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Question
Fill in the blanks using the words given in the box to complete the summary of the poem.
Shakespeare considers the whole world a stage where men and women are only (1) ______. They (2)______the stage when they are born and exit when they die. Every man, during his life time, plays seven roles based on age. In the first act, as an infant, he is wholly (3) ______on the mother or a nurse. Later, emerging as a school child, he slings his bag over his shoulder and creeps most (4)______ to school. His next act is that of a lover, busy (5) ______ballads for his beloved and yearns for her (6) ______. In the fourth stage, he is aggressive and ambitious and seeks (7) ______in all that he does. He (8) ______solemnly to guard his country and becomes a soldier. As he grows older, with (9) ______and wisdom, he becomes a fair judge. During this stage, he is firm and (10) ______. In the sixth act, he is seen with loose pantaloons and spectacles. His manly voice changes into a childish (11) ______. The last scene of all is his second childhood. Slowly, he loses his (12) ______of sight, hearing, smell and taste and exits from the roles of his life.
| attention | treble | reluctantly |
| actors | maturity | reputation |
| serious | faculties | composing |
| enter | promises | dependent |
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Solution
Shakespeare considers the whole world a stage where men and women are only (1) actors . They (2) enter the stage when they are born and exit when they die. Every man, during his lifetime, plays seven roles based on age. In the first act, as an infant, he is wholly dependent (3) on the mother or a nurse. Later, emerging as a school child, he slings his bag over his shoulder and creeps most (4) reluctantly to school. His next act is that of a lover, busy (5) composing ballads for his beloved and yearns for her (6) attention. In the fourth stage, he is aggressive and ambitious and seeks (7) reputation in all that he does. He (8) promise solemnly to guard his country and becomes a soldier. As he grows older, with (9) maturity and wisdom, he becomes a fair judge. During this stage, he is firm and (10) serious. In the sixth act, he is seen with loose pantaloons and spectacles. His manly voice changes into a childish (11) faculties treble. The last scene of all is his second childhood. Slowly, he loses his (12) faculties of sight, hearing, smell, and taste and exits from the roles of his life
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| half-a-mile | watching |
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| lamented | shameful |
| wicked guard | bait |
| let | gold |
| weapon | citadel |
| weak | disloyalty |
| helpless | enemy |
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“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 school-boy, 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
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In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
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His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
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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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- “And all the men and women merely players”
- “And shining morning face, creeping like snail”
- “Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,”
- “Seeking the bubble reputation”
- “His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide”
- “and his big manly voice, turning again toward childish treble”
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| fullest, unquenchable, unattainable, experience, knowledge, king, matters, rust, adventure, unwilling, travel, breathing |
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| world, thunder, meaningful, gather, undaunted, heaven |
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