Six Characters in Search of an Author has a playful yet philosophical tone. Many passages contain philosophical musings, especially from the Father, who attempts to rationalize his failures and explain the "reason of [his] sufferings" in order to create a more meaningful life. Philosophy soon devolves into ridiculousness, and the tone becomes more playful and satirical as the Father reveals himself to be an impotent intellectual. His resistance to admitting the absurdity of human life is only the beginning. The play's comical tone also extends to Madame Pace, whose accent and manner of moving across the stage send the other characters into gales of laughter.
Both the Father and Madame Pace engage in morally questionable activities, but Pirandello does not condemn them for their transgressions; thus the tone never becomes didactic or moralizing. Pirandello prefers to focus on the absurdity of fighting for meaning in an ultimately meaningless existence. Sometimes, the tone varies, as when the Son blames the Step-Daughter for eavesdropping, using a refined and theatrical tone. But even in this case, the tone can be seen as humorous and even satirical, because Pirandello uses the Son's character as a mouthpiece to make fun of highfalutin, theatrical language (which itself can be classified as an attempt to give meaning and substance to life).
