Written for the LiveJournal community Watsons_Woes for their July Writing Prompts challenge. The prompt for day 22 was: We can't have a challenge without a little Shakespeare. Use a quote, a reference, or the man himself - it's all up to you.
Refers to the ACD story "The Man with the Twisted Lip".
_Playing a Part_
The case of Neville St. Clair remained upon my mind for days afterward and brought to memory the line "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players" but I could not remember where it came from.
When I mentioned it to Holmes, he recognized it immediately. "Shakespeare," he said, nodding.
I was intrigued by his rapid recollection. "Why do you know Shakespeare when other literary names are all but unknown to you?"
"The theater, Watson, the theater. If you wish to learn better skill with disguises, you watch actors ply their trade."
It neatly explained how Holmes had suspected that washing Boone's face would reveal him to be St. Clair in disguise. "Do you think there are other beggars using the same tricks?"
"It is quite possible. But as their wives have not come to me for help, it is no concern of ours."