William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright considered one of the greatest writers in the English language. He wrote approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and several other poems. One of Shakespeare's poems, titled "The Seven Ages", describes the seven stages of a man's life from infancy to second childhood. The seven ages are: infant, school boy, teenager, soldier, judge, old man, and second childhood. Each stage is characterized by the typical attributes, behaviors, and experiences associated with that period in a man's life progression.

3. Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an
English poet, playwright, and actor,
widely regarded as the greatest writer
in the English language and the world's
pre-eminent dramatist. He is often
called England's national poet, and the
"Bard of Avon". His extant works,
including collaborations, consist of
approximately 38 plays,154 sonnets,
two long narrative poems, and a few
other verses.

4. Seven Ages
The poem “The Seven Ages”, which
is actually an extract from Shakespeare’s
Delightful comedy “As
You Like It”. This master
piece of poetry is a moral commentary on life
written in an exceptionally exclusive style which
is the attribute of Shakespeare. The poem contains
an amusing and classical description on human
nature and behaviour which reflects
Shakespeare’s deep awareness of human psychology.
The poet makes a comparison between world & stage.
He says that world is like a stage, life is like
acting & men
and women are like actors. He classifies man’s life
into seven different ages.

5. INFANT
• It is the first period
of a man’s life. The
span of this age is
0-4 years. During
this time a man
stays in the lap of
Nurse and spends
time mostly in
crying and
vomiting the food
taken.

6. SCHOOL BOY
In this stage a human is in the tender age. He is
guileless and loves to lead a life of fun and
enjoyment with agility. He is always complaining
and is not at all willing to go to school. With his
satchel, he moves as slowly as a snail towards
the unwanted school.

7. TEENAGER
Third stage is the youthful time. A man
undergoes through some changes both
physically and emotionally. He is passionate
about love matters and craves for lady love. He
sighs like a furnace for he is finds himself at the
extremity of emotions. He is always remorse for
the failure in love. He goes on composing
ballad praising on his mistress’s eyebrow. He
is affected by love and desires to win the lady
love.

8. SOLDIER This stage of life differs from that
of the previous one. Here life is full
of responsibilities, swearing,
oaths and obligations. His
thoughts revolve around country
and the countrymen. He is always
found to be hot tempered with
others and engages himself in
fights over a trifle. He is bearded
like a leopard to justify his nature
and passion. He bears one main
objective and the objective is to
gain reputation and recognition.
He is even not bothered about the
sacrifice of his life. To attain
bubble reputation, he is even
ready to sacrifice his life in the
mouth of cannon.

9. JUDGE
Justifying the character of Jacques, in this stage of judge
he is full of intellect and he acquired this through
thorough experiences. He is portrayed with a big fat belly
and compared with a fat male chicken. This even
indicates his bribe taking tendency. He is furnished with
eyes, with subtle judgment. He always presents himself
higher in social status when he uses sayings and
modern instances.

10. OLD MAN
The sixth stage is of a Pantaloon i.e. a
funny old man. In this stage a man goes through the
period of superannuation. He becomes thin and
weak. He witnesses the senile decay of his physic.
His skin becomes loose and he gets pouches . His
eyesight gets weaker and he puts on spectacle. The
youthful dress does not fit him and that is saved and
unused. As he stays at home and cannot move for
the lacuna of strength, the world has become wide to
him. His grave voice turns into pipes, whistles, and
childish treble

11. SECOND CHILDHOOD
• This is the last stage.
This stage ends with a
memory of a long eventful history. A
person in this stage has affinity with the
childhood. Like a child, a person is devoid
of memory, teeth, eyes, taste, and
everything. Shakespeare consciously
acquaints us with the decline of a man
which he bears in his next birth as a child.