The Seven Ages of Men

By: William Shakespeare

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirement in 21st Century Literature from Philippines and the World

Submitted by:

Macaludas, Farou’ Innisah

De Leon, Andrea Mae

Ramos, Rhowen Ann

Caspe, Quene Jean

Valerio, Anna Maria

Alegado, Marjorie
 Gampong, Harris

Marolina, Hanzel

Panican, Nicole

Sacay, Jannah

Submitted to:

Mr. Stephen Dave G. Gueco

December 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

I Introduction
II Methodology

III Analyses

IV Findings

V Conclusion

VI Appendix

VII References
 INTRODUCTION

The poem "The Seven Ages of Man" is part of the play "As you like it”. In this

drama of life, each one of us says, is the Seven Ages of Man. These seven roles begun at

birth and ends with death. It is one of the most famous works of Shakespeare due to its

first phrase, "All the world's a stage". The author compares the world with a stage and

every living person is described as an actor, who plays seven different plays on that stage.

The descriptions of every stage are brief but very lively and colourful through precisely

chosen figure of speeches.

Seven Ages of Man is an excerpt from the romantic comedy. It's set in the Forest

of Arden, where the senior duke lives in exile with a group of loyal courtiers. These lines

are spoken by one of the characters, Jaques, who is given a lot of philosophy. Through a

series of deft strokes, he takes a realistic picture of the different phases of a man's life.

However, his view of the seven ages in human life is by no means comprehensive or

impartial. Here, James makes a rather conventional comparison between the different

stages of a man's life and the actions of a play.

The poem consists of seven acts which are, the first the infant, second the school

boy, third the lover, fourth the soldier, fifth the justice, sixth the elderly gentleman and

seven the old man. According to Shakespeare, the first act of man is childhood. At this

time, all the baby does is cry and puke on his nurse's lap. As he passes through his infant

life, he emerges as a school child who slings his bag over his shoulder and creeps most

unintentionally to school.
 At the next stage in life, the young man is a lover who is busy writing ballads for

his wife and sighing deeply for his affection. He graduated from the Bearded Soldier, who

made a solemn promise to protect his country. He's packed with national pride, he's fast

to be offended, and he's always ready to stand up in support. At this point in time, he is

more concerned with rank and popularity. From an athletic soldier, he proceeds to

become a judge whose waistline grows as it becomes fatter and fatter. He wears a thin,

formal beard, and his eyes are dark. He is full of wisdom, speaking to everyone in a just

and wise way.

He goes to the sixth age after playing this part. He's getting thin, he's wearing

spectacles, the skin around him hangs loose. He's made fun of being a funny old guy. His

youth was left behind. His clothes hang loosely around him, and his once manly voice

turns into a high pitched, childish voice. With this, a man enters the last act in which he

encounters his second childhood when he again becomes dependent on people. He is

overwhelmed by senility and forgetfulness, losing his senses of vision, hearing, smell and

taste, slowly but surely, and eventually dying.

 METHODOLOGY

The students came up with the methodology by analyzing the poem through

identifying its elements that can be used to examine the poem based on how it is

constructed and delivered. The students researched for different lines in the poem that

has different kinds of elements. In addition, the students determined how the poem is

written and its style of writing. Afterwards, they identified the atmosphere of the story

just like how the mood changes. First, the poem suggests a happy mood because of its

interesting subject then slowly by slowly it shows the reality of human life until it ends

with a sad feeling. Furthermore, students recognize the figures of speech to point out

different lines that are used. In closing, each read verses that uses unordinary language

and verse with complicated meaning.

 ANALYSES

ELEMENTS OF POETRY

1. SOUND DEVICES

1.1 Rhyme

The poem is written in free verse and it is using narrative style.

1.2 Rhythm

There is rhythm in the story, using stressed syllables, and written in blank

verse or unrhymed iambic pentameter.

1.3 Assonance

“And all the men and women merely players” (line 2)

“With eyes severe and beard of formal cut” (line 17)

2. METER & FOOT

Since the poem is a free verse, there is no regular meter and foot.

3. POETIC DEVICES
3.1 Figures of Speech

SIMILE

"Creeping like snail” (line 8)

-The boy is compared to a snail that moves slowly.

“Sighing like a furnace” (line 10)

-It means that sighing constantly for being so love-struck.

“Bearded like the pard” (line 12)

-It means that growing a beard as a proof of being a real man.

METAPHOR

“All the world's a stage” (line 1)

-The world is compared to a stage.

"And all the men and women merely players" (line 2)

-Players are compared to the people we meet in life.

”They have their exits and their entrances” (line 3)

-It is compared to people who come and go in our life.

-Also, it pertains to the time when we are born and inevitably end in death.

“And one man in his time plays many parts” (line 4)

-It is compared to a man doing his parts in life.

“His acts being seven ages” (line 5)

-It is compared to the phases that a man has to go through in his life.

“Seeking the bubble reputation” (line 14)

-This refers to man who wants to build a reputation but does not want to really

work hard for it.

“And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined” (lines 15-16)

-This is compared to a judge who is wise because of years of experience but still

commits mistakes.

“Into the lean and slippered pantaloon” (line 20)

-It is compared to an old foolish man.

CONSONANCE

-Repetition of consonant sounds within sentences, phrases, or in poems.

“Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon” (line 20)

“And shining morning face, creeping like snail” (line 8)

ALLITERATION

-The same sounds repeated at the beginning of words.

“Plays many parts” (line 4)

“Quick in quarrel” (line 13)

“Shrunk shank” (line 23)

 PERSONIFICATION

"Even in the cannon's mouth” (line 15)

-Cannon is an object so obviously it cannot have a mouth.

REPITITION

“Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything” (line 28)

4. IMAGERY

-The story describes each stage vividly.

“Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail” (lines 7-8)

“In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut” (line 16-17)

5. SYMBOLISM

“All the world's a stage” (line 1)

-The stage symbolizes the experiences and periods to be encountered in life.

“And all the men and women merely players” (line 2)

 -It symbolizes a human who plays his roles in life until he goes away from the

stage forever.

6. TONE

The tone of the poem is cynical and often melodramatic. Softness and calmness

can also be deciphered.

7. MODE

The atmosphere changed into death and hopelessness.

8. THEME

The theme of this poem is about the cycle of human life. Shakespeare ingeniously

compares the seven phases of life that a person will encounter starting from its

birth to death.

8. ANALOGY

The helpless infant

The whining school boy

The emotional lover

The devoted soldier

The wise judge

The clueless old man

The corpse

FINDINGS
CONCLUSION
 APPENDIX

A. The Seven Ages of Man

Poem lyrics of Seven Ages of Man by William Shakespeare

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.
 REFERENCES

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Iftikhar, S. (2016, August 09). What is the explanation of Jaques’ speech "Seven
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Khurana, S. (2019, May 25). Understanding Shakespeare's "Seven Ages of Man" in
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https://www.thoughtco.com/shakespeares-seven-ages-of-man-2831433
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