Question

Explain the meaning of the following.
a) ... all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances...
b) And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace...
c) a soldier,
... Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.

Answer 1

(a)Shakespeare compares this world to a stage. All men and women are like actors. They play their individual roles and go away. Like the stage of dramas, life too has its own exits and entrances. In this world, men take birth and go out when they die.

(b) The third stage of life is that of a lover. He is always sighing like furnace for his beloved. He is full of passions and emotions for his beloved.

(c) The fourth stage of life is that of a soldier. He is ready to die for honour. He is very quick to seek honour and reputation. He is ready to sacrifice his life and jump into a cannon’s mouth just for a momentary reputation.