From the given options, select the Figure of Speech (Poetic Device) used in the expression:

"All the world is a stage"

Metaphor

The correct figure of speech used in the expression "All the world is a stage" is:

OPTION 4 Metaphor

Here's why:

• Metaphor: A metaphor directly compares two seemingly unlike things without using "like" or "as." In this case, "the world" is being compared to "a stage."
• Personification: This gives human qualities to non-human things. "The world" isn't acting or performing, so it's not personification.
• Simile: This uses "like" or "as" to compare two things. "The world" isn't directly compared to anything with "like" or "as," so it's not a simile.
• Alliteration: This refers to the repetition of the first consonant sound in nearby words. While "world" and "stage" start with different consonants, there's no repeated sound, so it's not alliteration.

Therefore, the figure of speech that directly compares the world to a stage without using "like" or "as" is a metaphor.