As You Like It
(by Shakespeare)
All the world is 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 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 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 lin’d,
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 sav’d a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistle in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends his strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion?
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Glossary
Mewling and puking – crying and being sick
Whining – making a complaining, miserable noise.
Creeping like snail – moving slowly.
Furnace – enclosed fireplace for heating metal.
Woeful – sad.
Oaths – swear words, rude words.
Bearded like the pard – with a beard like a priest.
Justice – judge.
Belly – stomach.
Capon – male chicken fattened for eating.
Saws – saying or proverbs.
Lean – thin.
Slipper’d – with slippers on.
Pantaloon – trousers.
Hose – kind of trousers.
Oblivion – forgetfulness.
Sans – without (French word)
Comprehension check
1. What is the modern word for players?
2. What are exits and entrances, parts and acts in the theatre? What are they in a person’s life?
3. Does the baby seem attractive? What doesn’t the schoolboy want to do? What is the lover doing? Do all of these words describe the soldier?
Violent quick-tempered clever
What does the judge like doing? How old is the man in the sixth age? What can’t a man in the seventh age do?
4. There is a negative criticism of each of the seven people.
Who…
- keeps on complaining?
- wants fame so much that he’ll probably kill himself?
- looks rather ridiculous?
- sounds and smells awful?
- probably wouldn’t notice either a sound or a smell?
- will probably mature with age?
- sounds a real bore?
5. The lover writes a ballad “to his mistress’ eyebrow”. What point is Shakespeare making about the lover?
6. Explain the phrase bubble reputation.
Speaking
Do you know anyone that resembles one of the characters?
Is it good getting older?
What are the signs of ageing?
Pre-reading
1. Look at the eight photographs below. How old would you say each person is? (Each represents a different decade.) Find out what other students think too.
2. Did you find that any of your guesses were very different from those of other students? If so which ones?
a) On the whole, we seem to be able to assess age very acurately, even from a poor photograph. How do we do it? Discuss with a partner the factors that we take into account.
b) What changes does the process of ageing bring about? Consider the whole body. With a partner, make a list of the various effects in the following areas:
skin senses posture balance body shape appetite hair
c) What can we do to disguise the effects of ageing? Discuss with your partner. Do you think we should try to disguise the ageing process? Why / why not?
3. From the title of the text, what would you expect to find mentioned in it? What are the secrets of a long and healhy life? Work with a partner to make a list.
4. Pay attention to the following words:
To authenticate
Wispy
Wrinkled
Vigorous
To cease
To contemplate
To swell
A bout of pneumonia
To dilute
To launch
Longevity
To press a drink on smb
A zest
Sedentary
An incidence
Reading
Read the text and see how many of your ideas are mentioned.