all the world's a stage lines

 All the world’s a stage

And all the men and women merely players;

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances;

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages.

His acts being seven ages.

At first the infant,

At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school.

Unwillingly to school.

And then the lover,

And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow.

Then a soldier,

Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon’s mouth.

Even in the cannon’s mouth.

And then the justice,

And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,

In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part.

And so he plays his part.

The sixth age shifts

The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,

Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide

a world too wide

For his shrunk shank;

shrunk shank;

and his big manly voice,

big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound.

And whistles in his sound.

Last scene of all,

Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion;

and mere oblivion;

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