“All the
World’s a Stage” (Excerpt
from As You Like It)
Brief Introduction (Simple
Explanation in 150-200 words):
“All the World’s a Stage” is
a famous
monologue
delivered by Jacques, a melancholy character in
Shakespeare’s play As You Like It (Act
II, Scene VII). In this speech, Shakespeare compares
the world to a stage and human beings to actors who play different roles in life. He presents life as a drama divided into seven stages, from birth to death.
The seven stages are:
- Infant (helpless child),
- Schoolboy (unwilling to learn),
- Lover (full of emotions),
- Soldier (seeking honour),
- Justice (wise and respected),
- Old Age (losing strength),
- Second
Childishness (dependence
and forgetfulness before death).
This speech reflects on the
transience
of life, showing
how people enter and exit life just like actors on a stage. Shakespeare
uses metaphor, personification, and symbolism to present the cycle of human life.
📝 The Original Text (Excerpt):
All the world’s a stage,
And all
the men and women merely players;
They
have their exits and their entrances;
And one
man in his time plays many parts,
His acts
being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling
and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the
whining schoolboy with his satchel
And
shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly
to school. And then the lover,
Sighing
like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to
his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of
strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous
in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking
the bubble reputation
Even in
the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair
round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes
severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of
wise saws and modern instances;
And so
he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the
lean and slippered pantaloon,
With
spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His
youthful hose well saved, a world too wide
For his
shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning
again toward childish treble, pipes
And
whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That
ends this strange eventful history,
Is
second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans
teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
📝 2-Mark
Questions (Answer in 50
words):
1. Who delivers the speech “All the World’s a Stage”?
Answer:
The speech is delivered by Jacques,
a melancholy character in Shakespeare’s play As You Like It (Act
II, Scene VII).
2. What is the central idea of
“All the World’s a Stage”?
Answer:
The speech compares life to a stage, where every human plays different roles through seven stages of life, from birth to death.
3. What is meant by “exits and entrances”?
Answer:
“Exits and entrances” refer to birth and death—people
enter life when they are born and exit life when they die.
4. What is the first stage of
man’s life according to
Jacques?
Answer:
The first stage is infancy, where a helpless baby cries and vomits in the nurse’s
arms.
5. What is the last stage of
man’s life in the speech?
Answer:
The last stage is second
childishness,
where a person loses memory, senses, and becomes dependent, like a child, before dying.
📝 3-Mark
Questions (Answer in 75
words):
1. Describe the stage of the
schoolboy in “All the World’s a Stage.”
Answer:
The schoolboy is unwilling to go to school. He
whines and walks slowly like a snail,
carrying his satchel and showing a shining morning face. He
represents the stage where a child starts learning, but often without
enthusiasm.
2. Explain the role of the
soldier in Shakespeare’s Seven Ages of Man.
Answer:
The soldier is brave and ambitious but also quick-tempered
and jealous
in honour. He seeks reputation, even risking his life “in the cannon’s mouth”, showing his desire
for fame and glory despite danger.
3. What is meant by “second childishness”?
Answer:
“Second childishness” refers to old age, where a person loses memory, sight, taste, and becomes helpless,
like an infant, dependent on others for survival, until death.
4. Describe the Justice stage.
Answer:
In the justice
stage, a man is wise and mature,
often giving advice and judgments. He
is described as having a round belly,
a formal
beard, and is
full of wise
sayings (proverbs).
📝 6-Mark
Questions (150 words
with Side Headings):
1. Explain the Seven Ages of
Man as described in “All the World’s a Stage.”
1. Introduction:
Shakespeare compares life
to a stage and describes seven stages every man passes through.
2. The Seven
Stages:
- Infant: Helpless, crying, and vomiting child.
- Schoolboy: Whining, unwilling student.
- Lover: Emotional and passionate, writing sad
poetry.
- Soldier: Brave, quick to quarrel, and
ambitious for fame.
- Justice: Wise, respected, and mature, offering
judgments.
- Old Age: Weak and thin, losing strength and
manly voice.
- Second
Childishness: Dependent
again, losing senses, and approaching death.
3. Conclusion:
The speech shows life as a temporary performance, where people enter, play their parts, and finally exit.
2. Discuss the theme of life
as a stage in Shakespeare’s “All the World’s a Stage.”
1. Introduction:
Shakespeare presents life
as a drama, and people as actors playing different roles.
2. The Stage
and Actors Metaphor:
- Life
is a stage, and people enter (birth) and
exit (death).
- Each
person plays different roles in life.
3. Seven
Stages of Life:
The seven roles represent childhood, youth, maturity,
and old age.
4. Conclusion:
The metaphor emphasizes the
transitory
nature of human life, from birth to
death, showing
life as a performance with temporary roles.
Dr. Noojilla Srinivas
Lecturer in English, Government College
(Autonomous),
Rajahmundry
Phone: 7981862200
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