No, I didn't think of myself as an idealist. I consider myself as a believer in what I regard as the Labour Party's basic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenda-jackson/no-i-didn-t-think-of-myself-as-an-idealist-i-consider-myself-as-a/) [Glenda Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) [Explore all 66 Glenda Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenda-jackson/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. 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I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "a really good play is ambiguous - which is exactly why it endures. Every succeeding generation develops theories about it. The play's words provide very little clue. 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