![Christine Hurty<br />AP Literature<br />Burke 2° 3/5/2011<br />All the World is a Stage<br />Why do humans strive to accomplish great things in life? We feed off the idea that others are impacted in some way by experiencing another human at their best. This concept subconsciously trains the mind to believe that we are putting on some sort of performance for an audience consisting of our friends, enemies, family, acquaintances and strangers. Jealousy and acknowledgement are both large parts of basic human life, meaning that if we cannot show off to others the highest of our abilities than we are left defeated, and sometimes unable to continue knowing that we will never be able to. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad allows his readers to understand that human’s lives are consumed by the “prepar[ation] for [their] greatest roll”, which they have yet to find. <br />-1771652331720All the world is a stage, just as Kurtz spends the majority of his life performing and pleasing others. 0All the world is a stage, just as Kurtz spends the majority of his life performing and pleasing others. -17716538862000Worldly standards have been set extremely high and seem to only be increasing as time passes. Just as the saying goes, “all the world’s a stage”, this idea allows us to compete with each other and make decisions for ourselves that we otherwise would not have. Sometimes these exact decisions leave us with the idea that the stage provided for us to shine on is no longer good enough. Conrad describes Kurtz, as a man who lives his entire life “performing” for the world through is art, writing, etc. placed on the highest pedestal by his fellow characters. This is carefully continued until there is no competition left for him and his audience dwindles, soon to become the poison that will ultimately end his act for good. <br />-5200653172460Edgar Degas used his impressionistic style of his ballerinas to submerge his viewers in their endless preparation to achieve perfection in their never-ending performances, just as Kurtz’ newfound craving for an unknown adventure has captivated the readers along with each character. 0Edgar Degas used his impressionistic style of his ballerinas to submerge his viewers in their endless preparation to achieve perfection in their never-ending performances, just as Kurtz’ newfound craving for an unknown adventure has captivated the readers along with each character. -63436542926000What is one supposed to do once they set the highest standard or reach the greatest accomplishment? Joseph Conrad was confronted with this predicament through his character of Kurtz. Heart of Darkness answered this question as Kurtz challenged the strength of his mind and body when he went against his “audience” in order to reach an accomplishment unknown to him. As he strives to achieve this goal, he is consumed more and more by the impeccable “roll” that he has yet to find in his life. <br />Appreciation is priceless, and everyone wants it. It is an extremely simple concept to grasp, however, it seems to be unequally distributed throughout our planet. Just as the natives receive nothing compared to the “God” that is Kurtz. His life is nothing but a walk in the park, but could it be possible that someone could be suffocated with appreciation? As Kurtz searches for the final “act” of his “performance” he begins to distribute the appreciation throughout the deserving. The more praise Kurtz receives toward the end of his life, the more he begins to despise himself. An applause can go a long way, and as Kurtz realizes his performance of life is undeserving of the praise and appreciation he has is given compared to some whom go unnoticed and without applause. <br />-748665-151384000<br /> <br />Works Cited<br />,[object Object]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/heartofdarkness-110307101714-phpapp01/85/Heart-of-darkness-1-320.jpg)
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- 2. Art-prints-on-demand.com, http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/a/privacy.html, Edgar Degas “Four Ballerinas on the Stage”
- 3. Crib Notes, Vodicka, Gabe, Hey Atlanta Why Aren’t You Buying Concert Tickets?, Creative Loafing Atlanta, 2011