Second Year English Notes Sindh Board SEVEN AGES OF MAN

SEVEN AGES OF MAN

(William Shakespeare)

Shakespeare is a high critic of life and literature. This poem, "Seven Ages of Man" is a part of the monologue of Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It (2. 7. 139-167). The poet comprehends that the stage is set by the Ultimate Creator, God and we are mere puppets out to act our roles out as directed by Him. Their exits and entrances are ‘stage-managed’ or predetermined. A man generally plays seven typical parts.

In the first stage, a helpless baby is just crying, throwing up and vomiting in the mother’s lap. Mother nurses him all the time. 

In the second stage, he begins to go to school. He is reluctant to go there. It seems prison house to him. He moves likes a snail unawares of the blessings he is attributed with. He is afraid of what the world holds in store for him. 

In the third stage, he is grown into his late teens and his main interest is girls. He is likely to make a bit of a fool of himself with them. He is sentimental, sighing and writing poems to his dream girls. Though frustrated, he seeks pleasures in his woes.  

In the fourth stage, he is a bold and fearless soldier. He wants to take the world by storm, full of promises. He thinks less of himself and begins to think more of others. He is very easily aroused and is hot-headed. He seeks a bubble reputation. 

The fifth stage is the age of justice, a middle-aged person. He becomes wise and experienced. His belly is round because of fat.  He had a beard of formal cut, to give professional look.  He enjoys prosperity and social status. He becomes very attentive to his looks. He begins to enjoy the finer things in life. 

In the sixth stage, He begins to lose his charm — both physical and mental. He becomes lean and pale. He puts glasses on his nose. He wears pantaloon and slippers. He carries a pouch of tobacco in his pocket. The world is too wide for him now. His manly voice ‘mellows’ into a childish treble. 

In the final stage, he loses his status and he becomes a non-entity. This is the winter season of human life. This is the stage of second childhood. He has lost his teeth, his eyesight, even all the essence of his life. He lives in a state of utter forgetfulness. Nature tries to cut him off from all earthly bondage. Death summons him to go to the eternal world. Finally, he meets his catastrophe

Questions Answers

Q1- Write down the introduction of the poet who composed the poem "The Seven Ages of Man".

Ans. The "Seven Ages of Man" is composed by William Shakespeare who was born at Stratford in April 1564. He got his early education at his native place. After marriage, he left for London leaving behind his wife Anne Hathaway and three Children. He was totally Self-educated. He composed very striking novels like Hamlet, The winter tale, and Romeo and Juliet. He also composed many sonnets. He is called the World greatest poet and the dramatist in the history of English Literature.

Q2- How Shakespeare describes the age of love in his poem “The Seven Ages of Man”?

Ans   According to Shakespeare the third stage of man's life is a lover when a person is very romantic. He is very miserable and sad. He composes beautiful and romantic verses on the beauty of his beloved. He is very sad and miserable because of the separation of his beloved.

Q4- Describe the fourth stage of Man's life as depicted by Jacques in "The Seven Ages of Man"

Ans- In the poem "The seven ages of man" Jacques depicts the age of Soldier that when a man is a Soldier he faces many dangers for the sake of honor. He is very anxious about his reputation. He even doesn't care a fig of himself but always face danger so that the people praise him. In this age, he is also passionate and full of spirit. He grows some hair on his chin.

Q5- Why Shakespeare compares this world to a stage and all the man and woman to actors?

Ans-  Shakespeare compares this world to a stage because no one is permanent here in this world. This world is for a short time where the actor-human beings come to perform their role. Everybody has its own specific role and after that, a person has to leave the stage for his successors. Shakespeare also divides the role of these people into seven different parts.

Q6- What role a man plays in the fifth stage of his life in the poem " The Seven Ages of Man"

Ans-  When the fifth stage of a man's life begins he is called a justice. Due to energy foods, he becomes very healthy. His personality is very effective and stern. He has his formal beard and he always speaks to other with good examples. He is considered a wise person so his advice are always followed. In this way, he completes this stage of life and shifts into the sixth stage.

Q7-   Describe the sixth age of man's life with the reference to the poem "The Seven Ages of Man".

Ans.  When the Justice stage is over a man enters into the sixth stage of his life. In this stage, a man becomes very weak. Due to his weakness, his dress becomes very loose on his body. In this stage a person is dependent and he always needs help. He feels it very difficult to roam in the world. Due to the weakness of his eyesight, he wears glasses and a little pouch for keeping his necessities. His melodious sound becomes very ridiculous and when he talks a whistling sound is created. And in this way, his painful stage is over and he enters into the last stage of his life.

Q8- What role a man plays in his last stage of life in the poem “Seven ages of man”.

Ans.  When a man enters into the last stage of his life his character becomes troublesome for others. The last stage also closes the history of his life which is full of events. In this stage once again he becomes like a child, who forgets everything. Not only is this but he also deprived of teeth, eyes, memory and even everything that he had in his young age. It is the time when the departures from this world.

Q9-   What role does everyone play on the stage of this world according to Shakespeare?

The speech is taken from Act II scene VII As you like it written by Shakespeare. He divides the human life into seven stages. According to Jacques, the entire world is like a stage. All human beings are live actors. The man performs many parts on the stage of his world.

i.                    AT first, he performs the role of his world.

ii.                   Then, he performs the role of a schoolboy.

iii.                 He performs the role of lover.

iv.                 Then he becomes a soldier and faces every danger for the sake of honor and the glory of his country.

v.                   After this stage, he becomes a judge with a bulging belly. He knows many wise saying and modern instances.

vi.                 In the sixth stage man becomes old and thin and looks like a clown, his legs grow so thin the socks which he wore in his youth becomes too wide for him.

vii.               The last stage which is the closing chapter of his eventful history is the second childhood. He is then without teeth, without eyes, without taste and without everything.