Poem 3: All the World's a Stage
कविता ३: संसार एक रंगमञ्च हो
William Shakespeare’s monologue from "As You Like It" detailing the Seven Ages of Man from helpless infant to second childishness and mere oblivion.
Prescribed Lesson Text
Official Prescribed Text • ~2 min readShakespeare’s famous monologue delivered by the melancholic nobleman Jaques in "As You Like It" presents an extended theatrical metaphor of human life. Human beings are compared to actors with predetermined entrances (birth) and exits (death). Throughout life, an individual transitions through seven distinct acts: (1) the helpless, mewling infant; (2) the whining schoolboy dragging his feet reluctantly to school; (3) the lovesick youth composing woeful poetry to his mistress’s eyebrow; (4) the fiery, ambitious soldier chasing temporary "bubble reputation" even facing cannons; (5) the prosperous, self-satisfied justice filled with formal wisdom; (6) the frail, comical pantaloon in slippers whose shrunk legs swimming in loose stockings; and (7) the tragic final stage of second childishness—helpless, oblivious, without teeth, eyes, taste, or anything.
Core Themes & Main Ideas
The theatricality, mutability, and cyclical nature of human existence
The Seven Ages of Man from helpless infancy to decrepit second childhood
The fleeting illusion of worldly vanity, ambition, and physical dignity
Inevitability of aging, physical decay, and universal mortality
Key Figures & Historical / Literary Personalities
Philosophical lord in the Forest of Arden in "As You Like It" who recites the monologue.
Textbook Exercises & Solutions
Showing 1 of 1 Solved QuestionsHigh-Yield Exam Focus Questions (1)
Practice questions curated specifically for Poem 3: All the World's a Stage.
Exam Rationale: Flagship Shakespearean monologue in the CDC curriculum assessing metaphorical analysis of human life stages.
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Quick Revision Takeaways
Common Exam Pitfalls to Avoid
⚠️ Common Error: Listing fewer than seven ages or scrambling their chronological sequence.
✓ Correct Approach: Remember the sequence: Infant $\to$ Schoolboy $\to$ Lover $\to$ Soldier $\to$ Justice $\to$ Pantaloon $\to$ Second Childhood.
Why: Shakespeare designed the progression to follow human biological maturation and subsequent decline.