Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Question 729: Who's watching then?

ID the 1st 2 lines of this famous pome by __X__, which went on to become amongst his/her most famous quotes.

___Y___
_____Z____

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 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
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
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 saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
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.
Answer:
All the world's a stage
& all the men and women are but players


3 comments:

R said...

All the World's A Stage
And all the men and women are merely players

knew the first stanza...

VK said...

X = William Shakespeare
Y = All the world's a stage,
Z = And all the men and women merely players:

Anonymous said...

Shakespeare
All the World's a play , and we are all characters
- Sukanto