The Stage
In one of the most famous metaphors in Western literature, Jacques delivers a speech that begins with the assertion, "All the world's a stage / And all the men and women merely players" (2.7). The speech, colloquially known as the "Seven Ages of Man" speech, describes life as a drama that takes place is seven acts, or "stages." While Jacques's metaphor is on one hand a meta-theatrical commentary on the relationship between performance and reality, many critics have pointed out that the speech itself a reductive take on humanity that early modern audiences may have interpreted as obvious.
The Weaker Vessel
When Rosalind (dressed as Ganymede), encounters a distraught Celia (dressed as Aliena), she briefly debates how to respond. She resolves "to
comfort the weaker vessel, as doublet and hose / / ought to show itself courageous to petticoat" (2.4). Here, Rosalind uses a metaphor to compare women to a "weaker vessel," suggesting that they are more prone to displays of emotion. This comparison does not necessarily make sense given Rosalind's other thoughts on men and women, which has led some critics to interpret it as an ironic statement.
Love as Sport
At the beginning of the play, Rosalind and Celia are discussing their thoughts on love. Celia tells Rosalind that love's purpose is to "make sport withal," comparing love and marriage to a sport one can play to pass the time (1.2). While the play endorses this notion that love is a game – especially given all the references to deer and deer-hunting – it also showcases how that game has important and lasting consequences. Both Rosalind and Celia, of course, are married by the end of the play.
Woeful Pageants
In a bleaker version of Jacques's "Seven Ages of Man" speech, Duke Senior laments that "This wide and universal theater / Presents more woeful pageants than the scene / Wherein we play in" (2.7). Here, Duke Senior compares life to a "woeful pageant," suggesting that it is nothing but feigned behavior and despair. He does, however, take solace in the fact that this suffering is universal, and that there are plenty of other people in the world whose "pageants" are sadder than his own.
Trees and Books
When Orlando is running around the Forest of Arden expressing his love for Rosalind, he cannot help sharing his emotions with anyone (or anything) that will listen. He says, "O Rosalind, these trees shall be my books, / And in their barks my thoughts I'll character" (3.2). Here, Orlando uses a metaphor to explain that he plans to craft songs about Rosalind as Petrarchan poets do, using the trees as his "books." Of course, this enterprise is impossible, and the play pokes subtle fun at Orlando for his Petrarchan ideas of love.
