What does 'struck' mean in the context? Does it mean 'to be impressed' or 'to come into somebody's mind suddenly', or else?
Over the centuries various writers and thinkers, looking at humans from an outside perspective, have been struck by the theatrical quality of social life. The most famous quote expressing this comes from Shakespeare: “All the world’s a stage, / And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts.” If the theater and actors were traditionally represented by the image of masks, writers such as Shakespeare are implying that all of us are constantly wearing masks. Some people are better actors than others. Evil types such as Iago in the play Othello are able to conceal their hostile intentions behind a friendly smile. Others are able to act with more confidence and bravado—they often become leaders. People with excellent acting skills can better navigate our complex social environments and get ahead.
