ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in this book. The book shows the ways in which characters transgress societal laws or standards of cultural conventions and propriety; engage in activities which exploit their interlocutors, their credulity, or lack of knowledge; and inaccurately present facts, either through ambiguity or through exaggerated claims. The declarations of the Matamore figure are strikingly akin to the breaches of the 'truthful' criteria specified for advertising. Ultimately, the putative claim that comedy must delight and instruct may itself be shown to be disingenuous by playwrights who create mendacious figures to delight and impress the audience. The book provides examples of how the abuses perpetrated by many of the liars are typically presented as strategic and provisional responses to problematic situations, which are abandoned and forgiven once the obstacle has been overcome, thus eliding any wider moral or social questions.
