write a note on the seven ages of a man as proposed by jaques
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Answer:
The Seven Ages of Man by William Shakespeare
Introduction:
The Seven Ages of Man, also known as “All the world’s a stage” is a dialogue from the English playwright William Shakespeare’s comedy ‘As you like it.’ The dialogue takes place in Scene VII of Act 2 where the dreamy philosopher Jacques is talking to Duke Senior and Orlando in the forest of Arden. They’re having dinner when Duke Senior confesses to Jacques that he and his men are alone and unhappy whereas the whole world is full of joy.
The ‘Seven ages of man’ is the reply Jacques gives to Duke Senior. The purpose of this reply is partly to console the sad Duke Senior and partly to tell the audience of the play that unhappiness is a part of life and that we all go through certain stages of life. The extract is also regarded as the character’s comment on the futility of life.
The ‘ages of man’ was already a beaten-up topic in Shakespeare’s time, so this verse didn’t really have the kind of popularity it has today. Aristotle had proposed four ages of man and the idea was around for a long time since then. What’s new in Shakespeare’s version of the ages of man is that he divides them in seven ages, whereas it was common for earlier writers and philosophers to divide life in three and four ages.
We also see a similar and more familiar system of ages or stages of life in the Indian philosophy, particularly that of the Nyaya System called ‘Ashrama Dharma’ where the life of a man was divided into four ages, namely Brahmacharya-ashrama, Grihasta-ashrama, Vanaprasta-ashrama, and Sanyas-ashrama.
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