All the World’s a Stage Summary

All the World’s a Stage is a famous poem by William Shakespeare in which the poet presents human life as unreal and temporary. According to Shakespeare, the world is like a stage and human beings are like actors who come onto the stage, play their roles, and then leave it. Human life is compared to a play of make-believe where nothing is permanent.

In the poem, Shakespeare describes the seven stages of human life. The first stage is the infant, who is helpless, crying, and carried in the arms of a nurse. The second stage is the schoolboy, who is unwilling to go to school and walks slowly like a snail. The third stage is the lover, who is full of emotions, sighs deeply, and writes love poems for his beloved.

The fourth stage is the soldier, who is brave, aggressive, and eager for honor and glory. He is quick to fight and ready to risk his life for fame. The fifth stage is the justice or judge, who is wise, serious, and experienced. He gives advice and judgments based on his knowledge and authority.

The sixth stage is old age, where a man becomes weak and dependent. He wears slippers and spectacles, and his strong voice turns weak and childish. The final stage is second childhood, where a person loses memory, strength, senses, and dignity. In this stage, the person becomes completely helpless, just like a child. Through this poem, Shakespeare shows that human life is temporary and passes through different roles from birth to death.

All the World’s a Stage Exercise

Understanding the Text

Answer the following questions.

a. Why does the poet compare the world with a stage?
The poet compares the world to a stage because he believes that human life is like a drama. Just as actors perform different roles on a stage, human beings play different roles at different stages of life. By stage, the poet means the world where people come at birth, perform their roles, and leave at death.

b. What is the first stage in a human’s life? In what sense can it be a troubling stage?
The first stage in a human’s life is infancy. It is a troubling stage because the infant is completely helpless and dependent on others. The baby can only cry to express needs and may vomit milk in the nurse’s or mother’s arms. The infant cannot take care of itself.

c. Describe the second stage of life based on the poem.
The second stage of life is boyhood. In this stage, the child goes to school unwillingly. He complains and moves slowly like a snail. His face is bright and fresh like the morning, but he does not enjoy going to school and carries his school bag reluctantly.

d. Why is the last stage called second childhood?
The last stage is called second childhood because the old man becomes weak and helpless like a child again. He loses his senses such as sight, hearing, taste, and memory. He depends on others and behaves like a child in this stage.

e. In what sense are we the players in the world stage?
We are players on the world stage because, like actors, we enter the world at birth, play different roles throughout our lives, and leave the world at death. Each person performs many roles just as an actor performs different roles in a play.

Reference to the Context

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

In these lines, the poet compares the whole world to a stage and human beings to actors. Just like actors perform different roles on a stage, people perform different roles in their lives. A person enters the world by birth and leaves it by death, just as an actor enters and exits the stage. The poet wants to show that human life is temporary and that people only act out the roles given to them by time and fate.

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 are taken from the poem All the World’s a Stage by William Shakespeare. Here, the poet says that human beings enter the world through birth and leave it through death. During their lifetime, people play many different roles, such as a child, a lover, a worker, or an old man. Like actors in a play, humans have fixed roles and stages in life, and once their roles are completed, they leave the stage of life.

c. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow:
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 stage of childhood or boyhood.

ii. Which figure of speech has been employed in the second line?
The figure of speech used in the second line is simile.

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

iv. Does the boy go to school willingly?
No, the boy does not go to school willingly. He goes slowly and unwillingly, just like a snail.

d. Simile and metaphor are the two major poetic devices used in this poem. Explain citing examples of each.
In this poem, Shakespeare makes wide use of simile and metaphor to explain human life. Metaphor is used when the poet says, “All the world’s a stage” and “all the men and women merely players,” where life is directly compared to a drama. Simile is used in lines such as “creeping like a snail” and “bearded like the pard,” where comparisons are made using the word “like.” These devices make the poem vivid and help readers understand life more clearly.

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 has a regular rhythm but no rhyme. The style of the poem is narrative, as the poet tells the story of human life through seven stages. Shakespeare uses this style to express his deep thoughts about life, time, aging, and human roles in a simple and meaningful way.

f. What is the theme of this poem?
The main theme of the poem is that human life is temporary and meaningless without understanding its reality. Shakespeare talks about time, aging, memory, and the purpose of life. He shows how every person passes through seven stages, starting from infancy and ending in old age and death. The poem teaches that humans have little control over life and must accept change and aging as natural processes.

Reference Beyond the Text

a. Describe the various stages of human life picturised in the poem “All the World’s a Stage.”
According to Shakespeare, a man passes through seven stages in his life. The first stage is infancy, where the child is helpless and dependent. The second stage is the schoolboy, who goes to school unwillingly. The third stage is the lover, full of emotions and passion. The fourth stage is the soldier, who is brave and eager for honor. The fifth stage is the judge, who is wise and serious. The sixth stage is old age, where the man becomes weak and forgetful. The final stage is second childhood, where he loses his senses and becomes helpless again. Thus, Shakespeare presents a complete picture of human life from birth to death.

b. Is Shakespeare’s comparison of human life with a drama stage apt? How?
Yes, Shakespeare’s comparison of human life with a drama stage is very apt. Just like a play has different acts, human life has different stages. People are born, grow, perform duties, and finally die. With age, their roles and responsibilities change. This simple observation of life proves that Shakespeare’s comparison of life to a stage and humans to actors is meaningful and true.