All the world's a stage, and we are only players. Do you believe this famous line from As You Like It?

Question

Do you really believe that we are actors in life? What is an actor? What is the stage? Nothing more?

What does it mean to "show off"? Do we play everyday? I do like technical stuff so perhaps I am the stage hand or the dungeon.

if you believe in free will, who didn't throw the dice?

Answer 1

This famous line was said by Jacques from "As You Like It". Jacques was one of the lords who accompanied Rosalind's father into the forest (exile from his rightful place as Duke). Jacques was a very cynical character who took a negative view of every aspect of life. Also, Jacques as a character never connects with other characters - he just philosophizes on situations he sees in the forest because he is an alienated, isolated character. So this line begins his speech about the roles of life in a man's life from being an infant until old age and death. All the roles are depicted in a negative, destructive light. His view can be construed as fatalistic and hopeless as if man cannot change and/or learn anything to make life worthwhile.

Therefore, I must disagree with Jacque's view and I believe man always has the potential to make of his life what he wants.

Answer 2

Yes, to a certain extent, we are the actors on this stage we call earth in this play we know as life, but the famous line also implies that we have no free will over our own lives. This is the eternal debate between fate and free will, so it depends on what side of that debate you fall.

Answer 3

Yes. The actors are all of us performing. The stage is our lives. There is lots more!! We as the actors get to create from nothing anything that our minds can imagine! Peace.

Answer 4

Yes, we are the actors, life is both the play and the stage.

Answer 5

Yes, we come and go like the ripples on a stream

Answer 6

I believe it. But you're a stagehand.