Sentence:  The hero , who <WSD>is</WSD> himself , is represented as a pilgrim in the storied lands of the East , a sort of Faustus type , who , to quote from Professor Bo ^ o ^ k again , `` even in the pleasure gardens of Sardanapalus can not cease from his painful search after the meaning of life . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  be identical to; be someone or something