1.4 All the World’s a Stage
Complete textbook exercise solutions — Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade 10 English.
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| Word | Signifies |
|---|---|
| Stage | The World |
| Characters | Roles played by human beings / Men and women |
| Script | Story of Life |
| Dialogues | Conversation |
| Entry | Birth |
| Exit | Death |
| Stage | Role | Qualities / Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Infant | 1. Mewling (crying) in the nurse's arms. 2. Puking (vomiting). |
| 2 | Schoolboy | 1. Whining and complaining about school. 2. Creeping unwillingly to school like a snail. |
| 3 | Lover | 1. Sighing loudly like a furnace. 2. Singing/writing a sad ballad to his mistress' eyebrow. |
| 4 | Soldier | 1. Bearded like a pard, full of strange oaths. 2. Jealous in honour, quick in quarrel, seeking temporary fame (bubble reputation). |
| 5 | Justice (Judge) | 1. Has a round belly, severe eyes, and a formal beard. 2. Acts strict and is full of wise sayings (saws) and modern instances. |
| 6 | Pantaloon (Old man) | 1. Lean, wearing slippers, spectacles, and a pouch. 2. Legs shrink and his deep manly voice turns back into a high-pitched childish whistle. |
| 7 | Second childishness | 1. Mere oblivion (forgetfulness). 2. Returns to a helpless state without teeth, eyes, taste, or anything. |
- 2nd stage and 4th stage: The 2nd stage (schoolboy) is a time of reluctance and innocence where the boy complains and moves slowly ("like snail") because he is unwilling to learn. In contrast, the 4th stage (soldier) is a time of aggression, fierce energy, and recklessness. The soldier is quick to fight, swears strange oaths, and actively seeks fame even in the face of death ("cannon's mouth").
- 3rd stage and 5th stage: The 3rd stage (lover) is highly emotional, romantic, and somewhat foolish, sighing heavily and writing sad poems for his lover. The 5th stage (justice/judge) is mature, wealthy, strict, and practical. Instead of being driven by emotion, he is well-fed, serious, and dispenses wise sayings and practical advice.
- 1st stage and 7th (last) stage: Both stages are characterized by complete helplessness and dependence on others. However, the 1st stage (infant) represents the beginning of life with growth and potential ahead. The 7th stage (extreme old age) represents the fading out of life ("mere oblivion"), where a person loses their teeth, vision, and taste before death.
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- (a) School boy (2nd stage): "shining morning face, creeping like snail / Unwillingly to school."
- (b) Soldier (4th stage): "bearded like the pard," / "Even in the cannon's mouth."
- (c) Judge (5th stage): "In fair round belly with good capon lined," / "With eyes severe and beard of formal cut"
- (d) Senior citizen (6th stage): "lean and slippered pantaloon, / With spectacles on nose and pouch on side"
The stressed syllables are marked in bold:
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 honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
(a) What is the theme/central idea of this poem?
The central idea of the poem is that the world is like a vast theatrical stage, and human life is a play consisting of seven distinct acts. Every individual is an actor who enters this stage at birth, performs their pre-destined roles from infancy to extreme old age, and finally exits at death.
(b) Which two stages of man, described by Shakespeare sound humorous? Say why.
The third stage (the Lover) and the fifth stage (the Justice) sound humorous. The Lover is funny because he is overly dramatic, sighing loudly like a furnace and writing sad songs just about his lover's eyebrow. The Justice is humorous because he is depicted with a fat, round belly full of chicken, trying too hard to look severe, strict, and overwhelmingly wise.
(c) The last (7th) stage of life sounds very sad and miserable. How can you make old age also cheerful and happy?
Old age can be made cheerful by staying physically active, pursuing light hobbies, and maintaining a positive attitude. Family members play a crucial role by providing love, respect, and companionship, ensuring the elderly do not feel isolated or forgotten in their final days.
- (a) world — compared to a stage
- (b) actors — compared to men and women
- (c) birth and death — compared to entrances and exits
- (d) school boy — compared to a creeping snail (Simile)
- (e) the lover's sigh — compared to a furnace (Simile)
- (f) spotted leopard — compared to a soldier's beard (Simile)
- (g) last stage (old age) — compared to a second childishness
- (a) Simile:
(1) "...creeping like snail"
(2) "Sighing like furnace..." - (b) Onomatopoeia:
(1) "Mewling and puking..."
(2) "...pipes and whistles in his sound." - (c) Alliteration:
(1) "...plays many parts,"
(2) "For his shrunk shank..." - (d) Metaphor:
(1) "All the world's a stage"
(2) "Seeking the bubble reputation" - (e) Inversion:
(1) "At first, the infant" (The normal prose order would be: The infant at first)
(2) "And so he plays his part." (The normal prose order would be: And he plays his part so.) - (f) Transferred Epithet:
(1) "youthful hose" (The hose is not youthful; it belonged to his youth).
(2) "eventful history" (History itself is not eventful; the person's life was full of events).
Character and Occasion:
The poem is a famous monologue narrated by the character Jaques. The occasion is when Duke Senior and his followers are in the Forest of Arden and are about to eat a meal. Duke Senior remarks that they are not the only ones suffering and that the world is a vast theater of misery, prompting Jaques to philosophically describe the seven stages of human life.
List of main characters in 'As You Like It':
Rosalind, Orlando, Duke Senior, Duke Frederick, Celia, Touchstone, Jaques, Oliver, Silvius, Phoebe, Charles the wrestler, Amiens, and Corin.
Appreciation of the poem 'All the World's a Stage'
The poem 'All the World's a Stage' is an excerpt taken from the renowned play 'As You Like It', written by the greatest English playwright and poet, William Shakespeare. The central theme of the poem is the comparison of the world to a theatrical stage and the journey of human life to a play consisting of seven distinct acts. The poet explains how every human being plays seven different roles, starting as a helpless infant and ending in a state of extreme old age, which is just as helpless.
This poem is written in Blank Verse, which means it does not follow a specific rhyme scheme, but it maintains a steady rhythm, typically iambic pentameter. Shakespeare uses vivid imagery and numerous figures of speech to enhance the beauty of his observation. The dominant figure of speech is Metaphor, as seen in "All the world's a stage" and "seeking the bubble reputation". The poet also beautifully employs Simile in phrases like "creeping like snail" and "sighing like furnace". My favourite line is "And one man in his time plays many parts," because it perfectly captures the changing phases and responsibilities we all face in life.
A special feature of the poem is its brilliant and slightly cynical observation of human behaviour in each stage, stripping away our pride and revealing our basic human nature. I like this poem very much because it makes me think deeply about the cycle of life and how transient our different phases, struggles, and achievements truly are.