FASCINATING PIECE OF LITERATURE
“SEVEN AGES OF MAN" SPEECH FROM WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S "AS YOU LIKE IT":
In As You Like It, "The Seven Ages of Man" is spoken by the character Jaques in Act 2, Scene 7. He delivers this speech in the company of Duke Senior and other characters, making it a monologue. Jaques reflects on the stages of human life, comparing the world to a stage and life to a series of roles.
"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.
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 honor, 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 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
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
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."
INTERPRETATION:
Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” from"As You Like It" presents life as a theatrical performance in which every individual plays distinct roles across seven stages. Each stage symbolizes a phase in human life, from infancy to death, reflecting the inevitable passage of time and the common experiences of humanity.
The first stage is infancy, marked by helplessness and dependency.
The second, childhood, presents a reluctant schoolboy, emphasizing innocence and the early stages of learning.
The third stage, youth, introduces the passionate lover, characterized by intense emotions and idealized love.
In the fourth stage, the man becomes a soldier, full of ambition, honor, and the desire for recognition, even to the point of risking life for glory.
The fifth stage shows the mature individual, now a wise and authoritative judge, having gained experience and respect.
The sixth stage marks the decline into old age, where physical strength fades, and the individual becomes more dependent, similar to childhood.
Finally, the seventh stage is “second childishness,” where the individual, now in extreme old age, loses all faculties and eventually dies.
Through these stages, Shakespeare reflects on the transitory nature of life, highlighting the inevitability of aging and the recurring cycle from helpless infancy to vulnerable old age.
