In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It the speech act is introduced and helps to create a unique insight into the play and its events. Shakespeare integrates a speech act by Jacques to deliver a deeper meaning and lesson to the audience or reader of the work. Jacques in his speech act conveys a message with a much deeper meaning and teaching to society in general. The speech act rendered by Jacques addresses the themes of satire, philosophy, and the ages of man.
Jacques starts his speech act by stating that
“ 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.” (II, vii, 139-143)
Jacques has turned to philosophy in his search for a new identity, and as a philosopher he starts to question what he sees and hears around him. This drives him to offer this speech act where he sees the world as a stage upon which people perform. Their......
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Approximate Word Count: 987
Approximate Pages: 4 (260 words per double-spaced page) |