The Meaning of Seven Ages of Man by Jaques

The first five lines of the monologue “The Seven Ages of Man” spoken by Jaques from the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare are “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” (1-5). These first five lines are a comparison of the world to a stage and people to actors. Like the stage in a theatre, life has entrances and exits. The human life is divided into a series of seven ages, and man plays his role in each age. The first age of man is “the infant” (5). A man is born and enters the world as a baby. The baby is helpless and has no knowledge. The baby cries and vomits while being held by a nurse. “Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms” (6). When the baby grows old enough to attend school, he enters into the second age which is the “whining schoolboy” (7) or a young child. The young boy complains and does not want to attend school. He slowly walks to school with his book bag. “…with his satchel / And shining morning face, creeping like a snail / Unwillingly to school” (7-9). The young child then slowly matures into a young man and enters into the third age known as “the lover” (9). He is not an adult yet and is immature. He is a dreamer who falls in love and is sad over the loss of his lover. He expresses his feelings through love songs. “Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad, / Made to his mistress’ eyebrow” (10-11). In the fourth age, the young man becomes “a soldier” (11). He is less selfish and begins to care more about others. He has a short temper and works very hard to gain honor, recognition and a good reputation. He strives for these accomplishments even if it means risking his own life to achieve them. “Full of strange oaths and bearded like a pard, / Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, / Seeking the bubble reputation / Even in the cannon’s mouth” (12-15). In the fifth age the man