The Seven Ages Ishita Kakkar - 13 Ix- A

8/13/2019 The Seven Ages Ishita Kakkar - 13 Ix- A

1/19

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE


2/19

William Shakespeare (bornon 26 April 1564; died 23April 1616) was an Englishpoem and playwright,widely regarded as the

greatest writer in theEnglish language and theworld's pre-eminentdramatist. His survivingworks, including somecollaborations, consist of

about 38 plays,154 sonnets,two long narrative poems,and several other poems.Shakespeare was born andraised in Stratford-upon-Avon. Between 1585 and

1592, he began a successfulcareer in London as an actor,writer. His early plays weremainly comedies andhistories, genres he raised tothe peak of sophistication

and artistry.


3/19

Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own

day, but his reputation did not rise to its present heights untilthe 19th century. The Romantics, in particular, acclaimedShakespeare's genius, and the Victorians worshippedShakespeare with a reverence that George Bernard Shaw

called "bardolatry". In the 20th century, his work wasrepeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new movements inscholarship and performance. His plays remain highlypopular today and are constantly studied, performed and

reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contextsthroughout the world.


4/19

All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players,

They have their exits and entrances,

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 schoolboy 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 mistress' eyebrow.

Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,

Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth.


5/19

And then the justiceIn fair round belly, with good capon lin'd,

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 slipper'd pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side,

His youthful hose well sav'd, 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 everything.


6/19

The Seven Ages of Man is taken from WilliamShakespeares famous play, This poem describes theseven phases in a mans life-from childhood to old age.The world is a global stage, all men and womenpresented here are mere puppets in the hands ofdestiny. Just like the infrastructures of a stage, theworld has its own entrances and exits. Every man inhis full lifetime has many parts to play. His totalnumber of acts in his lifetime is the seven ages.


7/19

The firstand foremost act of every human being isthe stage of infancy, where he makes his presence felt

by crying at the top of his voice and many a timesvomiting any food or drink that is repulsive, at thenursing arms of his mother. This period normally lasttill four years of age.


8/19

The second stage is the whining schoolboywherehe learns to utter a plaintive, high-pitched, protracted

sound, as in pain, fear, supplication, or complaint. Hisshiny morning face and his satchel; a small bag,sometimes with a shoulder strap; he creeps like a snailand not willing to go to school.


9/19

The third stage is his early youth, the lover. He sighs

like a burning furnace and sings the sad ballads ofromance; full of woe; affected with, characterized by,or indicating woe: woeful melodies; to impress hislovers heart. The impression of her reply can be seen

in her eyebrows.


10/19

The fourth stage is that of a soldier(family man )where life if full of obligations, commitments,

compliances, oaths and vows. His beard is like aleopard or panther. He endlessly fights for his honor, afull presence of mind which is sudden and quick inquarrel and a heart to maintain a dignified reputation.


11/19

The fifth stage is the adult-hoodwhere a man triesto live a fair and justified life. His belly becomes biggerthan normal. He is conscious about his diet andconsumes a good intake of capon; a cockerel castratedto improve the flesh for use as food. His eyes are severewith seriousness and his beard is leveled to a formalcut. He is to take a lot of correct decisions to keep up

with the ever changing times. So this stage is the mostpowerful stage in life.


12/19

The sixth stage is the middle-age . Here is where he prepareshimself for the next level in life i.e. old age. He learns to relaxfrom the hustles of life. His strength begins to weaken and

spends more time within the roof of his house. He looks like abuffoon and an old fool in his rugged old slippers. He hangs hisspectacles on his nose for reading and all his youthful hose; aflexible tube for conveying a liquid, as water, to a desired point;saved for the world too wide. His shank begins to shrink withtime; the part of the lower limb in humans between the knee and

the ankle; leg. Even his voice begins to descend to a lower tone.In his free time, he smokes his pipe and whistles his maturedmelodies.


13/19

The last stage is the old-agewhere he enters hissecond childhood. It is also the beginning of the end ofhis eventful history. It is also the stage of oblivion; the

state of being completely forgotten or unknown; thestate of forgetting or of being oblivious; officialdisregard or overlooking of offenses; He is withouteverything; without teeth, eyes and taste.


14/19

(1) The poet says All the men and women .are merely players because:

a. they are good players

b. they are not serious

c. they play their roles in the drama of life

d. they play for a short period in life drama

(2) Life is like a stage because:

a. life is a drama

b. life is temporary

c. life is temporary ;like actors role on the stage

d. men and women are actors and actresses playing their roles.

(3) The meanings of entrance and exit on the stage of life are:

a. death and birth

b. beginning of a drama The Seven Stages

c. mans development and deterioration

d. birth and death.

(4) Th fi i h d f lif i


15/19

(4) The first stage in the drama of life is

a. first act of life

b. the infancy

c. the new actor on the stage

d. the beginning of the drama

(5) mewling and puking means

a. crying and demanding

b. crying and sleeping

c. sleeping in the arms of a nurse

d. crying and vomiting in the arms of a nurse.

(6) The main characteristic of an infant is

a. cannot walk

b. sleeps all the time

c. depends on others

d. Crying and vomiting

(7) The poet compares the world to -

a. a story book

b. a film

c. a stage

d. a playground


16/19

(8) The poet compares "exit" to -

a. birth

b. life

c. doors

d. Death

(9) As a young lover, according to the poet, man -

a. learns to dance

b. composes ballads for his beloved

c. goes hunting in the forest

d. does exercises to build his muscles

(10) "Creeping like a snail" is an example of -

a. Metaphor

b. Alliteration

c. Personification

d. Simile


17/19


18/19


19/19

Documents

The Seven Ages Ishita Kakkar - 13 Ix- A