Rules of golf not one of the numbered rules, is found in the R&A rule book's inside front cover: "Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair. But to do what is fair, you need to know the Rules of Golf." In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is often seen as being as important to the sport as the rules themselves. Before
The Rules of the Game (play) (1921) are rehearsing this play. Leone is estranged from his wife Silia who is having an affair with a man called Guido. Rather than allow himself to feel betrayed and angry, Leone chooses to empty himself of all emotion, becoming — in his own words — like an empty eggshell. He manipulates Guido into taking his place in a duel, in which Guido dies. Other characters include a group of drunken young men, who give Silia the opportunity for her scheming, and one of whom becomes the duellist; two friends of Leone, Bartelli and Dr Spiga; and Leone's servant, Philip.