NEB class 11 3rd poem All the World's a Stage By William Shakespeare

 3rd poem

                    All the World's a Stage

                                By William Shakespeare

All the World’s a Stage is a poem by William Shakespeare. It says that life is like a play, and people are like actors. Everyone plays different roles in life, from birth to death. The poem describes seven stages of a person's life—baby, schoolboy, lover, soldier, judge, old man, and death. It shows how people grow, change, and finally return to a helpless state.

About the Poet

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) was a famous English poet, playwright, and actor. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English languageThe poem All the World’s a Stage is taken from his play As You Like It, where he compares life to a drama and people to actors. His writings continue to be read and performed all over the world.

Setting

The poem is part of a speech from the play As You Like It. It is not set in a specific place, but in a general and philosophical setting. It talks about human life as if it were a drama acted out on the stage of the world. So, the setting is symbolic, not physical—it represents the entire world as a stage and all people as actors.

Tone

The tone of the poem is serious, thoughtful, and a bit sad. Shakespeare uses a calm and reflective voice to talk about the different stages of life. He shows both the beauty and the struggles of growing up, getting old, and dying. In the end, the tone becomes more melancholy as it talks about old age and death.

Themes

1. Life as a Drama

Life is compared to a play, and people are like actors who perform different roles from birth to death.

2. The Seven Stages of Life

The poem describes seven stages every person goes through: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, judge, old man, and second childhood.

3. The Passage of Time

The poem shows how time moves people from one stage to another, leading finally to old age and death.

4. Human Nature and Change

It highlights how people change in behavior, appearance, and role as they grow older.

5. Mortality (Death)

The final stage reminds us that life ends in death, and we return to a helpless state like childhood.

 

Summary

All the World’s a Stage is a famous poem by William Shakespeare from his play As You Like It. In this poem, he compares the world to a stage and people to actors. According to him, every person plays different roles in life, just like actors in a play. Shakespeare divides human life into seven stages: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, judge, old man, and second childhood. Each stage has its own actions, behavior, and meaning. At first, a person is helpless like a baby, and in the end, becomes helpless again due to old age. The poem shows how people change with time and finally face death. It reminds us that life is short and temporary. Shakespeare uses a serious and thoughtful tone to express this truth about human life.

Detailed Summary

The poem All the World’s a Stage is a monologue from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It. In this poem, Shakespeare compares the world to a stage and human beings to actors. He says that all people enter the stage (world) at birth and leave it at death. During their time on earth, they play different roles, which are divided into seven stages of life.

1.      Infant: The first stage is that of a baby, crying and being carried by a nurse. The child is helpless and innocent.

2.      Schoolboy: In the second stage, the child grows into a boy who goes to school unwillingly, with a sad face.

3.      Lover: The third stage is the teenage lover, full of emotions and fantasies. He writes poems and dreams about his beloved.

4.      Soldier: Then comes the stage of a brave and ambitious young man who wants fame and honor. He is quick to fight for pride and reputation.

5.      Justice: In the fifth stage, the man becomes mature, wise, and serious. He gives advice and lives a settled life.

6.      Old Age: The sixth stage is of an old man who becomes thin, weak, and slow. His voice becomes trembling, and he loses energy.

7.      7. Death (Second Childhood): In the final stage of life, a person becomes like a child again. They become weak and helpless. They may lose their teeth, have poor eyesight, forget things, and lose their strength. Just like a baby depends on others, old people also need care and support. This stage is called "second childhood" because it is very similar to how life began. After this, life comes to an end with death.

The poem presents a philosophical view of life. Shakespeare shows that no matter how powerful or rich a person becomes, everyone follows the same path of birth, growth, decline, and death. The tone of the poem is serious, reflective, and a little sad. It reminds us that life is temporary, and we should understand its true nature.

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 poem is written in blank verse, which means it has a regular rhythm but no rhymes. The style is narrative, meaning the poet tells a story or explains something step by step. Shakespeare uses this style to share his deep feelings about life. He believes the world is like a stage where all people are actors playing different roles. These roles change as people go through seven different stages of life. By explaining this clearly, Shakespeare wants readers to understand the truth about human life and its different phases.

f. What is the theme of this poem?

The main theme of All the World’s a Stage is about the meaning and stages of human life. Shakespeare shows how life is short and everyone plays many roles, from childhood to old age. He talks about time passing, aging, memory, and the purpose of life. He compares life to a play where people have no control over the roles they must play. The poem teaches that life goes through stages—baby, student, lover, soldier, judge, old man—and ends with a return to a helpless state before death.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. Describe the various stages of human life picturized in the poem "All the World’s a Stage."

Shakespeare says that life has seven stages:

1.      Childhood: The baby cries and is cared for by the mother, often helpless and dependent.

2.      Schoolboy: The child goes to school unwillingly, slow and unhappy like a snail.

3.      Lover: A young man who writes poems for his beloved and feels deep emotions.

4.      Soldier: A brave and ambitious man who wants honor and is ready to fight for his country.

5.      Judge: A wise and mature man who gives advice and lives with respect.

6.      Old Age: The man becomes weak, wears loose clothes and spectacles, and his voice becomes weak like a child’s.

7.      Second Childhood: The final stage where the man loses his senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell) and becomes helpless again, like a child, before death.

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

Yes, Shakespeare’s comparison is very accurate and true. He compares life to a drama because, like actors on a stage, people come into the world, play many roles during their life, and then leave it. This idea was known before Shakespeare, but he expressed it beautifully through his poem.

We can see this in real life: everyone is born, grows up, works, takes responsibilities, and finally dies. Everyone plays different roles in life, just like actors do in a play. This makes Shakespeare’s comparison very fitting and easy to understand.

 

a. Why does the poet compare the world with a stage?
The poet compares the world to a stage because he believes all men and women are like actors. They come to the world, play their parts (roles), and then leave, just like actors on a stage.

b. What is the first stage in a human’s life? In what sense can it be a troubling stage?
The first stage is childhood. It is troubling because the baby is completely dependent on others. It cries, needs constant care, and cannot do anything on its own.

c. Describe the second stage of life based on the poem.
The second stage is boyhood or schoolboy stage. The boy carries a school bag and goes to school unwillingly. He moves slowly, like a snail, and often complains.

d. Why is the last stage called second childhood?
The last stage is called second childhood because the old person becomes weak, forgetful, and helpless—just like a small child again.

e. In what sense are we the players in the world stage?
We are players because we take birth, act out different roles during our life (like child, student, lover, soldier, etc.), and then leave the world at death—just like actors in a play.

a. Explain the following lines:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players

The poet compares the whole world to a stage, and men and women to actors. Just like actors enter and exit the stage to perform their roles, people are born into this world to play different parts in life. After completing their roles, they leave the world, which is like leaving the stage. The final exit is death.

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 mean that people enter the world (stage) when they are born and exit it when they die. Like actors who play many roles in a play, humans also act in different roles throughout their lives—child, lover, soldier, old man, and more. The poet wants us to understand that life is like a theatre where everyone has a part to play until their role ends.

c. Read the given lines and answer the questions:
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?
The poet is referring to the childhood or schoolboy stage of life.

ii. Which figure of speech has been employed in the second line?
A simile is used here. The boy is compared to a snail using the word "like."

iii. Who is compared to the snail?
The school-going boy is compared to the snail.

iv. Does the boy go to school willingly?
No, the boy goes to school unwillingly, which is shown by the slow and reluctant movement "like a snail."

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

• A metaphor directly compares two things without using “like” or “as.”
• A simile compares two things using “like” or “as.”

Examples from the poem:

• Metaphors:

• "All the world’s a stage" (The world is a stage.)
• "All the men and women merely players" (People are actors.)
• "Seeking the bubble reputation" (Reputation is like a fragile bubble.)
• "His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide" (Clothes are a metaphor for youth.)
• "His big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble" (Voice change as metaphor for aging.)

• Similes:

• "Creeping like a snail" (The boy goes slowly, like a snail.)
• "Bearded like the pard" (The soldier’s beard compared to a leopard’s.)