Tuesday, March 3, 2009

William Shakespeare: All The World's A Stage

All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entances;
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.
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 mistresess' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of stange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, 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 slippered 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 towards 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 every thing.
From As You Like It

I thought of doing this bit of Shakespeare when I remembered the Voyager 1 photo. The image is a picture of earth, bathed in sun rays, taken from the spacecraft from a distance of about 6.1 billion km or 3.8 billion miles. It occurred to me when I saw this photo, taken in 1990, that we humans are so very small. Just think of it -every love story-every war-every life and death-every hatred-every friendship-every jealousy-every rise and fall of nations and empires and cultures-and so on to infinity has taken place on this incredibly tiny pale blue dot we call earth. When I think of the immensity we are bathed in I just have to wonder-How much do we really know? Where are we going? Are we heading towards some sort of Omega in the evolution of humanity -or a fusillade of ICBMs? So many questions and so little time to ask them all in. For all nerds out there (I include myself) Happy Square Root Day-I do so hope we are all still around for the next one on 4-4-16! For all non-nerds , I hope you have a beautiful day too!

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, that certainly puts is in perspective of our universe. Wise old Shakespeare to match also ... all too true.
We had better evolve into something better than we are at present (collectively as a race) or we will perish and be a forgot dot!

Michael said...

Nice post. I didn't make the 3x3 connection until you said it - revoke my nerd card! But it's been an interesting day personally, so something to note.

Thanks for posting, warmest of hugs.

Michael

Anadæ Quenyan Effro said...

Hey Devin, hey. Thank you for this morsel from the Bard's oeuvre. Yeesh, let us pray that this is (k)NOT(work) the fate of our Pale Blue Dot. I'd be interested to learn what the nature of the ray that we're in, caught by the Voyager 1 is. How's the cold? Might I introduce to you the healing properties of Milk Thistle, too? Taken as an infusion daily, you'd be surprised of the affect it has in healing the liver, which itself is THEE cleanser of our bloodstream.

Physician, heal thyself,
Anadæ Effro ( :-)}

Sharon Day said...

I think about how small we are every time I fly in a plane. You think you're so important in your home, on your street, in your community, then you get in a plane and you realize you're one of many on the sidewalk, hundreds on the roadway, thousands in your community, millions in your state, and this proportion plays over and over across the world. It's a humbling perspective.

Devin said...

Hiya Aggie-so agree about the forgot dot if we do not start changing -for some reason as bad as things get sometimes -I wonder if we have a chance -i guess i am thinking this cause it is 2009 and we are still here-best as always to you!!

Michael -thanks as always for stopping by -don't worry about turning in your card-i was reminded of it by a news blurb:-) best as always to you!

Anadae -thanks as always for taking the time to stop here and comment -and the health advice too-mostly better now -but one huge thing i am struggling with is energy-i do not have any! so i very much appreciate your thoughtful suggestions!

It is indeed a very humbling perspective Autumnforest-when I am not feeling the best -sometimes i get so aborbed in MY problems-and then something will happen to make me realize how very small they are in relation to everything -very humbling I so agree! thanks as always for stopping by!!

Unknown said...

The picture sure does put a lot in perspective doesn't it? It is humbling.

Devin said...

Hi Ricardo! thanks so much for commenting -I agree -in this photo it is almost impossible to even see that there is anything at all where we are-and this is just a pic taken literally from our cosmic backyard so to speak -the next closest star to us thinking in earth terms would be like 20 miles away-hope you are doing great!!

Unknown said...

devin ,i was jail in the house , i can even go outside. i need your help please.i want to resign my work as soon as possible.i need to pay the employer if i will go.i need to pay the employer 2 thousand dollar.im betrayed by the agency and employer. i will pay you as long as i can get out here..i begging you.please.,im using celpon of my neighbor just to contact you. he is an indian who help me. i tried to contact my family but they dont have money to sent to me. he tried to contact the philippine government.i dont know every night and day i cried...please please....

Hana said...

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Devin said...

Hey Sriram-thanks so very much for stopping by-I will definitely check out your blog -all the best to you!!

Devin said...

Holy shit P NaKi-it sounds like your Saudi Arabian experience is turning -has turned into a nightmare - there is a big problem with me and two thousand-I do not have anywhere close to that kind of bucks-Is there a Phillipine consulate you can go to? can you be more specific about exactly what is going on-I am leaving your comment here while I try to think-what is the name of the company you went over there with? best as always -i will go to your blog so you see the questions I have there