THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN

 

                THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN

          “The Seven Ages of Man” is a monologue included by the English poet-playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) in his play As You Like It.

          The speaker of the monologue is a cynical lord called Jaques.

          Man in this monologue is an actor. The world is a stage where man plays seven roles of life from entrance (birth) to final exit (old age) preceding death).  

          The seven stages are : (i). Infancy as a helpless baby crying in the nurse’s arms. (ii). Schoolboy, having a shining face, but dragging himself to school reluctantly. (iii). The lover sighing like a furnace with a woeful ballad addressed to his ladylove. (iv).The soldier representing boldness, quick temper, and the desire to seek reputation of bravery even at the risk of his life. (v). This is the stage of  justice, displaying maturity equipped with a formal beard and wise maxims . (vi). The Pantaloon. This stage is also symbolic of old age depicting overall frailty.  Man has now become weak and his voice is unclear. (ii). The seventh stage depicts second childishness. This is the last stage. Shakespeare describes it as:

          “Last scene of all,

          That ends this strange eventful history,

          Is second childishness, and mere oblivion,

          Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans every thing.

         

          It is noteworthy that no stage of life in the whole monologue is justifiably void of a sneering comment.

          What follows is the full text of the poem:

         

                   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,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;

And then the whining school-boy, 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. And then the justice,

In 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 toward 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.

         

G.R.Kanwal

29 June 2026                                   *****