The Poem - All the World's a Stage, by William Shakespeare - - Paraphrasing, Central Idea, Summary, Question and Answer & MCQs

Poem " All the World's a Stage"

Written BY

William Shakespeare

(12th Class - Federal Board)

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Original Readings

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.

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Stanza-1

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.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-1: Line by Line

All the world's a stage,

➡️ The poet says that the whole world is like a stage where people perform their roles.

And all the men and women merely players;

➡️ All men and women are just actors playing different parts in life.

They have their exits and their entrances,

➡️ They come into life and leave it just as actors enter and exit the stage.

And one man in his time plays many parts,

➡️ And each person plays many different roles during their life—

His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,

➡️ —These roles are divided into seven stages of life. The first stage of life is that of a baby,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

➡️ The baby cries and vomits while being held by the nurse

Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

➡️ The next stage is the schoolboy, who complains and carries his school bag.

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

➡️ His face shines freshly in the morning, but he walks slowly like a snail.

Unwillingly to school.

➡️ The poet says that the schoolboy goes to school unwillingly and lazily.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-1: In a Paragraph

The poet says that the whole world is like a big stage, and all men and women are just actors. They enter and leave the stage of life, playing different roles as they grow according to time and situation. A person’s life has seven stages.

In the first stage, a person is an infant who cries and vomits in the nurse’s arms, being completely helpless and dependent. Then, they grow into a schoolboy, complaining about going to school, carrying their bag, with a fresh, bright face, but walking slowly, like a snail, showing his laziness and lack of interest in studies.

Stanza-2

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.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-2: Line by Line

And then the lover,

➡️ The poet says that in the third stage, the person becomes a young lover.

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

➡️ He sighs deeply with passion, like a hot furnace, and writes sad love songs

Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,

➡️ He even praises his beloved’s eyebrow in his songs. Then comes the fourth stage, the soldier.

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,

➡️ He swears strange oaths and grows a beard like a leopard.

Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,

➡️ He is sensitive about his honour and ready to fight quickly.

Seeking the bubble reputation

➡️ He risks everything for short-lived fame and reputation —

Even in the cannon's mouth.

➡️ —Even he is ready to risk his life in dangerous battles.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-2: In a Paragraph

The poet says that the third stage of life is that of a lover. In this stage, a young man is full of emotions and feelings of love. He sighs deeply like a hot furnace and writes sad songs expressing his love and sorrow. He even praises the beauty of his beloved, such as her eyebrows, in his poems.

Then comes the fourth stage, which is that of a soldier. The man becomes brave, strong, and full of energy. He swears strange oaths, grows a beard like a leopard, and is quick to fight for his honor. He becomes easily angry and seeks short-lived fame and reputation, even if he has to risk his life in dangerous situations such as facing cannons in battle.

Stanza-3

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.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-3: Line by Line

And then the justice

➡️ —Even he is ready to risk his life in dangerous battles. The poet says that the next stage is that of a judge or justice —

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

➡️ —with round belly, filled with good and rich food.

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

➡️ He speaks wisely, using modern examples and sayings.

And so he plays his part.

➡️ He performs his duties with authority and dignity.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-3: In a Paragraph

The poet says that the fifth stage of life is that of a justice or judge. In this stage, a man becomes mature, responsible, and full of experience. He has a round belly because he eats good and rich food, living a comfortable life. His eyes appear serious, and his beard is neatly trimmed in a formal style, which shows his wisdom and authority. He often speaks wise sayings and uses modern examples while giving advice to others. In this stage, he performs his role in life with dignity, fairness, and respect, just like a judge in society.

Stanza-4

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.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4: Line by Line

The sixth age shifts
➡️ The poet says that the sixth stage is of an old and weak man.

Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,

➡️ He becomes thin and wears loose clothes and slippers.

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

➡️ He uses spectacles and carries a small pouch with him.

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

➡️ His old stockings, once fitting, now much too loose

For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,

➡️ His legs are weak, and his strong voice has become feeble—

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

➡️ —Becomes high-pitched and childlike again.

And whistles in his sound.

➡️ His speech trembles and whistles when he talks.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4: In a Paragraph

The poet says that the sixth stage of life is that of an old and weak man. In this stage, the man becomes thin and frail and wears loose clothes and slippers. He puts on spectacles to see clearly and carries a small pouch by his side. The clothes (tight trousers) that once fitted him well in his youth are now too loose for his thin, shrunken legs. His strong, deep manly voice has weakened and changed into a high-pitched, childish tone. His speech now sounds trembling and broken, like piping or whistling, showing that he has lost the strength and energy of his younger days.

Stanza-5

Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

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

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4: Line by Line

Last scene of all,

➡️ The poet says that the last stage of life is the end of this story,

That ends this strange eventful history,

➡️ This stage completes the strange and eventful journey of human life.

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

➡️ He becomes like a child again, losing memory and strength.

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

➡️ He loses all his physical abilities — teeth, eyes, taste, and finally everything.

Simple and easy paraphrasing of stanza-4: In a Paragraph

The poet says that the last stage of human life is the end of this long and eventful journey. This final stage is called “second childishness,” because the person becomes like a child again—weak, helpless, and dependent on others. His memory fades, and he forgets everything around him. He loses all his senses and abilities—his teeth fall out, his eyesight becomes weak, his sense of taste disappears, and finally, he loses everything.

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The Summary of the poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare

In the poem "All the World's a Stage" by William Shakespeare, the speaker compares life to a play where every person is an actor who goes through the following seven stages, or "ages," of life.

Infancy: The first stage represents a baby, who is helpless and cries in the nurse's arms.
Childhood: The second stage is the schoolboy, who is reluctant to go to school and often complains, carrying his satchel and moving slowly.
Lover: In the third stage, the individual becomes a lover, filled with passion, sighing and composing sad poems for their beloved.
Soldier: The fourth stage depicts the soldier, who is bold and full of oaths, ready to fight for honor and reputation, even in dangerous situations.
Justice: The fifth stage is the judge, characterized by wisdom and authority, with a round belly from good food, offering sound judgments based on life experiences.
Old Age: The sixth stage shows an elderly man, who is thin and frail, wearing slippers and spectacles, with his youthful spirit fading as he becomes more dependent.
Second Childhood: The final stage is a return to a childlike state, marked by forgetfulness and loss of abilities, where the individual is left without teeth, sight, taste, or the vigor of earlier years.

These stages symbolize the journey of life, highlighting the changes and roles people play as they age.

2. In the poem "All the World's a Stage" by William Shakespeare, the speaker compares life to a play where every person is an actor who goes through seven stages, or "ages," of life. The first stage is infancy, where the baby cries and needs constant care. Then comes schoolboy, where the boy reluctantly goes to school. The third stage is the young lover, full of passion and writing love poems. Next is the soldier, quick to fight and seeking honour. After that is the wise and respected judge, who is mature and full of experience. In old age, the person becomes frail, wearing glasses and loose-fitting clothes, and their voice weakens. Finally, the last stage is "second childishness," where a person loses their senses and independence, returning to a state of helplessness before life ends.

3. In the poem “All the World’s a Stage,” William Shakespeare beautifully compares the entire world to a grand stage where every human being plays different roles throughout their life. According to the poet, people enter this stage at birth and leave it at death. During their lifetime, they act out seven different roles or “ages”.

First comes the helpless infant, crying and vomiting in the nurse’s arms. Then the schoolboy appears, unwillingly going to school. The next stage is the lover, full of emotions and sighs, writing sad poems for his beloved. Then comes the brave soldier, ready to fight and even die for honour and reputation. After this, the man becomes a wise judge, full of worldly knowledge and experience, giving judgments with seriousness. In old age, he turns weak and thin, wearing spectacles and clothes too large for his shrinking body. His strong, manly voice becomes childish and feeble again. Finally, in the last stage, he becomes completely helpless and dependent — losing his teeth, sight, taste, and memory — ending his life as he began it. Through this poem, Shakespeare shows the temporary, ever-changing nature of human life.

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The central idea of the Poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare

1. The central idea of the poem “All the World’s a Stage” is that human life is like a drama, and the world is the stage on which every person plays different roles during their lifetime. According to Shakespeare, life is divided into seven stages, and in each stage, a person behaves and acts differently according to age and experience. Man enters the stage of life as a helpless infant and gradually passes through schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, old man, until he reaches the final stage extremely old age of weakness and forgetfulness. Through this comparison, the poet shows that life is temporary and full of continuous change. Every person must play his role and finally leave the stage, just as an actor finishes his performance. Shakespeare’s message is that nothing in life is permanent, and all humans are only players in the grand play of existence.

2. The central idea of Shakespeare's "All the World's a Stage" is that life is like a play, where each person is an actor playing different roles at various stages of life. These stages, or "acts," start from infancy and move through childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. In each phase, people behave in ways typical of that stage, until finally, in old age, they return to a state of dependency, similar to childhood, before life ends. The poem reflects the inevitability of aging and the cyclical nature of human life.

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Short Questions and Answers of the Poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare

Q1. What is the central idea of the poem “All the World’s a Stage”?
Ans: The poem compares the world to a stage and human beings to actors who play different roles in life. Each person passes through seven stages from birth to death, performing various parts before leaving the stage forever.

Q2. How many stages of life does Shakespeare describe in the poem?
Ans: Shakespeare describes seven stages of life — infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, old age, and extreme old age.

Q3. What happens in the first stage of life?
Ans: In the first stage, a person is a helpless infant, crying and vomiting in the nurse’s arms.

Q4. How does Shakespeare describe the schoolboy?
Ans: The schoolboy goes unwillingly to school, carrying his bag and having a shining face, walking slowly like a snail.

Q5. What is the soldier’s main quality in the poem?
Ans: The soldier is brave, proud, and quick to fight. He seeks honor and reputation, even at the risk of his life.

Q6. What kind of man is the justice?
Ans: The justice is mature and wise, with a fair round belly, a formal beard, and full of moral sayings and judgments based on his experiences.

Q7. What happens to a man in old age?
Ans: In old age, a man becomes weak and thin. His voice becomes childish again, and he loses strength and confidence.

Q8. What is meant by “second childishness”?
Ans: “Second childishness” means the final stage of life when a person becomes helpless like a baby, losing memory, teeth, eyesight, and taste.

Long Questions and Answers of the Poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare

Q1. Describe Shakespeare’s idea of life as a stage in the poem “All the World’s a Stage.”
Ans:
In this poem, Shakespeare compares the whole world to a stage and all people to actors who perform different roles. Each person enters life by birth and leaves it by death. During their lifetime, they play seven different parts — infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, old man, and extreme old age. Each stage has its own behavior and duties. The poet shows that life is temporary and that everyone must act according to time and situation. Just like an actor finishes his role and leaves the stage, man too plays his part in the drama of life and finally departs from the world.

Q2. Explain the seven stages of man as described by Shakespeare.
Ans:
Shakespeare divides human life into seven stages.
1️⃣ The first is the infant, crying in the nurse’s arms.
2️⃣ The second is the schoolboy, unwillingly going to school.
3️⃣ The third is the lover, full of emotions and writing poems for his beloved.
4️⃣ The fourth is the soldier, brave and seeking honor even in danger.
5️⃣ The fifth is the justice, full of wisdom and worldly experience.
6️⃣ The sixth is the old man, weak and thin, with childish voice and failing strength.
7️⃣ The last is extreme old age, or “second childishness,” when a person becomes helpless and forgetful.
Through these stages, the poet shows that human life moves from weakness to strength and back to weakness before ending in death.

Q3. What are the seven stages of life, as described by William Shakespeare in his poem "All the World's a Stage,"?

The seven stages of life, as described by William Shakespeare in his poem "All the World's a Stage," are:

Infancy: The first stage represents a baby, who is helpless and cries in the nurse's arms.
Childhood: The second stage is the schoolboy, who is reluctant to go to school and often complains, carrying his satchel and moving slowly.
Lover: In the third stage, the individual becomes a lover, filled with passion, sighing and composing sad poems for their beloved.
Soldier: The fourth stage depicts the soldier, who is bold and full of oaths, ready to fight for honor and reputation, even in dangerous situations.
Justice: The fifth stage is the judge, characterized by wisdom and authority, with a round belly from good food, offering sound judgments based on life experiences.
Old Age: The sixth stage shows an elderly man, who is thin and frail, wearing slippers and spectacles, with his youthful spirit fading as he becomes more dependent.
Second Childhood: The final stage is a return to a childlike state, marked by forgetfulness and loss of abilities, where the individual is left without teeth, sight, taste, or the vigour of earlier years.

These stages symbolize the journey of life, highlighting the changes and roles people play as they age.

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Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) of the Poem “All the World's a Stage” written by William Shakespeare

1. Who wrote the poem “All the World’s a Stage”?
A) Robert Frost
B) William Wordsworth
C) William Shakespeare
D) John Keats
✅ Answer: C) William Shakespeare

2. According to the poet, how many stages does a man’s life have?
A) Five
B) Six
C) Seven
D) Eight
✅ Answer: C) Seven

3. What is the first stage of man’s life?
A) The schoolboy
B) The infant
C) The lover
D) The justice
✅ Answer: B) The infant

4. What does the schoolboy do unwillingly?
A) Study books
B) Go to school
C) Play games
D) Eat breakfast
✅ Answer: B) Go to school

5. What does the lover do in his stage?
A) Fights wars
B) Writes love poems
C) Teaches students
D) Judges people
✅ Answer: B) Writes love poems

6. What is the main quality of the soldier?
A) Wisdom
B) Laziness
C) Bravery
D) Jealousy
✅ Answer: C) Bravery

7. What does “second childishness” mean?
A) Becoming a child again
B) Becoming a soldier
C) Going to school again
D) Writing poems
✅ Answer: A) Becoming a child again

8. What happens in the final stage of life?
A) Man becomes strong again
B) Man becomes rich
C) Man becomes helpless and dies
D) Man becomes famous
✅ Answer: C) Man becomes helpless and dies