All the world’s a Stage

1. Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box to complete the summary of the
poem.
Shakespeare considers the whole world a stage where men and women are only
(1)_______. They (2)_______ the stage when they are born and exit when they die. Every
man, during his lifetime, plays seven roles based on age. In the first act, as an infant, he is
wholly (3) _________ on the mother or a nurse. Later, emerging as a school child, he slings
his bag over his shoulder and creeps most (4)_________ to school. His next act is that of a
lover, busy (5) ___________ballads for his beloved and yearns for her (6)________. In the
fourth stage, he is aggressive and ambitious and seeks (7) __________in all that he does.
He (8) ___________solemnly to guards his country and becomes a soldier. As he grows
older, with (9) __________and wisdom, he becomes a fair judge. During this stage, he is
firm and (10)___________. In the sixth act, he is seen with loose pantaloons and
spectacles. His manly voice changes into a childish__________. The last scene of all is his
second childhood. Slowly, he loses his __________of sight, hearing, smell and taste and
exits from the roles of his life.

2. From your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions briefly in a
sentence or two.
a) What is the world compared to?
The world is compared to a drama stage.
b) “And they have their exits and their entrances” - What do the words ‘exits’ and
‘entrances’ mean?
The words ‘exits’ and entrances’ mean birth and death.
c) What is the first stage of a human’s life?
The first stage of a human’s life is an infant.
d) Describe the second stage of life as depicted by Shakespeare.
The second stage of a human’s life is a school boy. He slings his bag over his shoulder
and creeps most reluctantly to school.
e) How does a man play a lover’s role?
A man plays a lover’s role by busily composing ballads for his beloved and he yearns for
her attention.
f) Bring out the features of the fourth stage of a man as described by the poet. a )
In the fourth stage, a man is aggressive and ambitious and seeks reputation in all that he
does. He promises solemnly to guard his country and becomes a soldier.
g) When does a man become a judge? How?
As he grows older, with maturity and wisdom, he becomes a fair judge. During this
stage, he is firm and serious.
h) Which stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’?
The sixth stage of man’s life is associated with the ‘shrunk shank’.
i) Why is the last stage called second childhood?
Slowly, the man loses his faculties of sight, hearing, smell and taste and exits from the
roles of his life like a child.
3. Explain the following lines briefly with reference to the context.
a) “They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,”
Context : The above lines are taken from the poem “All the world’s a stage”, written by
William Shakeshpeare”. It is an extract from Shakespeare’s play “As you like it”.
Explanation: In a drama, every player enters the stage, acts his/her part and then exits. In
the same way, We enter this world by birth. We lead our life in different characters. We exit
from this world at the time of our death.
Comment : Shakespeare’s comparison of man’s life with a drama stage is very opt.
b) “Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation”.
Context : The above lines are taken from the poem “All the world’s a stage”, written by
“William Shakeshpeare ''. It is an extract from Shakespeare’s play “As you like it”. According
to the poet, every man has seven stages during his lifetime. These lines describe the fourth
stage of a man’s attitude.
Explanation: In his fourth stage, as a soldier, a man is very jealous in his honour. He is
ready to fight with his enemy. He wants to gain the unstable fame and name even by
sacrificing his life on the battlefield.
Comment : Shakespeare here shows the fourth stage man’s attitude of yearning for
reputation.
c) “Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
Context : The above lines are taken from the poem “All the world’s a stage”, written by
“William Shakeshpeare ''. It is an extract from Shakespeare’s play “As you like it”. According
to the poet, every man has seven stages during his lifetime. These lines describe the last
stage of a man’s life.
Explanation: The last stage of a man is known as his second childhood. A child can not
see, hear, smell and taste anything during childhood. When a man grows old, slowly he
loses his senses of sight, hearing, smell and taste like a child. So this stage of his life is
considered as second childhood.
Comment : Shakespeare clearly expresses his views on the final stage of a man.
4. Read the poem once again carefully and identify the figure of speech that has
been used in each of the following lines from the poem.
a) “All the world's a stage” - Metaphor
b) “And all the men and women merely players” - Metaphor
c) “And shining morning face, creeping like snail” - Simile
d) “Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,” - Simile
e) “Seeking the bubble reputation” - Metaphor
f) “His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide” - Metaphor
g) “and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble” - Metaphor
5. Pick out the words in ‘alliteration’ in the following lines.
a) “and all the men and women merely players” - men – merely
b) “And one man in his time plays many parts” - man - many; plays, parts
c) “Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel.” - quick – quarrel
6. Read the given lines and answer the questions that follow.
a) Then the whining school-boy, 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 second stage of life is being referred to here by the poet.
ii. What are the characteristics of this stage?
Laziness and unwillingness to go to school are the characteristics of this stage.
iii. How does the boy go to school?
The boy goes to school unwillingly.
iv. Which figure of speech has been employed in the second line?
Creeping like snail - simile
b) 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.
i. What is the soldier ready to do?
The soldier is ready to guard his country.
ii. Explain ‘bubble reputation’.
Shakespeare means ‘bubble reputation’ , a short lived glory.
iii. What are the distinguishing features of this stage?
In the fourth stage of his life, a man is aggressive and ambitious. He seeks reputation in
all that he does. He promises solemnly to guard his country and becomes a soldier.
c) And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
i. Whom does justice refer to?
Justice refers to a judge, someone very respected.
ii. Describe his appearance.
He is fair. He has a round belly and formal beard.
iii. How does he behave with the people around him?
He behaves firm and serious with the people around him.
iv. What does he do to show his wisdom?
He shows his wisdom in his wise sayings and modem instances.
i) “All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
a. What does the poet consider the whole world?
The poet considers the whole world a stage.
b. Why does the poet compare the world to a stage?
The poet compares the world to a stage because he thought all men and women behave
like the actors of a drama.
c. Who are the players in the drama of life?
All the men and women are the players.
d. What does the wod ‘Players’ refer to?
The word ‘players’ refers to actors.
ii. They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
a. What do the players have?
The players have their exits and entrances in the world.
b. What do ‘they’ refer to?
‘They’ refers to men and women.
c. What does ‘parts’ refer to here?
‘Parts’ refers to characters in a drama.
iii. His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's
arms;
a. How many stages are in the lifetime?
There are seven stages in life time.
b. Who is known as a nurse?
Mother is known as a nurse.
iv. Then the whining school-boy, with his
satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
a. Does the boy go to the school willingly?
No, the boy doesn’t go to the school willingly.
b. Who is compared to the snail?
The school going boy is compared to the snail.
c. What does the boy carry to school?
The boy carries his shoulder bag on his back.
v. Sighing like furnace, with a woeful
ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
a. How does the lover sigh?
The lover sighs like a furnace.
b. What does “woeful ballad” mean?
“Woeful ballad” means unhappy (or) sad song.
vi. 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.
a. What does the phrase ‘jealous in horror’ mean?
The phrase jealous in horror means ‘the young man takes great care of his honour and
his reputation as a good man’.
b. What does the phrase “sudden and quick in quarrel” mean?
The above phrase means ‘in an argument the youngman might suddenly become
violent.’
c. How was his beard?
His beard was like a large cat, such as a leopard.
vii. In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
a. What does the phrase ‘capon lin’d’ mean?
Capon lin’d means ‘to fill something at the edges’. Here it means ‘the man was fat from
eating good chicken’.
b. Describe the appearance of the judge.
The judge’s eyes were severe and he had a formal cut of beard. He was very fair.
c. What does the judge look like?
The judge looks very firm and serious.
d. Whose eyes are referred to here?
The judge’s eyes are referred to here.
viii. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
a. What does the poet mean by the phrase ‘lean and slipper’d pantaloon”?
This phrase means ‘a thin old man’.
b. How is the man on the sixth stage?
The man is thin. He wears spectacles on nose and has a pouch on the side.
ix) Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. ”
a. What does ‘sans’ mean?
‘Sans’ means without.
b. What is' second childishness’?
At the last stage, the man becomes like a child again. It is known as second
childishness.
c. Describe the last stage.
At the last stage, man loses his eyesight, hearing, smell, and taste.
7. Complete the table based on your understanding of the poem.
child : crying
judge : wise saying
soldier : ambitious
school boy : unhappy
second childhood : loses faculties
second stage : whining
old man : oblivion
8. Based on your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions in
about 100 – 150 words each. You may add your own ideas if required, to present and
justify your point of view.
a) Describe the various stages of a man’s life picturised in the poem “All the World’s
a stage.”
According to Shakespeare, the world's a stage and everyone is a player. He says that every
man has seven stages during his lifetime. The first stage of a man is childhood. He plays in
the arms of his mother. He often vomits and cries at this stage. In his second stage, the man
is an unwilling school going student. He becomes a lover in his third stage. He is very busy
composing ballads for his beloved and yearns for her attention. In the fourth stage, he is
aggressive and ambitious. He seeks reputation in all what he does. He is ready to guard his
country and becomes a soldier. In his fifth stage, he becomes a fair judge with maturity and
wisdom. In the sixth stage, he is seen with loose pantaloons and spectacles. His manly voice
changes into a childish treble. The last stage of all is his second childhood. Slowly, he loses
his faculties of sight, hearing, smell and taste and exits from the roles of his life. Thus
Shakespeare pictures the seven stages of a man’s life in the poem ‘All the World’s a Stage’.
b) Shakespeare has skilfully brought out the parallels between the life of man and
actors on stage. Elaborate this statement with reference to the poem.
Shakespeare considers the whole world a stage where men and women are only actors. In a
drama, every player enters the stage, acts his/her part and then exits. In the same way, We
enter this world by birth. We lead our life in different characters. We exit from this world at
the time of our death. Shakespeare says that every man has seven stages during his
lifetime. In a drama, a player loves his beloved for the sake of the play. At the end, the
players say goodbyes and part away. In real life, husband and wife lead their life till death
knocks at their door. Like the drama’s end, death parts them. The players in the drama really
want the reputation for their performance. For fame and name, they give their best on the
stage. A man in the fourth stage also is aggressive and ambitious. He seeks reputation in all
what he does, like the player in the drama. Thus Shakespeare has skilfully brought out the
parallels between the life of man and actors on stage.
ESSAY
• Introduction
• Role of a man
• Seven Stages
• Conclusion
Introduction:
William Shakespeare is one of the most important literary figures of the English language.
He compares the world to be a stage and life to a play and catalogues the seven stages of a
man’s life
Role of a man:
According to Shakespeare, the world's a stage and everyone is a player. He says that every
man has seven stages during his lifetime.
Seven Stages:
• The first stage of a man is childhood. He plays in the arms of his mother. He often vomits
and cries at this stage.
· In his second stage, he is a school going student. He slings his bag over his
shoulder and creeps to school unwillingly.
· He becomes a lover in his third stage. He is very busy composing ballads for his
beloved and yearns for her attention.
· In the fourth stage, he is aggressive and ambitious. He is willing to die in a battle to
earn ‘the bubble reputation’. He is ready to guard his country and becomes a soldier.
· In his fifth stage, he becomes a fair judge with maturity and wisdom. He has a pot
belly. He is firm and serious.
· In the sixth stage, he is seen with loose pantaloons and spectacles. He is a thin old
man. His manly voice changes into a childish treble.
· The last stage of all is his second childhood. Slowly, he loses his faculties of sight,
hearing, smell and taste and exits from the roles of his life.
Conclusion:
Thus Shakespeare pictures the seven stages of a man’s life in the poem ‘All the World’s a
Stage’.
Life is like a drama, and we all are actors in it, playing our individual roles
Read the given extracts and answer the questions that follow:
Question.1. In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of
formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances.
(а) Which stage of life has been described here by Shakespeare ?
(b) What are the features of this stage ?
(c) Explain the last line. (CBSE2014)
Answers :
(a) Here Shakespeare describes the fifth stage of life, that is, of justice.
(b) In this stage man enjoys prosperity, self-satisfaction and wisdom. He is fashionable. He
has stem looks.
(c) At this stage man is full of wise sayings and examples from contemporary life. He
impresses others with his knowledge and wisdom.
Question.2. 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.
(а) What is the world compared to ?
(b) Exits and entrances mean ………….
(c) What do you mean by ‘acts’ in the last line?
Answers:
(a) The world is compared to the stage of a theatre.
(b) deaths and births.
(c) ‘Acts’ in the last line mean roles which a person enact in his life-time.
Question.3. At first the infant Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
(а) Which stage of life is being referred to here ?
(b) What are the characteristics of this stage ?
(c) Give the meaning of ‘mewing’.
Answers:
(a) The stage of life described here is infancy.
(b) At this stage an infant is helpless and dependent.
(c) ‘crying’
Question.4. Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face,
creeping like a snail Unwillingly to school.
(а) What is the school going by described as ?
(b) How does the school boy walk to school ?
(c) Which simile has been used here ?
Answers :
(а) The school-boy is described as unwilling to go to school.
(b) The school boy walks very slowly like a snail while going to school.
(c) ‘creeping like a snail’.
Question.5. And then the lover Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his
mistress’ eyebrow
(a) Is the lover described as happy ?
(b) How does he behave ?
(c) Which figure of speech has been used in the first two lines here ?
Answers :
(a) No. He is not happy. He is sorrowful.
(b) He sighs and writes sad verses in praise of his beloved’s beauty.
(c) It is a simile. It also acts as an image.
Question.6. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths, and feared like a pard, Jealous in
honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the
cannon’s mouth.
(а) What is the soldier ready to do ?
(b) What is the poetic device used in the second line ?
(c) What does ‘bubble reputation’ mean ?
Answers :
(a) The soldier is ready to die for name and fame.
(b) It is a simile.
(c) It means that reputation is as short-lived as the life of a bubble.
Question.7.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
(а) What does the phrase ‘shrunk shank’ in this stanza mean ?
(б) How is the voice of a man at this stage ?
(c) What stage of a man’s life is referred to in these lines ?
Answers :
(а) It means that his legs become weak and thin.
(b) The voice of a man at this stage becomes shrill like that of a child, (c) It is the sixth stage
of man’s life.
Question.8. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second
childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
(a) What is man’s condition in the last stage of life ?
(b) What do you mean by ‘sans’ ?
(c) What does ‘second childishness’ mean ?
Answers :
(a) Man is very old and dependent on the last stage of life.
(b) It means ‘without’.
(c) It means that man is helpless like a child.
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS (SOLVED)
Answer each of the following questions in 30-40 words.
Question.1. What is the significance of the words ‘entrances’ and ‘exits’ in the poem
‘The Seven Ages’ ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer. Human life has been compared by the poet to a stage of theatre where actors
appear, enact their roles and quit. ‘Entrances’ here signify human births and ‘exits’ deaths.
Human beings take birth, play their parts and die.
Question.2. Explain “Mewling and puking” in the nurse’s arms. (CBSE 2014)
Answer. The infant cries and vomits milk in the arms of his nurse. He can do nothing but cry
to express his needs. He is totally helpless and dependent.
Question.3. Why does a man in his life play many parts ? (CBSE 2014)
Answer. A man is fated to play many roles in his life. As he grows, his role changes and his
character also changes accordingly. He takes birth only to play different roles-the roles of an
infant, a school boy, a lover, a soldier, a judge, an old and senile person.
Question.4. Describe the second stage of life as elaborated by Shakespeare in the
poem ‘The Seven Ages’. (CBSE)
Answer. The second stage of life is the school-going age. The school boy sulks as he does
not want to go to school. He walks to school as slowly as a snail. He has, of course, a bright
face, like that of a sunny morning.
Question.5. Explain the first stage of human life. (CBSE 2014)
Answer. Infancy is the first stage of human life. An infant cries and vomits milk in the arms of
his nurse. He is helpless and dependent.
Question.6. What characteristics would you associate with the stage of a soldier ?
(CBSE 2014)
Answer. Energy, enthusiasm, rashness and patriotism are some of the characteristics of a
soldier. A soldier can sacrifice even his life for a short-lived reputation.
Question.7. Explain the line ‘the lean and slippered pantaloon’. (CBSE 2014)
Answer. The line reveals that in the sixth stage of life, man becomes quite lean and thin. He
wears slippers. He looks like a funny old man in his loose clothes.
Question.8. Explain the stage of justice. (CBSE 2014)
Answer. The stage of being a judge is perhaps the best. At this stage, man is prosperous
and well-fed. He looks stern and impressive. He is full of wise sayings and examples from
contemporary life to prove his point.
Question.9. Compare the sixth stage with the seventh stage. (CBSE 2014)
Answer. The sixth stage is that in which man becomes old, weak and thin. In his loose
clothes he looks funny. In the seventh stage he becomes senile. He enters into ‘second
childishness’. He is as dependent upon others as a child. He has no teeth, no sense of taste
and loses every mental faculty.
VALUE-BASED LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS (SOLVED)
Question.1. If human life is nothing but a ‘tamasha’, what message does the poet want
to convey to us ?
Answer. Shakespeare, through one of his characters Jaques, wants us to realize the fact
that human life is like the stage of a theatre. Men and women, like actors, come, play their
roles and quit. Each stage of life has its own peculiarities. Nothing good and charming
remains for long. The same man who looks charming and dashing looks weak, thin and
funny in old age. Then why should we take life seriously ? Why should we sulk and complain
? We should accept our fate humbly. We should be ready to play our role on the stage of life
to quit forever. Nothing in this world is permanent. Nothing is in our hands.
Question.2. Describe in brief the seven stages in man’s life.
Answer. Shakeshpeare conveys through his character Jaques, that human life can be
divided into seven stages. The first stage is that of an infant who is totally helpless and
dependent. Then the second stage is that of the school-going boy. He is unwilling to go to
school. In the third stage, man plays the role of a lover who heaves deep sighs in the
absence of his beloved. In the next stage, he is an energetic, rush soldier who is ready to
sacrifice even his life for a short-lived reputation. In the fifth stage, he plays the role of
prosperous, well fed judge. He shows off his wisdom and knowledge to impress others. Then
in the sixth stage he is a weak, thin old man. He looks funny in his loose clothes. The last
stage is that of senility when man becomes childlike. He loses his reflexes and senses.
Thus, ends the drama of his life.
A) Answer the following questions in one word/phrase/sentence each.
1) What is compared to the stage in the poem?
Ans. All the world
2) What are the seven stages of man?
Ans. The acts of man.
3) What is the second stage of man?
Ans.The whining schoolboy.
4) Who sighs like a furnace?
Ans. The lover.
5) Who is compared to the snail’s pace?
Ans. The whining schoolboy.
6) Who is jealous in honour and quick in a quarrel?
Ans. A soldier.
7) Who are compared to the actors in the play?
Ans. All the men and women.
B) Complete the following sentences choosing the correct alternative from the ones given
below them:
1. According to Shakespeare, all the world is ………………
a) a burden c) a stage b) beautiful d) dangerous
2. By ‘exits and entrances’ the poet means ………………
a) deaths and births b) dramatic acts c) departures and entries d) stage directions
3. …………….. writes woeful ballads.
a) A schoolboy b) A lover c) A soldier d) The poet
4. One man in his lifetime plays many parts, his acts being ………………
a) varied b) myriad c) many d) seven ages
5. …………….. is jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel.
a) A schoolboy b) A lover c) A soldier d) An old man
6. The justice is full of wise saws and ………………
a) jealous in honour b) strange oaths c) modern instances d) with spectacles
7. …………….. is second childhood.
a) Sixth age b) Seventh age c) Infancy d) Fifth age
B) Answers
1. c) a stage 2. a) deaths and births 3. b) A lover 4. c) many 5. c) A soldier
6. c) modern instances 7. b) Seventh age