All the world's a stage

[Spinksy]

William Shakespeare - All the world's a stage (from As You Like It 2/7)

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 lined,
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 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. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Okay, it's fairly obvious that this'll have something to do with the famous extract from the William Shakespeare play As you like it. The extract is called All the world's a stage. Now, I've been ask by my teacher to over the weekend write up an interpretation of these lines. And to be perfectly honest I'm totally stumped on this one. So I'm taking a fairly weak way out and seeing if I can get some help off the members here on Planet Cricket. The sooner I get this done the more time I have to get The From The Pavilion: Grand Tournament set up as well.

 

[MaD]

Yes, we had to do the same thing, too bad I have no copy of it now, otherwise you'd be done :crying

 

[blake]

It's pretty easy to interpret, I think - it's basically just showing the stages of each person's life.. and the different things that they are meant for as they age through the years..

 

[Spinksy]

Yes, we had to do the same thing, too bad I have no copy of it now, otherwise you'd be done :crying

Well, that's a bit of a bummer. I was hoping for some help with this but obviously that's out of the question. Thanks for coming to this thread and posting just to say that you can't help.

It's pretty easy to interpret, I think - it's basically just showing the stages of each person's life.. and the different things that they are meant for as they age through the years..

I know the basis of what it's about Blake. However, my teacher is the type that prefers to get into the finer details of things. So if I were to simply say - 'It's basically just showing the stages of each person's life and the different thing that they are meant for as we age.' Well, to be blunt I'd be in a very large whole. But yes, that would suffice as a topic sentence, not as the whole thing though.

I basically had so far; 'The extract from the play 'How you like it' written by William Shakespeare titled 'All The World's a Stage' shows how life was similar to a play back in the times of Elizabethan England. 'One Man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages' briefly states that there a seven stages in a man or a woman's life. This would be the equivalent to seven acts or parts in a play.'

As I said before, the text above would suffice as a topic sentence for my English class, however it wouldn't be large enough for the body of the text, or the conclusion for that matter. So, if any of you can, please write up a small text of your interpretation of the famous extract. It should help me a far bit when writing my own. In saying this, I also hereby swear that I shall not plagiarize anyone else write up. Once again, thank you, this will be a major help to me.

 

[barmyarmy]

What's the actual question? It can't just be "interpret these lines" can it?

 

[ste_mc_efc]

I'd guess at "how do language structure and form shape meaning"

If you need some contemporary literary context you could reference John Donne's Sonnet

"This is my play's last scene"

 

[Spinksy]

What's the actual question? It can't just be "interpret these lines" can it?

It isn't actually a question as such. I have just been asked to interpret the lines given to me. It's just that I'm finding it so hard to write something.

 

[barmyarmy]

Well, as others have said, the lines are an allegory of human life. My Dad's friends actually used this for his 60th birthday complete with friends playing him at each stage!
You might mention the comic reaction it would have got from the audience especially the final line.

 

[Spinksy]

Well, as others have said, the lines are an allegory of human life. My Dad's friends actually used this for his 60th birthday complete with friends playing him at each stage!
You might mention the comic reaction it would have got from the audience especially the final line.

'The extract from the play 'How you like it' written by William Shakespeare titled 'All The World's a Stage' shows how life was similar to a play back in the times of Elizabethan England. 'One Man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages' briefly states that there a seven stages in a man or a woman's life. This would be the equivalent to seven acts or parts in a play.'

That's what I have so far. But, like all pieces of writing you need to back up the initial statement with a body and then tie it all back up again with a conclusion. However, I'm stuck on here, on the 'expanding/body' part. People seem to be confused about what I'm trying to say but I know what the basic meaning to the lines are, I just don't know how to expand it. The other thing is whether or not I should create a new paragraph after 'Elizabethan England'?

 

[barmyarmy]

Even for a short paragraph you've got a fair amount of repitition. Just provide a brief summary and then look at the language and imagery for each stage.
You can also look at the character speaking (Jaques?) it and talk about the fact his delivery is somewhat pompous and clich?d.
This isn't a real attempt at comparing life and theatre; it's someone trying to sound cleverer and more sophisticated than he is (the character not the playwright!).

 

[Spinksy]

I'll update this ever so slowly, but you can comment on what I have so far.


'The extract from the play 'How you like it' written by William Shakespeare titled 'All The World's a Stage' shows how life was similar to a play back in the times of Elizabethan England. 'One Man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages' briefly states that there a seven stages in a man or a woman's life. This would be the equivalent to seven acts or parts in a play.'

The first age or 'Stage' given is the infant. The infancy stage is portrayed as a point of weakness. A point in which the baby boy or girl seems to do nothing more than cry and vomit. The small exert 'in the nurses arms' suggests that it's a royal, noble or higher figure in societies child that is being spoken of as a man or woman in the gentry did not take care of their own child. That job was for the nurses or peasants.

The Second stage of 'life' has been categorized as a schoolboy. This stage of 'life' as it has been so blatantly put is seen as the learning stage hence the use of the term schoolboy. The use of the words 'whining' and 'unwilling' suggests that this particular person or schoolboy is similar to a generic student in that they would rather spend their time exercising or playing than spending tireless hours, day after day learning and studying at a school.

'The lover. Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his Mistress' eyebrow.' This stage, the loving stage, is the third stage of seven stages, acts or parts in a citizens life. It's also an intentional reference to the poetry that Orlando begins to write when he's fallen in love.

 

[jordox]

It sounds like pointless homework to me. Don't do it, never do things unless it actually counts. Tell her to stuff it.

But if you insist, I think it's a bit silly you are asked to analyse that soliloquy simply because it is pretty straight forward and analysing it in great deal would be pretty monotonous.

Similar to what was said before me, this monologue isn't supposed to be serious. It's supposed to come off as someone trying to be serious and deep and really introspective, but failing. Many people make the mistake of thinking Shakespeare was being really wise here, and trying to give a big commentary on life.

The monologue itself contains references to the rest of the play (excuse me if I'm wrong, I'm going 100% off memory and I hated As you Like it), but the things Jaques says when he is describing the different stages in life are the things that happens to the characters. For example, "And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad" is a very obvious and intentional reference to the poetry Orlando starts doing when he is in love. Sorry for being very vague, but that's all I can come up with. So yeah, it's worth mentioning the fact that Shakespeare makes many references to what happens in the play through that monologue. I just gave you one example of how he does that, you can come up with another.

But my advice is don't do it. Go outside and have fun.

 

[Spinksy]

It sounds like pointless homework to me. Don't do it, never do things unless it actually counts. Tell her to stuff it.

But if you insist, I think it's a bit silly you are asked to analyse that soliloquy simply because it is pretty straight forward and analysing it in great deal would be pretty monotonous.

Similar to what was said before me, this monologue isn't supposed to be serious. It's supposed to come off as someone trying to be serious and deep and really introspective, but failing. Many people make the mistake of thinking Shakespeare was being really wise here, and trying to give a big commentary on life.

The monologue itself contains references to the rest of the play (excuse me if I'm wrong, I'm going 100% off memory and I hated As you Like it), but the things Jaques says when he is describing the different stages in life are the things that happens to the characters. For example, "And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad" is a very obvious and intentional reference to the poetry Orlando starts doing when he is in love. Sorry for being very vague, but that's all I can come up with. So yeah, it's worth mentioning the fact that Shakespeare makes many references to what happens in the play through that monologue. I just gave you one example of how he does that, you can come up with another.

But my advice is don't do it. Go outside and have fun.

I value my life, so I'll do it.

Other than that, thanks. I really see no point in it either. She's probably only making us do it to see if we can understand certain aspects of the exert. Not too sure though.

 

[Spinksy]

I've updated what I've written. I really have no idea what I'm doing though - still. Hopefully I'm on the right track though. I take it the soldier is portraying the passing of a mid-life crisis as such, finding wisdom and serving the Queen. I'm confused as to what's meant by the fifth stage in 'And then the justice.' Possibly something to do with once again an age gap, profound wisdom and of course an important opinion. Even that this stage displays the fact that the person has a high rank of their own, rather than just serving a higher rank. The wise plantoon displays a peak in wisdom, a break in the job, settling down and what not and then of course the final stage, in death.

Yeah?

 

[Spinksy]

DONE!!!

INTERPRETATION


Task: Interpret the extract – All the world’s a stage.


The extract from the play 'How you like it' written by William Shakespeare titled 'All The World's a Stage' shows how life was similar to a play back in the times of Elizabethan England. 'One Man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages' briefly states that there a seven stages in a man or a woman's life. This would be the equivalent to seven acts or parts in a play.

The first age or 'Stage' given is the infant. The infancy stage is portrayed as a point of weakness. A point in which the baby boy or girl seems to do nothing more than cry and vomit. The small exert 'in the nurses arms' suggests that it's a royal, noble or higher figure in societies child that is being spoken of as a man or woman in the gentry did not take care of their own child. That job was for the nurses or peasants.

The Second stage of 'life' has been categorized as a schoolboy. This stage of 'life' as it has been so bluntly put is seen as the learning stage hence the use of the term schoolboy. The use of the words 'whining' and 'unwilling' suggests that this particular person or schoolboy is similar to a generic student in that they would rather spend their time exercising or playing than spending tireless hours, day after day learning and studying at a school.

'The lover. Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad made to his Mistress' eyebrow.' This stage, the loving stage, is the third stage of seven stages, acts or parts in a citizens life. It's also an intentional reference to the poetry that Orlando begins to write when he's fallen in love. The Transition from an adolescent student to a romantic young lover seems to be a large one. Initially this was seen as a stage similar to a mid-life crisis.

The transition from a lover to a soldier-esque military figure is tremendous. ‘Strange oaths’ being a pledge to the queen or king, this displays loyalty and servitude to the ruler of the given time period.



‘And then, in Justice.’ This is the fifth stage. One in which the person attains a sense of wisdom and a higher order or ranking in society. A figure that is seen as just, fair and righteous. An example of a higher figure would be a judge.

The sixth and second last stage is getting older. In this stage the person may also attain another amount of wisdom and possibly even peak. The clothing described – pantaloons, spectacles and a pouch not only make this an obvious stage for aging, but back in the 16th century these types of clothing showed wisdom and superiority.

The seventh and final stage is a fairly obvious one in that it’s simply death. However, it also implies a sense of ‘childishness’ before death. This would be something fairly similar to what we currently know as dementia.

These seven stages sum up a basic life. One which can be played and or acted out. Hence why the world is like a stage, and life, is an act.




Someone please, help out by editing or giving tips.

Thanks for all of the help.