All the world's a stage - William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616 )  As You Like It,  Act II,  Scene VII

Jaques to Duke Senior

                               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 honor, 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.

Summary:

“All the world’s a stage” is  a part of William Shakespeare’s (1564 - 1616 ) romantic comedy As You Like It. It appears in  Act II,  Scene VII. It is spoken by Jaques to Duke Senior.



Jacques says to the Duke that 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 which are divided into seven stages of life.




The first stage: the infant




The infant is always Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.




The Second Stage: the schoolboy




The whining schoolboy, with his satchel

and shining morning face unwillingly moves slowly like a snail to his school.




The third stage: the lover




The lover sighs like furnace and sings a woeful ballad made to his mistress’ eyebrow.



The fourth stage: a soldier




The fourth stage of life is a soldier who is full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard. He is also jealous in honor and sudden and quick in quarrel. He  seeks the bubble reputation even in the mouth of a cannon.

The fifth stage: the justice (maturity)

The fifth stage is the stage of maturity (the justice). It is symbolised by the fair round belly with good capon lined and severe eyes and beard of formal cut. It is full of wise saying and updated knowledge of the world.




The sixth stage: Pantaloon




The sixth stage of life is that of aged pantaloon who becomes slippered and lean. In this stage eyesight becomes weak and body diseased. So a person needs spectacles on nose and pouch on side for medicines. The youthful hose which once well saved a world too wide is now too large for his shrunk and weak body. His big manly voice turns into childish treble and pipes and whistles become frequent in his sound/voice.




The seventh stage: second childishness




The last stage of life ends this strange eventful history. His behaviour becomes childish and hence it is described as the second childishness. This stage of life is characterised by mere oblivion (forgetfulness). Life becomes difficult without teeth, eyes, taste and everything.