From “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare
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 school-boy 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 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 a 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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
William Shakespeare was born and died at Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. He was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He was baptized on the 26th day of April, 1564 and his name was recorded as Gulielmus Shakspere. He died at the age of 52 on the 23rd day of April, 1616 and built his resting place at the church of Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon.
ABOUT THE POEM:
This famous monologue is rich in metaphor that it compares the world with a stage in a theatre, thus, the speaker says all the world’s a stage where men and women are the actors or players on this stage. Actors playing several roles having entrances and exits during a performance. Life also has its entrances and exits where people are born and die and pass in and out of our lives. Just as an actor plays a variety of roles in life, so too do men and women play different roles or pass through different stages.
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