All the World’s A Stage
William
Shakespeare
About the poet: William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English playwright (the
one who wrote plays and dramas) and poet. He wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets (A
sonnet is a poem of 14 lines). He is considered as the greatest dramatist in the English language.
About the poem:
This poem is a monologue from William Shakespeare’s
comedy play ‘As You Like It’. These lines are spoken by the character the
melancholy Jacques. A monologue is a long speech by an actor which he performs
in a drama or a play.
Central Theme of the poem:
The central theme of Shakespeare's "All the
World's a Stage" speech, which is part of the play "As You Like
It," is the idea that human life can be compared to a theatrical
performance. The central theme revolves around the concept of the human
journey, the passage of time, and the universal experiences that people go
through as they progress from birth to death. It tells us that life is filled with joy and sorrow, and each stage of life has its unique
challenges and moments.
The World is a Stage:
The world is compared to a stage, suggesting that
life is a theatrical performance. Every person is compared to an actor or
actress in this stage of life. People have beginnings (births) and endings
(deaths) in this grand drama. Throughout a person's life, they play various
roles. Life is divided into seven distinct stages or phases.
Checking Understanding:
1)
What are the seven stages of life mentioned
by Shakespeare in ‘All the World’s A Stage’?
Answer: The following are the seven
stages of life mentioned by Shakespeare:
1.
Infant
2. School boy
3.
Lover
4.
Soldier
5.
Justice
6.
Old age
7.
End of a person’s life
2)
What does Shakespeare want to show us
by saying that ‘the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms?
Answer: The infant is always
mewling (crying) and puking in the nurse’s arms means it is dependent on others for
every need.
3)
What are the phrases used for showing
disinterest of the school boy while going to school?
Answer: The following phrases are used
to show the disinterest of the school boy in going to school:
Ø He
is whining (crying).
Ø He
is creeping like a snail (moving very slowly).
Ø He
is unwilling to go to school.
4)
Why do you think that the school boy is
not interested in going to school?
Answer: Till the school boy was a
child, he was safe in the care of his parents at home. For everything, he was
dependent on his parents and caretakers. However, when he is expected to go to
school, he is expected to become independent which is a new thing for him. The
school is an unfamiliar place for him, and he is not comfortable to explore an
unfamiliar place.
5)
What are the characteristic features of
the third stage i.e. of a lover?
Answer: The lover’s stage is the
stage of adolescence. In this stage, there are intense emotions of love and
passion. One spends a lot of time thinking about his / her close ones. The lover
spends time writing sad songs and praising his beloved’s eyebrows. In short,
in this stage, the person’s centre of attention is his love.
6)
Following are the phrases used to
describe the fourth stage i.e. soldier. What do the following phrases mean:
a)
Full of strange oath: He is a growing
up man who wants to ensure people take him seriously. His promises are new and
strange for the people around him.
b)
Bearded like pard: He is quick like a
leopard.
c)
Jealous in honour: He is bothered about
his honour and reputation.
d)
Sudden and quick in quarrel: He is
foul-mouthed and always ready for a fight and an argument.
e)
Seeking the bubble reputation even in
cannon’s mouth: He does many things to make himself look better even if he is
doing everything pointless. Honour and pride are more important to him than his
life.
7)
What
does the ‘justice’ stage stand for? How does a man behave in the ‘justice’
stage?
Answer: The ‘justice’ stage stands
for adulthood. This is the phase of life when a man is working hard and is getting
settled in his life. His stressed lifestyle can be seen through his eyes and
round belly. There is always maturity in his talks. He talks about morals and
his experiences. He presents himself as elegant.
8) Sixth stage is of ‘old age’. How is
life in this stage?
Answer: The old age is a sign of
physical weakness. It is the phase when a man’s pant is loose to his waist due
to weakened body. His eye sight is weak now, that is why he is using
spectacles. His muscles are weaker and they hang around his arms and legs. He spends
time in remembering his youthful days. His legs are weaker which cannot walk or
travel. His voice is tired as it has whistles and trebles. This phase marks the
weakening body and senses.
9)
Why is the last stage ‘the death’ or ‘the
end’ called as ‘second childishness’?
Answer: During the last stage or ‘the
death stage’, a man loses all his senses. He cannot see properly, cannot taste
food, he doesn’t have teeth to bite his food. For everything around him, he is
completely dependent on others. He is not able to understand the world around
him. All these are the same characteristics of an infant or a child. That’s why
the last stage is called as ‘the second childishness’.
Poetic Devices and Figures of Speech:
|
Figure
of speech |
Line |
|
Metaphor |
The entire poem |
|
Imagery (It creates visual image on reader’s
mind) |
Whining school, with his satchel and shining
morning face, creeping like snail Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel |
|
Simile |
Creeping like snail Sighing like furnace Bearded like pard |
|
Alliteration |
Shrunk shank |
|
Repetition |
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans
everything |
Reading Comprehension Practice:
Task: Read the following lines and answer the
questions given below them:
And then the
justice,
In fair round
belly with good capon lined,
With eyes
severe and beard of formal cut
Full of modern
saw and wise instances
Questions:
a)
What stage of life is mentioned here in
the lines?
b)
Why is this stage called ‘justice’?
c)
What is the meaning of ‘saw’?
d)
Why the poet says that the justice is
full of modern saw and wise instances?
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