All The World's A Stage by William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare 

Theme

                       "All The World's A Stage" is a part of Jacque's speech in Shakespeare's play, 'As You Like it '. According to Jaques, the world is a stage where men and women come and do their roles like actors and depart. This drama of life can be divided into seven parts. In other words, a man undergoes seven stages of Life. According to him a man begins be being a baby in the first act of the play and ends as an old man facing death in the last act.

                       In the first part a man plays the role of a new born baby crying and vomiting in the nurse's arms. In the second stage, he performs the roleof school going boy. Here, he does not want to go to school, with a shining morning face, he takes his school bag and walks like a snail. He whimpers and whines. In other words, he goes to school unwillingly.

                        In the third stage, when he grows up, he plays a part of a lover. He writes love songs in praise of his sweetheart and writes poetry to describe her beauty. The lover sighs like a furnace for the beloved. In the Forth stage, he plays the role of a brave soldier. He does not afraid anyone. He is quick to defend his honour even if he has to die for it.He can sacrifice his life for his namename and fame.Here, he is compared to a leopard for his sound mind and sound body.

                          

                         The Fifth part played by a man is that of a judge. He grows rich, having good income and becomes stern. He keeps a fashionable beard. He is Full of wise saying and examples at this stage. The sixth stage of man is quite pitiable. It is called the second childhood of man. He grows weak and old and becoms lean and thin. He seems a foolish man. His glasses slip down on the nose and his pants become too loose for him. He carries a small bag with him. His voice of achild while speaking, he makes a thin whistling sound.

                         In the last stage, man becomes dependent on others like a baby. His vision grows him. He is hard of hearing, without teeth, without taste, infact without everything. He suffers from forgetfulness. He is fast moving to his end . In this way, in the last stage, man departs from the world and death brings his exit.

Gagandeep Kaur Chahal