321

THE SEVEN AGES

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THE WRITEROF THE POEM “THE SEVEN AGES”

FEW INFORMATION ABOUT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Introduction:

TheSeven ages

It is in the form of a speech by a character named Jacques. In it, Jacques compares the world to a stage. .

This poem is an extract from Shakespeare’s play, ‘As You Like It’.

On this stage, each man plays the drama of his life. His drama consists of seven acts. These acts correspond to the seven ages in a man’s life. .

Introduction:

TheSeven ages

THESEVEN AGES

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.

• The Seven Ages of Man describes the seven phases in a man’s life-from childhood to old age.

• The world is but a global stage and all men and women presented here are mere puppets in the hands of destiny.

• Just like the infrastructures of a stage, the world has its own entrances and exits

• . Every man in his full lifetime has many parts to play. His total number of acts in his lifetime is the seven ages.

At first the infant,Mewling (crying) and puking (vomiting) in the nurse's arms.

I STAGE

• The first and foremost act of every human being is the stage of infancy

• where he makes his presence felt by crying at the top of his voice and many a times vomiting any food or drink that is repulsive, at the nursing arms of his mother.

• This period normally last till four years of age.

( I )…a) How is all the world a stage ?

It is called a stage because it is here that the drama of the life takes place

b)The words ‘exits’ and ‘entrances are compares to what stages of life ?Exits refer to the end of a person’s role in the drama of life and entrance signifies the beginning of such a role. In short exits and entrances refer to death and birth.

c) Explain: ‘one man in his time plays many parts’Every man or woman acts the various roles in the drama of life according to his age, circumstances and relationships.

d)What happens to a man after the seventh age?The drama of his life is finished. He exits from the stage. Means he dies & leaves this world.

Then, the whining (complaining) schoolboy with his satchel (school bag)And shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school.

II STAGE

The second stage is the ‘whining’ schoolboy where he learns to utter a plaintive, high-pitched, protracted sound, as in pain, fear, supplication, or complaint.

His shiny morning face and his satchel; a small bag, sometimes with a shoulder strap

he creeps like a snail and not willing to go to school.

( II )……

a) What characteristics of the infant life are mentioned here?The new born baby is very feeble & helpless. It can not look after itself. It keeps crying and throwing up the milk it has drunk.

b) Why does the schoolboy creep like a snail?The school boy does not want to go to school. He thinks by creeping like a snail, he will never reach the school. His slow pace reflects upon his reluctance to go to school.

c) Explain: 'shining morning face’.The school boy has a bright and a fresh looking, well washed face in the morning. He has just been dressed for the school & he is looking fresh.

d) What is the next stage that comes after this one?The stage of a lover.

And then the lover,

Made to his mistress' eyebrow.

III STAGE

• The third stage is his early youth, the peak of love and high romance.

• He sighs like a burning furnace and sings the sad ballads of romance; full of woe; affected with, characterized by, or indicating woe: woeful melodies; to impress his lover’s heart.

• The impression of her reply can be seen in her eyebrows.

( III )…..a) Which stage is that of the lover as describes by the poet?

The lovers is the third stage of one’s life.b) What is a furnace? Why has lover been compared to ‘a

sighing’ furnace’?A furnace is a fire place with a blower to speed up combustion. The lover pines away & carves for his love. So he heaves deep sigh like the wind bag of a furnace.

c) Explain: ‘ Made to his mistress’ eyebrow’.The expression refers to the song composed by the lover, in praise of his beloved’s eyebrow. To love learn lover, even as insignificant a thing as the eyebrow of his beloved is a worthy subject for writing a song in her praise.

d) Why do you think the lover’s ballad in a woeful one?Distance or suppression from his beloved makes the love learn lover sad. So, his ballad is woeful.

Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths (promise), and bearded like the pard (leopard) ,Jealous in honor, sudden, and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon's mouth

IV STAGE

• The fourth stage is that of a soldier where life if full of obligations, commitments, compliances, oaths and vows.  

• His beard is like a leopard or panther.

• He endlessly fights for his honor

• A full presence of mind which is sudden and quick in quarrel

• A heart to maintain a dignified reputation.

( IV )….a) Why is the soldier compared to pard?

The soldier is as ferocious as leopard. He has beard like that of the animal.

b) Describe the characteristics of a soldier.The soldier is foul mouthed and short tempered. He picks up quarrel at the slightest of provocations and is willing to die for the sake of his honour.

c) Why has the reputation been described as ‘bubble’? What is ironical about a soldier drying for it ?Reputation has been described as bubble because it is transitory by nature. The irony is that the soldier does not survive to enjoy the reputation he has defended.

d) Bring out literacy device in line 2 and line 4Simile in line 2 & metaphor in line 4.

And then the justiceIn 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.

V STAGE

The fifth stage is the adult-hood where a man tries to live a fair and justified life.

His belly becomes bigger than normal.

He is conscious about his diet and consumes a good intake.

His eyes are severe with seriousness and his beard is leveled to a formal cut.

He is to take a lot of correct decisions to keep up with the ever changing times.

So this stage is the most powerful stage in life.

( V )……a) Who is being described in the above lines?

In the above lines, the 5th stage of life, that is that of a judge, is being described.

b) What does he do to show his wisdom? Why?He quotes maximum and gives many modern instances to show his wisdom as a judge is suppose to be wise.

c) What status does he enjoy at this stage?He enjoys a very respectable & prestigious status of a public servant.

d) What does he looks like?He wears a stern expression and beard of a formal cut. He is serious in nature and his belly becomes round.

e) How is his beard different form that of soldier?The soldier has a leopard like beard, which gives him a very clumsy appearance. But when he grows up to be a judge, he is particular of his look and he supports beard of a formal cut.

The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slipper'd pantaloon (trousers),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,

VI STAGES

In this stage of life he is a thin and weak old man and his strength begins to weaken and spends more time within the roof of his house.

He hangs his spectacles on his nose for reading and all his youthful hose; a flexible tube for conveying a liquid, as water, to a desired point; saved for the world too wide.

His shank begins to shrink with time; 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 matured melodies.

( VI )…

a) Which stage of the life is the poet describing above?In the above lines, the poet describes the sixth stage which the age of old age.

b) Give the meaning of ‘shrunk shank’. Why does does the poet use this word for describing the man?The calf muscles of the leg have withered and shrunk due to old age and the legs have become thin & weak. These words emphasise the weakness and helplessness that sets in during old age.

c) How would you compare this stage with the forth stage?The powerful soldier with a bombing voice loses all his strength by the time he matures a slippered pantaloon when he becomes a weak & lean fellow with a feeble voice.

d) Why does his sound being childish treble ? Due to old age, the vocal chord also weakens considerably and the manly voice turns into childish treble.

Turning again towards childish treble (high-pitched voice), pipes.

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,That ends this strange eventful history,Is second childishness and mere oblivion (forgetfulness),Sans (without)teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

VII STAGE

• The last stage is the old-age where he enters his second childhood.

• It is also the beginning of the end of his eventful history. It is also the stage of oblivion; the state of being completely forgotten or unknown

• Official disregard or overlooking of offenses

• He is without everything; without teeth, eyes and taste.

( VII )……a) What is ‘second childishness’? Why is has it been called so?

The last stage of extreme old age has been called second childishness. It has been called so because man loses control over his senses and becomes as dependent upon others as he was, when he was a child. Moreover, just as a child oblivious of everything around him, an old man also dwells in ‘Mere oblivion” and his memory starts falling.

b) What happens to a man at this stage?Having slowly lost all his reflexes and senses, man ultimately becomes helpless and depends like a child.

c) Give the meaning of ‘mere oblivion’ and ‘sans’.Mere oblivion means total forgetfulness and sans means without.

d) Why does the poet call life ‘strange eventful history’ ?The poet calls life ‘Strange eventful history’ because man’s life comprises of many events, incidents & changes

THANK YOUFOR

WATHCHING

BY:Ahideep TripathyAbhijeet Tripathy