Prentice: I'm not mad. It only looks that way. Rance: Your actions today would get the Archbishop of Canterbury declared non-compos. Prentice: I'm not the Archbishop of Canterbury. Rance: That will come at a later stage of your illness.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A man insists he is sane while his actions suggest otherwise to a doctor.
- In plain terms
- Denying madness does not stop others from seeing it.
- What can you take from it?
- Denial does not change how actions are perceived.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does denial become delusion?
- How do others see us?
Another view
The scene exaggerates psychiatric judgment for comedy.
More from Joe Orton
Prentice: Unnatural vice can ruin a man. Rance: Ruin follows the accusation not the vice.
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Permalink to quote #46 Prentice: My nerves are on edge. Rance: You should consult a qualified psychiatrist. Prentice: I am a qualified psychiatrist. Rance: You're a fool. That isn't …
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