“All the world’s a stage” is famous quote from Shakespeare’s work “As you like it”.
Meaning
The phrase, “All the world’s a stage”, means “the entire world is like a vast theatrical stage, and men and women enter the stage to play their parts. When their performance is done, they make their exits.”
The men and women are the various actors and actresses who enter the stage called world to take part in the drama.
With their birth, they all enter the stage. The leave the stage on their death. During their lifespan, right from their birth until death, they play different parts of the drama.
Seven Stages of Man’s Life
- The play begins with the birth of a boy a girl. At this stage, the baby cries and feels comfortable in mother’s arm.
- Then, the baby grow and become a school children. His face shines bright but he is unwilling to go to the school.
- With time, the child grows up, and become someone’s lover.
- He matures further with age develop a soldier like personality. But, he loses his temper easily and indulge in fights.
- With time, he is personality changes. He enters the phase of middle-aged person and start behaving in a formal and intelligent way.
- The he enters the phase of old person. He wears spectacles and loose trousers. He keeps a pouch for his essentials.
- Then, he is all set to play the role of a very old person. His personality becomes very childish. He starts behaving like a child. His smile, memory, eating-pattern, all can be compared with a child.
Expansion: The life of man is never a continuous round of joy or sorrow. Happiness and sorrow, smiles of fortune and frowns of misery are seen on the theatrical stage as well as in the world.
The very few actors and actresses who play their parts well are applauded and praised, and the quality of their superior performance is remembered by all, while others are soon forgotten.
As soon as the performance is over, the actors retire. In the same way, men and women retire from this world as soon as their parts are over. In fact, the entire world is a stage. Those who do their parts well are remembered and honored for all time to come.