ANT.
I hold the world, but as the world, Gratanio,
A stage where every man must play a part and mine a sad one.
GRA.
Let me play fool.
Gratanio wishes to play the Fool, or comic part, which was a regular character in the old morality interludes, whence came the phrase, to ‘play the fool.’
MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
PROPERTIES.
Get us properties, and tricking for our fairies.
IV, 4, 78.