The Stages of Life: A Theatrical Metaphor

1          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,

5          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,

10         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 honour, 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

20         Into the lean and slippered pantaloons,

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

25         And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

30        Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Here’s a line-by-line explanation of The Seven Ages of Man from Shakespeare's As You Like It:

1. "All the world’s a stage"

   • Shakespeare begins with a metaphor, comparing life to a theatrical play. He suggests that life itself is a stage where everyone is an actor, playing their roles at different points in time.

2. "And all the men and women merely players:"

   • People are likened to actors, with the implication that we are all playing roles given to us by the course of life, rather than having complete control over our existence.

3. "They have their exits and their entrances;"

   • Just as actors enter and exit the stage, people enter the world at birth and exit at death, suggesting that life is temporary, and we all play our part in the grand story.

4. "And one man in his time plays many parts,"

   • A single individual, throughout their life, takes on many different roles or "parts," changing as they progress through different stages of life.

5. "His acts being seven ages."

   • Life is divided into seven distinct stages, which Shakespeare calls "acts," representing key phases of human existence.

6. "At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms."

   • The first stage is infancy, where the baby is helpless, dependent, and unable to control basic bodily functions. The "mewling" (crying) and "puking" (vomiting) highlight the vulnerability of this stage.

7. "Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school."

   • Next, the schoolboy is introduced. He’s described as reluctant to go to school, carrying his satchel (a schoolbag) and moving slowly, "creeping like a snail," emphasizing his resistance to the structure and discipline of education.

8. "And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow."

   • The lover, in his passionate youth, sighs deeply and composes dramatic, often melodramatic, love songs for his beloved. The "sighing like furnace" suggests the intensity of his emotions.

9. "Then a soldier. Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation. Even in the cannon’s mouth."

   • As the individual matures, they become a soldier—fierce, full of oaths, and obsessed with honor. The "bearded like the pard" (like a leopard) suggests strength and virility. He seeks reputation, even though it's fragile ("bubble reputation"). The "cannon’s mouth" indicates his willingness to fight in battle, showing the soldier’s bravado.

10. "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 next stage is middle age, where the person becomes a justice, a wise and respected figure. He is described as having a "round belly" full of food, likely symbolizing prosperity and contentment. His "severe" eyes and "formal cut" beard reflect authority and experience. He is full of wise sayings and current examples, representing maturity and social responsibility.

11. "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;"

    • The sixth stage is old age, where the person becomes a "pantaloon" (a foolish old man). He is thin and frail, with spectacles on his nose, a pouch at his side, and clothes that no longer fit him ("youthful hose"—tightly-fitting clothing—are too large for his diminished frame).

12. "and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound."

    • As the elderly person ages further, his voice, once strong and deep, turns to a higher pitch—like that of a child. This regression symbolizes the return to a more childlike state of being, both physically and emotionally.

13. "Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

    • The final stage of life is "second childishness," where the person becomes entirely dependent again, much like infancy. "Oblivion" refers to the loss of memory and awareness. "Sans" (without) emphasizes the complete loss of faculties: no teeth, no sight, no taste—losing everything that defined one’s existence.

This poem highlights the cyclical nature of life, where we return to a state of dependency and vulnerability as we age, mirroring the helplessness of infancy. Shakespeare presents life as a series of roles we play, each with its own traits and inevitable end, reminding us of the fleeting nature of human existence.

Critical Analysis

In The Seven Ages of Man from Shakespeare's As You Like It, the monologue famously compares human life to a theatrical play, where each individual plays multiple roles throughout their lifetime. Shakespeare's metaphor suggests that life is transient, structured by predictable phases, each with unique traits and experiences. Let’s examine each of the seven stages as Shakespeare describes them, along with a critical analysis of his portrayal.

1. The Infant

• Shakespeare begins with infancy, describing it as a time of dependence and helplessness, represented by "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms." The infant relies on others for care and sustenance, reflecting a stage of innocence and vulnerability. This portrayal emphasizes humanity's shared beginnings in simplicity and need.

2. The Schoolboy

• As the child grows, they enter the schoolboy stage, marked by reluctance and duty. The "whining schoolboy" with his satchel and “shining morning face” reluctantly goes to school. Here, Shakespeare underscores the resistance many feel in leaving behind the innocence of early childhood to face the responsibilities of learning and socialization. The phrase "creeping like snail" suggests an unwillingness to embrace change, typical of many in early education years.

3. The Lover

• In adolescence or early adulthood, the schoolboy becomes a lover, filled with passion, intensity, and an idealized view of love. Shakespeare captures the emotional highs of this stage with the image of a young man “sighing like furnace” and composing verses for his beloved. Here, love is presented as all-consuming, even foolishly obsessive. It highlights a stage driven by emotion and desire, often with exaggerated sentimentality.

4. The Soldier

• The lover evolves into the soldier, embodying ambition, courage, and a desire for recognition. This phase suggests adulthood's entry, a time for action, pride, and sometimes recklessness. Shakespeare’s soldier “seeking the bubble reputation” even “in the cannon’s mouth” symbolizes the risk-taking associated with youthful ambition. His description hints at the temporary nature of fame and success, a “bubble” that can burst at any moment.

5. The Justice

• Maturity brings a sense of wisdom and authority, as seen in the Justice. With “fair round belly” and “wise saws,” the justice represents middle age—a phase of judgment, responsibility, and stability. He is now someone who counsels and influences others. The justice’s appearance and “formal cut” symbolize societal respect and a certain self-satisfaction in achieving status. This stage reveals the comforts and complacencies of a stable, established life.

6. The Pantaloon (Old Age)

• Old age arrives as the man transitions into the “lean and slippered pantaloon,” with a body shrinking back to fragility. The once-youthful figure now wears “spectacles on nose” and clothes too big for his diminished frame. His voice, formerly strong, regresses to a “childish treble,” symbolizing physical and mental decline. Shakespeare poignantly captures the sense of loss and the inevitability of aging, as vitality and strength fade.

7. Second Childishness and Oblivion

• Finally, in the last stage of life, Shakespeare returns the character to a state akin to infancy—“second childishness” and “mere oblivion.” The repetition of “sans” (without) in “sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything” intensifies the sense of emptiness and helplessness that comes with the end of life. This final phase reflects life’s cyclical nature, closing with a return to dependency and vulnerability, leading ultimately to death.

Critical Analysis

Shakespeare’s view of life as a series of predefined roles presents a somewhat cynical and deterministic view of existence. Each stage is marked by predictable changes and losses, reinforcing the idea that human life follows an inescapable path from birth to death. The metaphor of “the world’s a stage” suggests that life is a performance, and our identities are like costumes we change over time, shaped by society and circumstance rather than genuine personal transformation. Shakespeare also raises existential themes: life as transient, success as fleeting, and death as inevitable. His portrayal, while poignant, lacks celebration of individual agency, focusing instead on the gradual stripping away of physical, mental, and emotional faculties as one moves through life.

This view resonates deeply with themes of Renaissance humanism, which often explored human nature’s limitations and the futility of worldly ambitions. Shakespeare's perspective, however, can also be seen as an invitation to reflect on each stage’s value. Each phase has its unique characteristics and beauty, albeit fleeting, and together they form the complete “strange eventful history” of a person’s life. By juxtaposing youthful vitality with the frailty of old age, Shakespeare reminds readers of life's impermanence and the need to cherish each moment.

Having read this extract, identify the stages of a person’s life as Shakespeare has done. Write down these stages in your note book, and sum up the characteristics of each stage in two or three words. e.g. Stage Characteristic feature infancy crying

1. Infancy:

   • Characteristic Feature: Crying and dependence

   • Explanation: Shakespeare describes infancy as a stage marked by the vulnerability and dependency of a newborn. The characteristic feature of crying underscores the communication of needs, while dependence on others, especially the nurse, is emphasized.

2. Childhood:

   • Characteristic Feature: Reluctant schooling, shining face

   • Explanation: Childhood is portrayed as a stage where the child attends school with reluctance. The shining face suggests a certain innocence and brightness associated with this age, but the use of "creeping like snail" conveys a slowness or reluctance in the child's approach to education.

3. Adolescence/Lover:

   • Characteristic Feature: Sighing love, woeful ballad

   • Explanation: This stage represents adolescence and the experience of romantic love. The lover is depicted as sighing with the intensity of emotions, and the mention of a woeful ballad indicates the expression of love through poetic and emotional means.

4. Soldier:

   • Characteristic Feature: Courage, strange oaths

   • Explanation: The stage of the soldier is characterized by bravery and courage. The use of "strange oaths" suggests the soldier's exposure to the harsh and unconventional language of the military, emphasizing the unique challenges and experiences of this stage.

5. Justice:

   • Characteristic Feature: Wise, fair round belly

   • Explanation: The justice stage is marked by wisdom and a sense of fairness. The reference to a "fair round belly" suggests prosperity and a well-fed, contented life, indicating a stage of authority and accomplishment.

6. Old Age/Pantaloon:

   • Characteristic Feature: Lean and slippered, spectacles

   • Explanation: The portrayal of old age as the Pantaloon stage emphasizes physical decline. "Lean and slippered" conveys the frailty of the elderly, while the mention of spectacles indicates the need for assistance in vision—a common aspect of aging.

7. Final Stage:

   • Characteristic Feature: Second childishness, sans everything

   • Explanation: The final stage is described as a return to a second childhood, marked by the loss of essential attributes. "Sans everything" underscores the emptiness and vulnerability of this stage, where the individual experiences a decline in physical and mental faculties, resembling the dependency of infancy.

Shakespeare's depiction captures the universal journey of life, with each stage carrying its own distinct characteristics and challenges, contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.