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O, what may man within him hide, though angel on the outward side!

— William Shakespeare • Measure for Measure

Angled cracked ivory porcelain mask with dark hollow interior and shards below
Original artwork
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Our reading

An editorial interpretation.

Appearances get treated with suspicion here, since a gentle outward manner can mask something far less kind underneath. The angel comparison heightens the contrast, pairing purity of image with hidden menace. It's a warning dressed as an observation, unsettling because it applies to anyone at all.

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