summary of the poem "Seven Ages of Man" by William Shakespeare

Summary and Analysis of The Seven Ages of Man by William Shakespeare

The poem begins with life compared to an immense scene where we are only actors. Each person has an entry into the world at birth and leaves it to death.

According to Shakespeare, each man plays several parts during his life. On the stage of life, every man has seven acts. The first act of man is childhood. At this point, everything the baby does is cry and vomit on her nurse's knee. After passing through his childhood, he emerges like a schoolboy who hangs his bag on his shoulder and slips most involuntarily into school.

summary of Seven Ages of Man

At the next stage of life, the young man is a lover who is busy composing ballads for his beloved and sighing deeply for his attention. He graduated as a bearded soldier who solemnly promises to keep his country. He is filled with national pride, is quick to be insulted and is always ready to go into defense. At this point, he is more concerned about status and reputation. 

Study Material and Summary of The Seven Ages

From the agile soldier, he continues to become a judge whose size grows as he becomes bigger and bigger. He wears a short, formal beard and his eyes become intense. He is full of wisdom, speaking to everyone in a just and wise manner.

After playing this part, he enters the sixth age. He becomes thin, wears glasses, the skin around him weighs freely. He laughs at being a funny old man. His youth was abandoned. His clothes hang loosely around him and his once virile voice turns into a childish, childish child. With this, man enters the last act where he experiences his second childhood as he becomes dependent on people once again. He is defeated by senility and oblivion, as he loses sight, hearing, smell and taste, slowly but surely, and eventually dies.