Summary

The sonnet "All the World's a Stage" by William Shakespeare reflects the seven phases of life. Shakespeare compares the universe to a theater and human existence to a play in the sonnet. He compares the world to a stage, and individuals to performers who play on it. Every human being goes through seven distinct stages of existence, each with its own particular features and attributes.

The newborn is characterized as "mewling and puking" in the first period of life. This is the period in which a child is completely dependent on his or her parents, with no sense of freedom or control. The second stage is that of the schoolboy, who is marked by curiosity and a desire to learn. The lover, in the third stage, is passionate and idealistic, with great cravings for romance and relationships. The fourth stage is that of the brave and valiant soldier.

The fifth stage is that of justice, in which the person is seen as wise and respected. This is the maturity and stability stage. Pantaloon, an aspect of old age, is the sixth stage. This is a period of introspection and knowledge. The seventh and last stage is second childishness and oblivion, in which a person's memory and faculties deteriorate with age.

The poem reminds the reader of the stages of life and the significance of experiencing each one to the fullest. Even though life can be stressful and demanding, the poem urges readers to accept and enjoy each stage. The poem also serves as a reminder that life is fleeting and that we must make the most of it. Shakespeare depicts the different stages of life throughout the poem, encouraging readers to accept and make the most of them. The poem advises readers to live life to the fullest and to make the most of each stage. It also acts as a reminder of the transience of life and the significance of enjoying life to the fullest.

UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT

a. Poet finds similarity in world and a stage, why?

A stage is used to act out plays and in plays there are actors where everyone has their own roles and their own entries and exits. In the world too, we people are mere characters directed by some unknown force and as we do not have control over our birth and death and we are mere players in the script written by the almighty. Seeing this similarity, I believe the poet compares our world with a stage.

b. What is the first stage in a human's life? In what sense can it be a troubling stage?

According to the poet, the first stage is infancy. It can be termed troubling stage because an infant is incapable of doing anything on its own except crying and vomiting on the arms which is troubling to mothers and nurses.

c. Explain the second stage as per the poem.

Boyhood is the second stage in human life. In this stage, according to the poet, the boy is the age of going school but he is unwilling to do so. He finds it troublesome to wake up in the morning, but creeps like a snail and finally goes to school.

d. Why old age is called the second childhood?

It is called so because during the old age, a man does not have strength, fully functioning senses and complains about small things.

e. Why are we just performers in the world stage?

We are only performers in this world stage because we have no control on our hands about our birth and death. In addition, the actions we perform during our lifetime is also decided by someone more powerful than us such as directors in a stage play.

REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT

a. Explain the following lines:

“All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players”

These lines are extracted from the poem written by William Shakespeare. These lines are philosophical and it is trying to convey a message that we human beings are powerless and we do not have control over our action, birth and death. We have to follow the directions of a powerful being than us. We are born without our own willingness, play our part in this world and one day depart without our willingness.

b. Explain the following lines briefly with reference to the context.

“They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,”

These lines are taken from William Shakespeare’s famous poem ‘All the World’s a Stage.” These lines are philosophical because it gives us the hint of our reality about the life that we have got. It says that we have no control over our lives; birth and death, and we just play the role that is assigned to us by the almighty God. We have our own birth days and death days indicated by entrances and exits in these lines. In addition, it also says that a person have their own 7 roles to play from birth to death.

C.Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.

“Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school.”

i. Which stage of life is being referred to here by the poet?

These lines are referring to a stage of schoolboy aged between approximately 4 years to 10 years. This stage is the second one.

ii. Which figure of speech has been employed in the second line?

The figure of speech that is used in the second line is ‘simile’. The actions of the school boy is compared to a slow animal snail with ‘like’.

iii. Who is compared to the snail?

The school boy is compared to the snail.

iv. Does the boy go to the school willingly?

No the boy is reluctant to go to school willingly.

d. Simile and metaphor are the two major poetic devices used in this poem. Explain citing examples of each.

Comparison to world stage, players, bubble reputation, youthful hose, and childish treble are metaphors whereas comparisons to snail and pard are similes.

NOTE: Copy those lines as example.

e. Which style does the poet use to express his emotions about how he thinks that the world is a stage and all the people living in it are mere players?

The narrative style is used to express his emotion by the poet.

f. What is the theme of this poem?

The theme of the poem is that we human beings powerless being stuck in the cycle of birth and death. We have nothing in our control and we have to play our part in this world stage whether we like it or not.

REFERENCE BEYOND THE TEXT

Describe the various stages of human life pictured in the poem "All the world's a stage."

Shakespeare famously said that the world is a stage, and everyone is a performer on it. He proposes that everyone goes through seven stages in life, each with a particular role. To begin, a guy is a little child, playing in his mother's arms and occasionally screaming and vomiting. He eventually becomes a student, although a reluctant one. The third stage is the stage of love, with the male creating romantic lyrics for his lover in an attempt to get her attention. The man is full of ambition and aggression at the fourth stage.

Shakespeare's poem "All the World's a Stage" describes the seven phases of a man's existence. From seeking acclaim for his acts to serving as a soldier and becoming an impartial judge, each stage provides maturity, insight, and a new responsibility. When he goes to the sixth stage, he is shown wearing spectacles and baggy pantaloons, and his voice changes tone from manly to childlike. Ultimately, he reaches his second childhood, when he loses his senses of sight, hearing, smell, and taste and is forced to leave the roles he has played his whole life.

Is Shakespeare's comparison of human's life with a drama stage apt? How?

As performers on a stage, everyone enters the world via birth and leaves through death. According to Shakespeare, life is divided into seven distinct periods, extending from infancy to old age. Each stage necessitates the performance of distinct responsibilities in order to achieve varied objectives. This analogy of life to a stage is appropriate since it truly depicts the shifting nature of our existence.