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Unit 2: The Seven Ages of Man by William Shakespeare

hands of destiny. Similar to a stage’s infrastructures, the world also has its own entrances and Notes
exits. According to the poet a man’s life on earth is a big drama in which men and women play
their respective parts before their death. Thus every individual plays several roles in his entire
lifetime. The total number of acts performed or roles played by him in his entire lifetime
constitute the seven ages or acts.
The first and the main act or stage of a man is the stage of infancy. It is in this stage that the man
enters in this world as a baby who is entirely dependent on others. He makes his presence felt by
crying loudly and vomiting any food or drink he does not like, at the nursing arms of his
mother. This stage usually lasts till four years of age. This stage ends when the infant grows into
a school child and starts going to school.
The second stage of a human life is the ‘whining’ schoolboy. It is in this stage that the boy learns
to utter a sad, high-pitched, prolonged sound, as if in pain, supplication, fear or complaint.
Shakespeare describes this boy as a boy having a face fresh and shiny like morning and his
satchel; a small bag, sometimes with a shoulder strap hanging on his side while he walks to
school. He moves slowly and stealthily like a snail as he doesn’t want to go to school. In the
beginning he refuses to go to school but gradually his thinking changes.
As time passes the schoolboy gets transformed into a youngster and enters in his third phase.
The third stage is his early youth, when romance and love are in the air. This young individual
sighs like a burning furnace and sings the unhappy songs of romance which are full of sadness
and despair. He sings these woeful melodies to impress his lover. The impression of the lover’s
reply is seen in her eyebrows. This youngster then enters the fourth stage. This stage is that of a
soldier and his life becomes full of compliances, commitments, obligations, oaths and vows.
At this stage of his life, a man’s courage and strength is at zenith. His beard is like a panther or
leopard. He endlessly fights for his honour, a full presence of mind which is sharp and quick in
quarrel and a heart to keep a dignified reputation. This individual seeks worldly name and
fame, which is short lived. Temporary like a bubble, this fame disappears within no time. In this
stage a man’s thrust for getting honour never quenches.
The fifth stage is the adult-hood where a man tries to live a reasonable and justified life. With a
fair round belly, with eyes penetrating and beard levelled to a formal cut, full of modern
instances and intelligent sayings, the man acts his fifth part as a judge. He is conscious about his
eating habits. He also shoulders the responsibility of taking right decisions to keep up with the
ever changing times. In this stage the man becomes a perfect blend of morality, custom, education
and religion. So this is the most powerful stage in a man’s life.
The sixth stage is the middle-age. In this stage the man prepares himself for the next level in life
that is old age. William Shakespeare narrates the exact events that take place in this stage of
human life. In this stage, the man learns to relax from the hustles of life. He becomes weaker and
begins spending more time in his house. He starts resembling a buffoon and an old person in his
rugged old slippers. He gains extra skin. This is the ‘pouch’ the poet is talking about. In this stage
the man loses many of the traits he used to possess once and witnesses many of his childish traits
re-appear. He slowly loses his legs, vision and voice. He is gradually becoming weak and thin
in his stature and can no longer fit into his clothes. As man grows old, his legs shrink and they
become more immobile. He is unable to explore the world and that’s why the world appears too
big for the man. His voice changes from the high pitched voice of a child to a strong adult voice
and returns back to higher tones during this stage. Like a child this man becomes naive and
carefree, losing all his self-consciousness. He hangs his spectacles on his nose for reading. In his
free time, he smokes his pipe and whistles his melodies.
The seventh and the most tragic stage in a man’s life is old-age followed by death. In this stage
the man enters the last act where he experiences his second childhood as he becomes dependent
on people once again. This is also the stage of oblivion; the state where the man is completely

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