"All The World's A Stage" a short analysis of William Shakespeare's Masterpiece

 All The World's A Stage 

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.

Then the whining schoolboy, 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 honor, 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 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. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

By: William Shakespeare

Figurative Language Analysis

• Metaphor

1. "All the world's a stage" - This metaphor compares the entire world to a theater stage, implying that life is a performance in which each person plays a part.
2. "And all the men and women merely players" - This metaphor compares people to actors in a play, suggesting that each person is performing a role in life.
3. "And one man in his time plays many parts" - This metaphor compares a person's life to a theatrical production, in which they play different roles throughout their life.

• Figurative

1. "They have their exits and their entrances" - This personification gives human characteristics to the actions of entering and leaving as if the people on stage are alive and making decisions.

Moral Value

 The moral value of "All the world's a stage" is that life is transient and people should make the most of the time they have. The poem suggests that each person has a role to play in life and that they should play it to the best of their abilities.

    This also suggests that people should embrace change and not be afraid of the future. The line "They have their exits and their entrances" implies that people come and go, and that life is a series of transitions. Rather than being afraid of change, people should embrace it and use it as an opportunity to grow and learn.

    In summary, the moral value of "All the world's a stage" is that life is short, and people should make the most of the time they have by pursuing their passions, making a positive impact, embracing change, and playing their role in the grand drama of life.

Farah Faridatul Hasanah

Literature in ELT (B)