Poem All the World is a Stage (William Shakespeare) Summary Imp Qs Ref Explanation

Poem All the World is a Stage (William Shakespeare) Summary Imp Qs Ref Explanation

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Poem:

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.
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel,
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like a 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 lin'd,
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 slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
His youthful hose well sav'd, 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, sane eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

William Shakespeare:

William Shakespeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon in 1564 and died in 1616. He is undoubtedly the greatest English dramatist and poet. He began writing at an early age and had established a reputation for himself by acting and writing plays. His early works include the poems " Venus and Adonis" (1593) and the "The Rape of Lucrece" (1594). The controversial sonnets: "To the dark lady: appeared in 1609. He acted in Ben Jonson's "Every Man in his Humour" and probably played the part of the Ghost in his own "Hamlet". The 18th century did not think much of Shakespeare as a dramatist, and his plays were adapted and changed to suit the taste of the age. However, the 19th century saw a reaction in his favour and modern critics agree that he is the world's greatest dramatist: his knowledge on men and women is unequalled. Not only does he give us magnificent poetry, but also a profound insight into human nature.

Idea of Poem:

Shakespeare over here has masterfully described the stages of human life. The use of acting ans stage is a recurrent one in Shakespeare, not only because he was a dramatist, but also he was himself an actor. He compares the world to a stage and all human beings to actors enacting their allotted roles. The deeper meaning is that of the transience of life and brief span of importance or fame that we as actors enjoy and "then are heard no more" (Macbeth). The poet has divided life int seven stages spanning infancy to old age. Shakespeare profound knowledge of human life and acute observation can be seen here. The use of the word "mewling" for the infant cry is a wonderful stroke, and "creeping like a snail" is more than accurate descriptions of the reluctance school-going children. The last stage of a man's life evokes feeling of pathos--all youthful passion spent, all ambition gone, and man reduced to a mere shadow of himself, sinking into oblivion.

Words                 Meaning

Mewling              Crying feebly

Puking                 Throwing up; to vomit

Whining               Complaining

Satchel                 Small bag as for school

Saws                    Proverbs

Oblivion              Forgetfulness

Sans                     Without(French Word)

All the World is a Stage (William Shakespeare)

Actually this is a speech delivered by a character Jaques in Shakespeare's play "As You Like It". It occurs in Act-II Scene VII Lines 139-166. Here the great dramatist of all ages has divided a man's life into seven parts. He has compared the world to a stage on which men and women come, act their seven parts and leave after giving their performance. The poem is a masterpiece of keen observation.

Summary  

The great dramatist of all ages, Shakespeare presents a unique treatment of human life in his play “As You Like It”. This masterpiece of keen observation, All The World's a Stage is in-fact a speech delivered by one of the characters of the above mentioned play.

In this poem the poet compares the entire world to a stage, where all the men and women play their particular part. During the course of drama of life the character appear and disappear on the stage to perform their role. There are seven stages of this drama. Birth is entrance and death is exit.

The first period begins and helpless infant in the nurse's arms vomits feebly. In the second stage a complaining school boy appears on the stage. He goes to school unwillingly like a snail. Then a teenager enters the stage sighing like a furnace and singing songs for his beloved. After this, man acts as a soldier ready to fight suddenly, seeking prompt fame even in the cannon's mouth to make his mark in the history.

In the fifth period a judge, with formal beard, fairly round belly and severe eyes appears on the stage of the world. He knows many proverbs and can quote a lot of modern instances.

In the sixth stage he becomes an old man, lean and weak. There are whistles in his voice and he wears glasses on his nose. He keeps a small bag with him and the world is so vast for his weak body.

In the last, (seventh stage) he is on the verge of end (death). He has lost every quality of his youth and has become a helpless child again thus ends this eventful history(life).

These different stages hint at the fact that nothing is permanent in this life as life is transient. Interpretation of human life is understandable to some extent but is not agreeable fully.

Subtle and sublime rhyme scheme, blank verse, realistic comparison straightforward treatment, fresh imagery, theatrical vocabulary and run-on-lines here and there are its special technical features.

Important Questions

Question No 1. Bring out the literary merits of the poem "All the World's a Stage" by Skakespeare. Or Critical Appreciation of the Poem.

Ans. This poem is, in fact, a speech delivered by a character, Jacques, in Act-II Scene-VII (lines 139-166) of Shakespeare's "As you Like It". It is a very good piece of poetry, full of wise analysis of human life. The speaker tells us very seriously and superbly about seven stages of a man's life in this world. He wishes to promote the understanding of a man's life. The poem summaries various seven stages of a man's life in a very effective manner.

The speaker tells us that the first of all, when a man enters on the stage of life or this world, he acts of an infant who weeps  and vomits in the arms of his nurse. Then he becomes a boy and goes unwillingly to school with a bright morning face and a bag of books on his shoulder. Then he becomes a lover. He sighs in love and writes poems in the praise of his beloved. Then he becomes a soldier and tries to find/get honour and fame and is even ready to fight till death for that. Then he becomes a judge. He has a beard of formal cut. He is fat with eating much. He tells proverbs and wise saying to people and old dresses of young times becomes loose. He wears pair of a spectacle on his nose and has a side bag/pocket/purse. His voice becomes childish. Then he becomes a very old man, nearing death whose teeth have fallen down. Neither he can hear, nor see, nor taste things. He cannot enjoy life anymore. Thus his life comes to an end.

The theme of man's seven stages of life has been presented with a very masterly hand in the poem. The description of each stage is realistic. Good and fresh imagery has been used to bring the real picture. All the vocabulary has been taken from the world of theatre. The poet has arranged every detail with a great skill and ingenuity. The treatment is straightforward and modern, rather universal for all the times to come.

All the poem is a long simile because the poet is presenting the seven parts/periods of a man's life in the vocabulary and imagery of the world of stage and theatre. Words like "the infant/Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms". "creeping like snail/Unwilling to school". "sighing like a furnace" and "bearded like the pard" bring before us not only the realistic comparison between the two sides of the simile but also the real picture, solid and living picture in true colors. A few such other words are:

"... fair round belly" (line 16)

"... beard of formal cut" (line 17)

"... shifts/Into the lean and slipper's pantaloon" (line 19-20)

"... spectacles on nose and pouch on side" (line 21)

"Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything". (line 26)

The whole piece has been narrated with full dramatic force and we begin to see before our very eyes the very seven roles of man in all their audio-visual colors.

The poem/address has been written in blank verse, i.e., iambic pentameter but it is not monotonous. It is varying. Most of the words are polysyllabic and of Anglo-Saxon origin. The vocabulary is specialized. It pertains to the world of stage and theatre. The rhythm is subtle and sublime. Most of the lines are end-stopped, without enjambment. But here and there we find a run-on line as line no. 4, 8, 10, 14, 18, 22 but here also there is no enjambment except in line no. 14 and 22. The last line seems to have an extra syllable for giving it an extra force and final touch.

Question No 2. What are seven stages of man's life? Or What are the seven different roles that every man and woman has to play on the stage of this world?

Ans. All this world is like a stage of a theatre and all human beings are like actors and actresses. They come on the stage, play their roles and disappear after giving their performance. Everyone plays seven roles, or there are seven stages of a man's life. At first he is an infant crying and weeping in the arms of his nurse. Then he becomes a lover and sighs like a furnace for the love of his beloved. He sings songs in praise of his beloved.

Then he becomes soldier with big heavy beard as that of a leopard. He is ready to quarrel for the sake of honor and fame. Then he becomes a judge. He has a big fat belly and a formal-cut beard. He has a stern look at his face. He often quotes proverbs etc. Then he becomes an old man with loose clothes and spectacles at nose. He has pockets at the side of dress. His voice is thin and childish. Then comes the last (the seventh) stage. It is almost a second childhood. Man loses all senses now. He loses his eyes. He has no teeth. He cannot hear. He loses his tasting power.

Questions No 3. What are the seven ages of man?

Ans. The seven ages of man are given below:

1. Infant
2. A school boy
3. A lover
4. A soldier
5. A judge
6. An old man
7. A very old man

Question No 4. Which age, in your opinion, is most accurately described?

Ans. I feel that all the seven ages have been most accurately described. Shakespeare was himself an actor and an actor always observes very keenly. Still, if I have to choose the best description, I will choose that of the seventh when a man becomes very old. The poet has explained masterly how all the youthful passion is all spent. All ambition dies away. The man is reduced to only a shadow of himself. He sinks into oblivion. He loses almost all the fine senses. Specially the last line.

San eyes, sans teeth, sans taste, sense everything.

Is remarkable and summarizes a lot of things in a small number of words. The last word "everything" is so full of pathos. This word gives a good finishing touch to the description.

Question No 5. As a young person do you agree with Shakespeare's description of a lover?

Ans. Yes, as a young person I fully agree with Shakespeare's description of a lover. A lover is so full of sentimentalism and emotionalism. He may be in love with a girl or with a mission as his education or career, but he is always absorbed in the idea of his beloved. A lover does not actually mean only a lover of a girl. It may include that, too. But that is only one aspect of life. Really it means the enthusiastic approach towards one's ideal whether it is of becoming a true Muslim, a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer, or anything else. The description given by Shakespeare suits in all these cases.

Reference:

These lines have been taken from the poem “All the World is a Stage” written by William Shakespeare.

Context:

This sonnet of Shakespeare is from his famous play “As You Like It”. This poem describes various stages of human life. Life has been compared to a play or drama played by every man and woman on the stage of the world. His seven stages of life are the seven acts of a play. This shows Shakespeare?s deep knowledge and transience of human life.

Explanation:

Lines 1 – 5

In these lines the poet compares this world to a stage. All men and women are only actors and actresses on the stage of this world. All these people have different routes to enter this stage and also have different exits to go out. They enter this stage when they are born and leave this stage when they die. Every person, during his life time plays many parts. These parts are called seven ages. These ages are actually like acts of a play.

Lines 5 – 10

The first stage of a man's life is his infancy. During his infancy he cries and throws up milk and vomits when he is in the hands of a mother or a nurse. The second stage is his boy-hood. This is his school going period. It is the time when he complains all the time. His face shines like the bright and fresh morning. He carries his school bag and unwillingly goes to school at the speed of an insect.

Lines 10 – 12

This is the third stage of man's life. Now he is a grown up person and assumes the form of a lover. It is the time when he loves his beloved ardently. He sighs like a furnace or an oven. He writes a song in praise of his beloved's eye or brow. He also sings such songs again and again as he burns in his emotions.

Lines 12 – 16

In these lines the poet shows the fourth stage of a man's life. When he matures, he becomes a soldier. He takes strange oaths. He has a beard like a tiger or a leopard. He is fierce like these animals. During this stage of life, man is jealous of honour of other. He is very quick-tempered and owns quarrels. Since he is warm-blooded, he looks for temporary reputation and fame. To achieve this temporary fame, he is even ready to go into the mouth of a gun. He does not bother for dangers.

Lines 16 – 20

This is the fifth stage of man's life. Here man becomes middle aged and mature like a judge and has a fair round belly full of the meat of chickens. Perhaps, he has become fit because he eats meat and fat castrated cocks in excess. It is the stage when he is firm, serious and grim. His conversation is full of many different proverbs of the world of the past and is also full of the examples from the modern age. He has beard of formal cut and as such plays this part of life.

Lines 20 – 26

This is the sixth stage of man's life. In this stage man shifts from middle age, to old age. Now he wears pantaloon with slippers on his feet. He has become thin, weak and lean. He wears now spectacles on his nose because of his weak eye-sight. He has also a purse by his side in which he keeps money and tobacco. He uses long socks which he has saved during his youth. Now these socks are very loose to his lean leg and look strange. His big loud manly voice has turned into the shrill voice of a child. Since, some of his teeth have fallen, whenever he tries to speak. Its seems as if he were playing upon a pipe or as if he were whistling.

Lines 27 – 29

This is the last stage of man's life. In this stage he changes from his old age to the oldest one. This is a strange stage of life. In this period all the life which has been previously full of strange events, comes to an end. Man becomes child once again. This is like his second childhood. In this stage he is childish as well as childlike. At this stage he forgets almost everything. His memory becomes very weak. He loses teeth, eye-sight and taste. He is without everything. This is the stage in which he completes the drama of his life and leaves the stage of this world for the next.