“THE SEVEN AGES

OF MAN”

William Shakespeare

In your opinion, how much control

do people have over their lives?

“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.”

GROUP ACTIVITY1. Read the section of the poem

your group has been given.2. Discuss the section with your

group to determine which “age” is being discussed.

3. Record a new title for that “age.”

4. Discuss the characteristics of that “age.” You should discuss physical traits as well as personality traits.

5. Record the characteristics.

GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

1. Who is the speaker?2. What play does this poem come from?3. In what ways are people like actors

playing a part?4. What “entrances” and “exits” do people

make in life?5. The speaker’s view is that men and

women are “merely players” (2). Is he a pessimist or a realist? Explain.

6. Reread lines 5-9. Notice how Jacques describes the infant and the schoolboy. What do these descriptions reveal about his attitude toward childhood?

GUIDED READING QUESTIONS

7. List 3 possible themes of this poem.8. Extended Metaphor The speaker

compares the world to a stage. What does this comparison imply about the speaker’s view of life?

9. Do you agree that the speaker has a gloomy outlook on life? Support your answer with details from his dramatic monologue. What else can you infer about Jacques from his speech?

10. Making Judgments Which of Jacques’s seven ages of man do you think is the worst?

11. Make a list of 5-10 words that best describe the outlook of the speaker.

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

2. SCHOOL BOY

"Then the whining schoolboy with his satchelAnd shining morning face, creeping like snailUnwillingly to school." 

3. LOVER

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

4. SOLDIER"Then a soldier,Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,Seeking the bubble reputationEven in the cannon’s mouth." 

5. JUSTICE

"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." 

6. PANTALOON"The sixth age shiftsInto the lean and slippered pantaloonWith spectacles on nose and pouch on side,His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wideFor his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,Turning again toward childish treble, pipesAnd whistles in his sound." 

7. OLD MAN

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

DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE dramatic monologue – a poem in

which the speaker addresses a silent or absent listener, as if engaged in a private conversation; the speaker often reveals his or her own feelings, attitudes, motivations, and character traits in a moment of high intensity or deep emotion

MR. NEGATIVE Jacques has nothing good to say about people at any stages of life. Look back at each stage and list positive ideas about what goes on during these stages. You should have three items for each stage.

Stage 1: Infancy1.

COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITY: RENAMING THE

STAGES List the seven “ages” of life

according to the speaker. Some are a little out-dated, so adjust and rename those “ages” that do not occur as much anymore. You are not to omit any stages; however, you are to create new names for certain stages. For each “age” that you alter, explain why you are changing it and the importance of the new title.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES1. Is Jacques a pessimist or optimistic?

Write a well developed response with evidence to support your claim. Remember that your first sentence is the main idea and should describe what you are attempting to prove.

2. What is the extended metaphor in this poem? What does this comparison imply about the speaker’s view of life?