All the World's a Stage / The Seven Ages of Man: By William Shakespeare

 

[Summary, Analysis, Interpretation and Important Questions and Answers ]

All the World's a Stage

By --- William Shakespeare

(A Stage: Where Players Play Their Roles)

In a Nut-Shell :

In this poem Shakespeare compares life to a stage.  According to the poet, a man's life on the earth consists of seven stages. Every stage has its own characteristics and features. The different stages in a man's life are as follows:

1. An infant, helpless and crying
2. A complaining school boy
3. A lover
4. A bearded soldier
5. A wise justice
6. An old man
7. Second childhood

(The Seven Stages of a Man)

Right from birth to death, every human being has to go through all these seven stages, fulling the roles and responsibilities of every stage.

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Short Summary :

This poem is taken from William Shakespeare's famous drama 'As You Like It'. There is a character in this drama called Jacque, and this poem is his monologue. 

This famous monologue is also known as 'The Seven Ages of Man'.

The poem describes the seven stages of a man's life from childhood to very old age. The world is a global stage, all the men and women are only characters or role players on this stage. Thus the message is that we are only the puppets in the hands of destiny. 

Just like any stage, this world-stage also has its own entrances and exits. The entrance is our birth, and exit is our death.

In his life time, a man has many roles to play. The total number of his acts is seven.

This poem talks about the cycle of life, from birth to death. We start our life with helplessness, depending upon others and , similarly, by the last stage we are again helpless, depending upon others.

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Full Summary :

This poem is an excerpt (a little part or piece) from Shakespeare's famous drama 'As You Like It' . Here the poet has compared the world with a stage and human beings with actors and actresses playing different roles on this stage. 

It describes the various stages of life. He counts them seven. The seven stages of life are the seven acts of play.

The first stage of human beings is as an infant baby. In this stage one is completely helpless, and dependent upon others, particularly upon his/her mother. This stage goes in crying, weeping and vomiting on the laps of their mothers. 

 

The second stage is of a school going boy/girl. This is the time of starting learning. Parents send them to school, and the boy (or the girl) goes to school most unwillingly with his/her bag with slow steps.

(Most unwilling school boy going to school)

Then comes the third stage. By this time s/he grows to early youthhood. This is the stage of love and romance. S/he makes love, singing songs for his/her beloved.

(A young lover presenting rose to his beloved)

The next is the fourth stage. This stage is that of a soldier, bearded like a leopard and full of oaths. By this time he grows a matured and responsible person. He works hard for his life, family and country. He is willing and trying too much to maintain his reputation although such reputations are only temporary. So the poet calls them 'bubble reputation'. Another characteristics of this stage is that he gets angry very soon.

The fifth stage is the age of adulthood. It is described by the picture of a judge (the poet says -- 'then the justice'). By this time he has earned a good experience from his life. He starts to mature and becomes wiser than before. Now he starts leading a  fair and justified life. Physically he changes most. His belly becomes bigger than normal. His eyes become more serious. Now he is able to take lots of important decisions. This is the most powerful stage of life.

(A wise judge)

By the sixth stage s/he becomes an old person. Physically he becomes lean and thin. He wears spectacles, and his skin around him hangs loosely. S/he learns and wants to relax from the business and worries of life. S/he becomes weaker by this time. 

It is in this age that s/he prepares for the next and last stage of life, that is 'second childhood'.

(The sixth age, When people become old)

The seventh and the last stage of a human being is the 'second childhood'. Now s/he changes from old stage to very old age. By this time all his activities come to a stop. S/he is not able to do most things by themselves. All the glories of his life almost stop here. 

His memory and eyesight become weaker. He has lost his teeth, taste and almost every thing. He becomes like a child once more, helpless and dependent upon others for his/her every little need. This stage ends in the exit form the world (in other words, s/he dies).

(The stage of second childhood: Always dependent upon others for every need)

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Questions - Answers :

Before reading :

Answer these questions :

Question a: How does life begin ?

Answer : Our life begins as an infant, after we take birth. With our birth starts the first stage of our life : infancy. At this stage we are an infant baby, helpless and crying most of the time. The whole infancy spends being dependent upon others for every little needs. 

Question b : Do you think that the whole world is a stage ?

Answer : Yes, there is no doubt that the whole world is a stage. The conception is also found in many religious and philosophical books of the world. . A human being comes to this world with certain roles to be played and duties to be fulfilled. S/he plays all the roles in this world, which acts as a stage for them. That is exactly what Shakespeare tells here.

Question c : Are we the actors in this world ? What roles can a person play in his her life ?

Answer : Yes, if the world is a stage, we all are actors here. We fulfil our roles assigned to us. Shakespeare talks about seven roles. They are : an infant, a complaining school boy, a lover, a bearded soldier, a wise justice, an old man, the second childhood.

Understanding the text :

Answer the following questions.

Question a : Why does the poet compare the world with a stage ?

Answer : In a theater (or in any performance) stage is a specific place for the actors. It serves as a place where actors come and play their roles. 

The poet has compared the world with a stage  because here all human beings play their different roles, deliver dialogues, and fulfil their duties and responsibilities.

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

Answer : The first stage of human life is the infant stage. In this stage s/he only cries and vomits in his/her mother's arms. S/he is not able to do any thing by himself/herself.

It's very troubling stage because s/he is entirely dependent upon others. So much so, s/he is not even able to express what s/he needs. Sometimes even mothers or other caretakers get irritated because of his crying or because of taking care continuously.

Question c : Describe the second stage of life based on the poem.

Answer : The second stage of of life is a school going boy/girl. Mothers send them to school, which most children don't like or enjoy. S/he goes to school with his school bag most unwillingly with slow steps and always weeping, crying and complaining.

Question d. : Why is the last stage called second childhood ?

Answer: In the final stage of his life, he changes from old to oldest age. In this stage all his activities almost come to a stop. S/he becomes extremely weaker. His/her memory, eye-sight etc. becomes very weak. S/he is even unable to perform his/her daily activities by himself. As in the first stage, in this stage also s/he becomes totally dependent upon others. So, this is like a second childhood.

Question e. : In what sense are we the players in the world stage ?

Answer : The poet compares the world to a very big stage. Here he shows how all men and women are only actors (role players) in the drama of life. 

 In any drama different actors have their entries and exits, and they have assigned (allocated) roles to play. Similarly, in life drama, we have entries and exits and have our allocated roles, which we have to play. Our entries start with our birth. And, fulfilling different roles, we become very old, and exit from the world (die).

Reference to the context :

Question a. : Explain the following lines :

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players

Answer : The poet compares this world with a platform on which all men and women have arrived and will go after they have played their roles.

Here life has been compared to a play or drama played by every men and women on the stage of the world. His/her seven stages of life are the seven acts of play. They enter this stage when they are born, and leave the stage when they they die. 

Question 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,

Answer : Reference to the Context : These lines have been taken from the poem "All the World's a Stage, composed by William Shakespeare. Here life has been compared to a play or drama. It describes various stages of human life.

Explanation : In the life-drama, played on the biggest stage, world, we all are characters. We have our entrances (births) and exits (death). In between we play our different allocated roles. We play different roles (fulfil our assigned duties) and finally leave the world.

Question c. : Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.

Then the whining school boy; with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school.

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

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

3. Who is compared to the snail ?

4. Does the boy go to the school willingly ?

Answer :1. Here the second stage is being referred to, which is the complaining school going boy.

2. The figure of speech employed in the second line is simile, because the comparing word 'like' is used to show the comparison.

3. The unwilling school boy is compared to the snail. 

4. No he is not going to the school willingly . His unwillingness is clear by his slow steps.

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

Answer : Simile and metaphor are two major poetic devices. Such devices are used for comparison. The poet has used both of them in this poem.

Simile : A simile is figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things which have something in common, using words 'like' or 'as'.

For example : The students are as busy as bees. Some examples of simile from this poem are : (a) 'creeping like a snail' (b) 'bearded like a pard'

Metaphor : A metaphor is also used for comparing two things. But in a metaphor, the comparison is made without the use of 'like' or 'as'.

For example : He has a heart of lion.

Some examples of metaphor from this poem are : (a) 'All the World's a Stage', (b) 'Seeking the bubble of reputation' .

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

Answer : The poet has used a descriptive form of writing to express his emotions about how he thinks that the world is a stage and all people living here are mere players. 

These players go through seven different stages in their lives. The poet has given the features of all the stages.

Question f. :What is the theme of this poem ?

Answer : The major theme of this poem is cycle of life. It tells us how one starts out as an infant, helpless, without understanding, and ends in the same way without being aware of what is happening around him.

Reference beyond the text : 

Question a. Describe the various stages of a human's life picturized in the poem. All the World's a Stage ?

Answer : The speaker compares the world to a drama or stage. All men and woman are only actors of this world stage. We enter with our birth and exit with our death. Between the entrance and exit, we play seven roles.

The first role is of infancy. It goes in crying, weeping and depending upon others for every little need. Then, the infant grows into a school going boy. His guardians send him to school, and he goes there most unwillingly. 

Thirdly, he grows into a romantic youth. He is now full of energy. He falls into love. He tries to woo his beloved by singing songs for her. In the fourth stage, the boy turns a man. He has several responsibilities, both to his family and his country. He is brave, full of enthusiasm, and seeking reputation.

By the fifth stage, he is in the role of a wise justice. He is a middle aged man now. Experiences have made him wise like a judge. He has a large stomach and a clean cut beard by now.

In the sixth stage, he is an old man. He is lean and thin, with glasses on his nose. his manly voice turns into a childish treble. Seventh is the last act. It is the 'second childhood'. He becomes very old. His memory becomes weaker. Like in the first stage, he again becomes helpless, depending upon others for his every needs.

It is now the stage of exit form the drama of life.

Question b. : Is Shakespeare's comparison of human's life with a drama  stage apt ? How ?

Answer : Shakespeare has compared human life to a play or drama played by every man and woman. He has described seven stages of life, which are like the seven acts of a play.

The comparison of the world to a stage and people to actors goes before Shakespeare. We find such comparisons made in many philosophical books too. 

But, even if nobody had written about it, it is by a simple observation of life around us we find the same thing happening. Everybody takes birth, grows, and with every growth, man's life changes. He works, fulfils duties and responsibilities according to age, and finally leaves the world.  

This simple observation tells us Shakespeare's comparison of human life with a drama is very apt.

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Question: What is seven ages of man (All the World's a Stage) about ?

Answer: This poem is about the different roles that we play in our lifetime. The poet has also called them the stages of a man's life.

He has divided them into seven stages and has also told what role we play at which stage.

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Analysis and Interpretation of the Poem :

1. Brief Introduction:

This poem is taken from William Shakespeare's play 'As You Like It'. There is a character in this drama called Jacque, and this poem is his monologue. He is speaking to the Duke Senior. 

Here Jacques compares the world to a stage.  Every man and woman of the world plays the drama of his/her life on this stage. The life drama consists of seven acts. These acts correspond to the seven stages in a man's life. 

The seven stages are :1. the infant, 2. the complaining school boy, 3. the lover 4. the soldier , 5. the justice, 6. the elderly gentle man, 7. the old man. The poet has also presented the characteristics of each age.

2. Central Idea or the Theme of the Poem : 

The central idea of this poem is the cycle of life from a man's birth to death. It is about how everyone in the world plays their own parts in life and how their characteristics change with their age.   One starts life in helplessness and ends in the same way. 

Another important theme of this poem  is the transient (lasting or continuing for a short period of time)of life. We do not get our life for ever. It has a short span and we have to play different roles and finally we have to leave this world for ever.

3. Tone and Mood of the Poem:

A : This poem is written in a matter of fact and a depressing tone.

B : This poem is written in a serious, somber mood.

4. Structure of the poem:

• There are 28 lines in this poem
• There are no different stanzas
• Type of poem: it is a lyric poem. It is a sonnet
• Rhyme Scheme: There is no rhyme scheme in this poem. It is written in Blank Verse

5. Major Poetic Devices in this poem 

Some major poetic devices used in this poem are:

• Alliteration: examples : 'shrunk-shank', 'quick in quarrel', 'plays many parts' etc.
• Consonance: examples: 'shrunk-shank'
• Assonance: example: 'sixth age shifts'
• Metaphor:  example: 'All the world's a stage'
• Simile: example : 'creeping like a snail', 'bearded like a pard'
• Repetition : example: Words like 'sans age' are repeated
• Extended metaphor: [An extended metaphor is that use of metaphor in a literary work that isn't just used in one line but it is extended over multiple lines throughout the work.] We find the use of extended metaphor in this poem. It compares the world to a very very big stage. This shows how all men and women are only actors in this production (of life drama). All have their entrances and exists (life and death). The poem goes on describing all the stages of life from birth to death. In this way the whole poem is a metaphor.

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Some Short Questions and Answers 

1. What is the world compared to ?

Answer : The world is compared to a stage. The similarity is that like in a theatrical stage, people have to play different roles in the world. After our roles are finished, we leave the world (die).

2. What is the first stage of a human life ?

Answer : The first stage of human life is the infant stage, when one is completely dependent on mother or nurse.

3. Describe the second stage of life as elaborated by Shakespeare.

Answer : The second stage of life is that of school going children. They don't like to go to school. Most unwillingly they walk slowly as a snail moves with their bags hanging on their shoulders.

4. What do 'entrances' and 'exits' refer to ?

Answer : Here 'entrances' means birth and 'exits' means death of human beings.

5. How does a man play a lover's role ?

Answer : In the third stage of life a man comes to lover's role. As a lover he composes ballads (a type of poem) for his beloved and tries to attract her attention.

6. When does a man become a judge ? 

Answer : This is the fifth stage. By this time he becomes matured with his knowledge and experience of the world around him. 

Question 7. Which stage of man's life is associated with the shrunk shank ?

Answer : This is the sixth stage. Now he is old. Physically he is lean and thin. His trousers and other dresses become loose for him.

Question 8. Why does the poet compare the school boy to a snail ? 

Answer : The school boy is most unwilling to go to school. So he walks as slowly as a snail moves.

Question 9. What are the different stages of life mentioned by the poet  in this poem ?

Answer : The poet has mentioned seven stages of a man's life time. They are : Infant, School boy, Lover, Soldier, Justice, An Elderly Man, and Extremely old man, whom the poet calls the second childhood.

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Question : In this poem, life is compared with a play. Just as in a play a man acts many parts, so also in life, a man plays many roles. Can you think of some other comparison for life ? (For example, life could be compared with the seasons in nature, the days of the week, the lessons in a school day.) Select one of these comparisons (or choose one of your own), and write about the similarities that life has with it. (80-100 words)

Answer : 

I would like to compare life with a garden. We are the gardeners of this (life) garden.

As flowers and vegetables are cultivated in a real garden, in the same  way we can cultivate relationships with family and friends in our life garden. They are like different colourful flowers in a garden. They not only keep the garden attractive, but also keep the garden spread the a pleasant sweet smell.

It is our duty and responsibility to keep our garden neat, clean and attractive. We have to keep it maintained. But that's not easy. Like a real garden, this garden also needs a careful and regular care. 

  The plants need regular watering and sunshine. You have to clear away grasses and weeds regularly. You will also have to protect the plants from animals.

If we could take care of the garden well, our life will be sweeter.

Before we wrap up, let's have an eye on the seven stages of human-life:

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All images credit : Google images

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