The seventeenth-century French diplomat FranCois de CalliEres once wrote that "an ambassador resembles in some way an actor exposed on the stage to the eyes of the public in order to play great roles." The comparison of the diplomat to an actor became commonplace as the practice of diplomacy took hold in early modern Europe. More than an abstract metaphor, it reflected the rich culture of spectacular entertainment that was a backdrop to emissaries' day-to-day lives. Royal courts routinely honored visiting diplomats or celebrated treaty negotiations by staging grandiose performances...
The seventeenth-century French diplomat FranCois de CalliEres once wrote that "an ambassador resembles in some way an actor exposed on the stage to...
