The seven ages

by –William Shakespeare

Content • William Shakespeare

• Poem –the seven ages and explanation • The views of people

1. The world2. First stage3. Second stage4. Third stage5. Fourth stage 6. Fifth stage 7. Sixth stage

8. Seventh stage• My views for the poem

William Shakespeare• William Shakespeare

(26 April 1564-23 April 1616) was an English poet and English playwright widely regarded as greatest writer in English language and worlds pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet

Poem –the

seven ages

1. All the world's a stage,And all the men and women

merely players;They have their exits and

their entrances,And one man in his time plays

many parts,2. His acts being seven ages. At

first, the infant,Mewling and puking in the

nurse's arms.Then the whining schoolboy,

with his satchelAnd shining morning face,

creeping like snailUnwillingly to school. And

then the lover,3. Sighing like furnace, with a

woeful balladMade to his mistress'

eyebrow. Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths and

bearded like the pard,Jealous in honor, sudden and

quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputation

4. 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

5. 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 toward childish treble, pipes

6. 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. 

And all the men and women merely players ———– His act being seven ages. At first the infant.

ExplanationIn the opinion of the poet man’s life on earth is like a big drama, in

which men and women play their parts before their death. Man has to play many parts before their death Man has to play many parts and his

life has been divided into seven parts.This world is just like a stage of a theatre. All persons being players are

given different roles. Every individual plays a definite role during his life, which normally consists of seven parts or acts.

In order to make his meaning clear, he makes a comparison of life with the stage. The first stage of a man is being an infant i.e. when he enters in this world and makes his exist in this stage of world as a

baby.

Mewling and puking in the nurse’arms ——— Sighing like furnace, with a woeful balladExplanation

Shakespeare says that each human being performs seven parts in this small drama on the stage of the world. He makes his entry as a baby who is fully dependent upon others. This

stage ends when the infant grows into a school child.Shakespeare describes him as a boy having a face fresh like

morning, with his bag hanging on his side, walking appropriately to school. In the beginning he does not like going to school but gradually his thinking changes. When time passes onwards the schoolboy transformed into a

youngster. He is not an adult yet and due to lack of maturity, he indulges in infatuations.

Made to his mistress’ eyebrow; then a soldier…………. Even in the cannon’s mouth; and then, the justice,Explanation

In the above poetic lines, William Shakespeare, describes the fourth stage of man’s life. At this stage of his life, man’s strength and courage is at zenith. He enjoys energetic life with a fearfully quick-tempered nature. He is not contended at what he has and always looks what other have. Since he is quite emotional and

warm blooded that is why quarrels are parts of his normal daily life.

He is always be seeker of worldly name and fame, which is short lived, and transient like a bubble which disappears within no time

from its appearance. His thrust for getting honour and esteem never quenches and strives his best to gain status. Putting his life

at stake for getting something noteable is quite easy for him.

In fair round belly with good capon lin’d………And so he plays his partExplanation

In the above lines, William Shakespeare describes the fifth stage of man’s life which he calls middle age or

“judge”. In fair round belly with good tasty food, with eyes penetrating and beard of formal cut, full of wise

saws and modern instances, man acts his fifth part as a judge. His body develops as he gets matured.

Practically, his is a blend of custom, morality, religion, and education. The visible authority can be well located in him. Here he acts like the ruler, or chief; the ultimate

authorities to pass a judgment on any aspects of life.

The sixth age shifts, into the lean………………… turning again toward childish treble. pipesExplanationIn the above lines William Shakespeare narrates

the exact events that take place in the sixth stage of human life which is its autumnal

decadence. The picturesque setting of man is gradually going thin in his stature and can no

longer fit into his clothes. The man grows older and becomes weak. His authority grows less and

his voice trembles as he talks.

That ends strange eventful history…………Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste and everything.Explanation:The poet in the above lines narrates the seventh and the tragic end

of man’s life which starting from a newborn and passing through various different stages finally reaches at its last stage. This age of

man’s life is more or less same as that of the second phase of man’s life because at this stage man again behaves like a child. He disobeys what he is asked to do, he cries for what he is not

supposed to have or take and he looks for short cuts what might benefit him to accomplish his desires.

At the same time, this stage is the worst of the all stages as man loses all of his senses and strength and his life truly becomes dependent on others. His memory becomes weaken and five

senses start malfunctioning and finally he departs from the world leaving behind a story full of events.

The seven ages The seven ages is an extract

from William Shakespeare . In, it the poet compares human life to stage of a drama theater and human begins as actor on it. Their ‘births’ are ‘entrance’ and ‘deaths’ are ‘exit'. they play seven different parts of life. Then they ‘exit’ after the seventh stage, bringing an end to this strange and eventful life….

The world• According to the poet

the world is a stage of a drama theater human begins are actor on it. Their ‘births’ are ‘entrance’ and ‘deaths’ are ‘exit'. they die after their final and last stage the seventh stage.

First stage Second stage

Humanlife

First stage• First stage is

of man as an infant. In this stage he was crying and vomiting in the arms of nurse.

Second stage• Soon he starts going

to school unwillingly .He doesn't want to go to school but still his parents force him to go to school so he come to school like a snail.

Third stage• The third role he

plays as lover .in this stage he sighs like a furnace and sings some woeful ballads. Dedicating to his beloved

Fourth stage • The fourth is of a

soldier. In it he sports a beardlike that of a leopard. He is quick tempered in matter of honour. He seeks reputation even at the risk of his life. However his reputation is hollow and temporary like a bubble.

Fifth stage• The fifth stage

begins when he become a judge. His body becomes fat chicken .His eye are now harsh looking. He becomes strict in his behavior . He uses many instances and sayings to support his arguments of wisdom.

Sixth stage• In this stage

a person become old wearing a pat loon .his strong voice changes into a weak voice he has spectacles on his nose.

Seventh stage • In this stage

a person was extremely old he become oblivious and he was depended on other for his work.

My views for the poem

• I like this poem a lot because this is different from other poems because this deals with human life. This is really a good poem because in this poem William Shakespeare has divided the life into seven stages .My favorite stage was the stage when he doesn’t want to go to school but his elders force him to go to school. I love his childish act , he creep like a snail and think that this will make him spent less time at school .He wants to be in is home and just play . My wish is also just like him.