These lines occur in Shakespeare's drama As you like it. the idea seems familiar to the people of India, for our saints and sages, too compared this world to a stage. Some have compared human life to a dream and called the whole creation an illusion. It offers a simple interpretation of life. It consoles those who have suffered great misfortunes and calamities for no fault of their own. It says that this vast world is just like the stage of a drama and all human beings are like actors. Human life is compared to the role of an actor in the drama. All men and women are born in this world to play a predetermined role during their lives, before leaving the world.
The parts that men have to play on the stage of this world are varied colorful and changing. When born as infants all of us are looked after and cared for by the mother or a nurse. A little later we grow into school going children and perform our role in that capacity. in adolescence we play the role of a lover. in the youth of life we act like soldiers, jealously guarding our honour and earning reputation. Then in declining youth and in old age we become unable to play the role of bravery. During this period our limbs and senses grow weak and we lose interest in worldly things. In this way, each of us plays many parts on the stage of this world.
The expression all the world is a stage means that the world is like a stage, where all of us are like actors. The changes that occur in this world are likely the scenes that change on the stage. The world stage is as colourful as our lives. The stage belongs to the actors, only so long as they play their part on the stage. In the same manner this world belongs to us, only so long as we are alive and perform our roles. The world is impersonal like the stage. As the setting on the stage changes according to the requirement of the role to be enacted thereon, situations in the world go on changing to suit the roles we are made to play. Actors may come and actors may go, but the stage goes on for ever. This is the relation of man to the world.
The sentence: all the men and women are merely players' means all men and women are like puppets in the hands of destiny. In other words, human beings have no will of their own. They do what they are made to do. Each of us has a definite predetermined role to play in the drama of life. It is not left to any of us to allot to himself a role of his own choice. The roles are assigned by someone else without consulting us. Again, no one can change or modify the role assigned to him, and the role or part is assigned by the stage manager, call him Fate or God.
A drama is staged for the entertainment of an audience. Who compose the audience? angels? Devils? or the gods of whom Shakespeare says: Like files to wantom boys are we to the gods, they kill us (human beings) for their sport.
This view of human life is called Determinism, the theory that human action is not free but determined by motives regarded as external forces acting on will. Against this stands the theory of free will, that js man is a free agent, he as free will and he is master of his destiny. Philosophers have been debating this thorny problem for ages and no definite conclusion has been arrived at.
For practical purposes, it is better to believe that we are free agents. We can do what we like, and we should and must do something useful, not for ourselves alone, but for our fellowmen. We should not regard ourselves as dumb, driven cattle. Life is real, life is earnest. One may not achieve fame and high position, but one can certainly do many good deeds even if one's position in the world is low due to an accident of birth. Life is worth living and it is worth living well. But it is worth living only if we love and help the poor. share the joys and sorrows of our brethren, regard hardness and meanness as the greatest sins, and oppose cruelty and injustice with all our might.
The parts that men have to play on the stage of this world are varied colorful and changing. When born as infants all of us are looked after and cared for by the mother or a nurse. A little later we grow into school going children and perform our role in that capacity. in adolescence we play the role of a lover. in the youth of life we act like soldiers, jealously guarding our honour and earning reputation. Then in declining youth and in old age we become unable to play the role of bravery. During this period our limbs and senses grow weak and we lose interest in worldly things. In this way, each of us plays many parts on the stage of this world.
The expression all the world is a stage means that the world is like a stage, where all of us are like actors. The changes that occur in this world are likely the scenes that change on the stage. The world stage is as colourful as our lives. The stage belongs to the actors, only so long as they play their part on the stage. In the same manner this world belongs to us, only so long as we are alive and perform our roles. The world is impersonal like the stage. As the setting on the stage changes according to the requirement of the role to be enacted thereon, situations in the world go on changing to suit the roles we are made to play. Actors may come and actors may go, but the stage goes on for ever. This is the relation of man to the world.
The sentence: all the men and women are merely players' means all men and women are like puppets in the hands of destiny. In other words, human beings have no will of their own. They do what they are made to do. Each of us has a definite predetermined role to play in the drama of life. It is not left to any of us to allot to himself a role of his own choice. The roles are assigned by someone else without consulting us. Again, no one can change or modify the role assigned to him, and the role or part is assigned by the stage manager, call him Fate or God.
A drama is staged for the entertainment of an audience. Who compose the audience? angels? Devils? or the gods of whom Shakespeare says: Like files to wantom boys are we to the gods, they kill us (human beings) for their sport.
This view of human life is called Determinism, the theory that human action is not free but determined by motives regarded as external forces acting on will. Against this stands the theory of free will, that js man is a free agent, he as free will and he is master of his destiny. Philosophers have been debating this thorny problem for ages and no definite conclusion has been arrived at.
For practical purposes, it is better to believe that we are free agents. We can do what we like, and we should and must do something useful, not for ourselves alone, but for our fellowmen. We should not regard ourselves as dumb, driven cattle. Life is real, life is earnest. One may not achieve fame and high position, but one can certainly do many good deeds even if one's position in the world is low due to an accident of birth. Life is worth living and it is worth living well. But it is worth living only if we love and help the poor. share the joys and sorrows of our brethren, regard hardness and meanness as the greatest sins, and oppose cruelty and injustice with all our might.
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