“All the world’s a stage” by William Shakespeare

 

“All the world’s a stage”

(from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques)

 

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;

And 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 good capon lin’d,

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 slipper’d pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well sav’d, 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.

Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.

poem video👇

https://youtu.be/9-5Y9e8_E4o

Who wrote the poem “All the world’s a stage”?

William Shakespeare (April 26, 1564 – April 23, 1616)

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor of the Renaissance era. He is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon." Few public records remain about his private life, causing speculations about his physical appearances, sexuality, religious beliefs and the authorship of some of his works. His works demonstrate a wide range of human emotions and conflicts, touching so many people's minds throughout the world for over 400 years.

“All the world’s a stage” explanation

‘All the world’s a stage’ is a monologue of Jaques from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, a five-act pastoral comedy (cherishing country life). The speaker talks about seven stages (from infancy to death) people go through as they age and different roles they play in each stage. This monologue echoes the motto of the Globe Theatre which was opened in 1599, the same year when the play was written. The motto was “Totus mundus agit histrionem,” which means “all the Globe’s a stage.”