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He takes false shadows for true substances.
— William Shakespeare • Titus Andronicus
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The contrast describes a mistake in judgment: something insubstantial is accepted as the real thing. Shadows suggest appearance or imitation, while substances stand for what actually exists. The sentence criticizes a failure to distinguish a convincing impression from the reality it seems to represent.
Context reviewed