why does shakespeare compare the world to a stage in the poem 'seven ages'
Answers
We all pass through various stages of life; in the end these stages add up to one human drama. Recording the drama is the poet's task.
Authors create fictional worlds which they alone control, and these worlds appear on the stage of literature. To an author, "All the world's a stage" means all of life is fodder for the dramatist's pen. An author is to her writing as God is to the world: creator, destroyer; mover of all things.
From a psychological perspective, "All the world's a stage" - and its men and women "merely players" - is a wonderful way to approach the trial of life. Seeing our very existence as a character in nature's drama lends a certain detachment to our actions and gives us courage to do things we might otherwise never attempt.
I would venture to say the ability to see life as a stage play informs the gestalt of many accomplished women and men. For what is our end but our own death?
Each of us does our best on the stage of life - then we exit. Knowing about our final exit brings balance and perspective to our role.