Question

read the excerpt from as you like it by william shakespeare. all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. they have their exits and their entrances. what do shakespeare’s metaphors most likely mean? ∘ people play different roles throughout their lives. ∘ people are always pretending to be someone else. ∘ people are extremely dramatic sometimes. ∘ people all go through the same phases of life.

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of Shakespeare's metaphors, we analyze each option:

• The metaphor compares the world to a stage and people to players. Players on a stage take on different roles, so this implies people have different roles in life.
• Option "People are always pretending to be someone else" misinterprets the metaphor; it's about life roles, not pretense.
• "People are extremely dramatic sometimes" focuses on drama, not the role - based meaning of the metaphor.
• "People all go through the same phases of life" is incorrect as the metaphor is about different roles, not identical phases.

Answer:

A. People play different roles throughout their lives.