The young man's wealthy family rebuilt a wing of the villa, hired a group of attendants and provided costumes to support his madness. The plot backfires with stunning results. Pirandello uses the play to explore many of his favorite and recurring themes. Within the ever changing story-line, characters are forced to confront themselves and each other in ways they had never predicted or even considered. Pirandello is always fascinated by permanence and change.
History is a false permanence in that, again, it is only one interpretation.
Only art, in its various forms, is permanent. It is what it is and is not subject to change. In the human quest for some sort of permanence, Life then begins to imitate Art. This is all very heavy and philosophical. Pirandello's strength lies in his ability to fully dramatize his philosophies.