8/13/2019 The Seven Ages by William Shakespeare - Summary of each stage

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The Seven Ages

1) INFANCY

It is the first period of a mans life. The span of this age is 0-4 years. During this

time a man stays in the lap of Nurse and spends time mostly in crying and

vomiting the food taken.

2) WHINING SCHOOL BOY

In this stage a human is in the tender age. He is guileless and loves to lead a life

of fun and enjoyment with agility. He is always complaining and is not at all willing

to go to school. With his satchel, he moves as slowly as a snail towards the

unwanted school.

3) SIGHING LOVER

Third stage is the youthful time. A man undergoes through some changes both

physically and emotionally. He is passionate about love matters and craves for

lady love. He sighs like a furnace for he is finds himself at the extremity of

emotions. He is always remorse for the failure in love. He goes on composing

ballad praising on his mistresss eyebrow. He is affected by love and desires to win

the lady love.

4) THE SOLDIER

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This stage of life differs from that of the previous one. Here, life is full of

responsibilities, swearing, oaths and obligations. His thoughts revolve around

country and the countrymen. He is always found to be hot tempered with others

and engages himself in fights over a trifle. He is bearded like a leopard to justify

his nature and passion. He bears one main objective and the objective is to gain

reputation and recognition. He is even not bothered about the sacrifice of his life.

To attain bubble reputation, he is even ready to sacrifice his life in the mouth of

cannon.

5) THE JUSTICE

Justifying the character of Jacques, in this stage of judge he is full of intellect and

he acquired this through thorough experiences. He is portrayed with a big fat

belly and compared with a fat male chicken. This even indicates his bribe taking

tendency. He is furnished with eyes, with subtle judgment. He always presents

himself higher in social status when he uses sayings and modern instances.

6) THE PANTALOON

The sixth stage is of a Pantaloon i.e. a funny old man. In this stage a man goes

through the period of superannuation. He becomes thin and weak. He witnesses

the senile decay of his physic. His skin becomes loose and he gets pouches. His

eyesight gets weaker and he puts on spectacle. The youthful dress does not fit

him and that is saved and unused. As he stays at home and cannot move for the

lacuna of strength, the world has become wide to him. His grave voice turns into

pipes, whistles, and childish treble.

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7) SECOND CHILDHOOD

This is the last stage. This stage ends with a memory of a long eventful history. A

person in this stage has affinity with the childhood. Like a child, a person is devoid

of memory, teeth, eyes, taste, and everything. Shakespeare consciously acquaints

us with the decline of a man which he bears in his next birth as a child.