Claude Boyer, a 17th-century French playwright, had been 50 years writing without success. That he might prove whether his condemnation was not on account of the prejudice of the critics, he gave it to be understood that the new tragedy of Agamemnon was the production of a young man lately arrived at Paris. The piece was received with great applause.
The next night, however, the tragedy was hissed, Boyer having made it known that he was the author.
* * *
Oscar Wilde arrived at his club one evening, after witnessing a first production of a play that was a complete failure.
"Oscar, how did your play go tonight?" said a friend.
"Oh," was the lofty response, "the play was a great success, but the audience was a failure."
克洛德．布瓦耶是十七世紀法國劇作家，寫作了五十年，見輕於時。為了證明所受批評無關劇評者的偏見，他傳言說，新作戲劇《亞哥蒙能》的作者，是初到巴黎的一位年輕人。這齣戲大獲好評。
但是，第二天晚上，這齣戲就給喝倒彩，因為布瓦耶直認了是作者。
* * *
一天晚上，王爾德一齣戲劇初次演出，觀眾非常冷淡。劇終之後，他去到所屬俱樂部。
一位朋友問道：「你的戲劇今晚演出怎樣？」
王爾德昂然回答說：「戲劇十分成功，只是觀眾失敗而已。」