About the Poet - William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the world and is known as the "Bard of Avon."
His Works Include:
- 37 plays
- 154 sonnets
- 2 long narrative poems
Legacy: His plays have been translated into every major living language and performed all over the world. Shakespeare's characters have stood the test of time and remain relevant even today.
കവിയെക്കുറിച്ച് (About the Poet in Malayalam)
വില്യം ഷേക്സ്പിയർ (1564-1616) ഒരു ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് നാടകകൃത്ത്, കവി, നടൻ എന്നിവയായിരുന്നു. ലോകത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും മഹാനായ എഴുത്തുകാരിൽ ഒരാളായി പരക്കെ കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു. "ആവോണിലെ ഭാര്ഡ്" എന്നറിയപ്പെടുന്നു. 37 നാടകങ്ങൾ, 154 സോണറ്റുകൾ, രണ്ട് ദീർഘകവിതകൾ എന്നിവ അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ കൃതികളിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ നാടകങ്ങൾ എല്ലാ പ്രധാന ഭാഷകളിലേക്കും വിവർത്തനം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്.
The Complete Poem
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.
At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school.
And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow.
Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.
And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin'd,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part.
The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav'd, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.
Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Important Words and Phrases
- Mewling: Crying (like a baby)
- Puking: Vomiting
- Whining: Complaining
- Satchel: School bag
- Furnace: A noisy boiler (used here to describe loud sighing)
- Woeful ballad: Sad love-song
- Pard: Leopard
- The bubble reputation: Short-lived fame
- Justice: A judge in a local court
- Capon lined (belly): A belly stuffed with rich food like chicken
- Sans: Without (French word)
- Pantaloon: A foolish old man (from Italian comedy)
- Hose: Stockings or tight-fitting trousers
- Shrunk shank: Thin legs
- Treble: High-pitched voice
Summary in English
Shakespeare compares the world to a stage and human life to a play. He says all men and women are merely actors who enter and exit this stage. Each person plays many different roles during their lifetime, which Shakespeare divides into seven ages or stages.
The Seven Ages:
- Infant (Baby): The first stage is infancy, where the baby cries and vomits in the nurse's arms, completely helpless.
- School-boy: The second stage is childhood. The boy goes to school unwillingly, carrying his bag, with a fresh face, moving as slowly as a snail because he doesn't want to go to school.
- Lover: The third stage is youth. The young man sighs heavily like a furnace and writes sad love songs about his beloved's beauty.
- Soldier: The fourth stage is early adulthood. The man becomes a soldier with a beard like a leopard, full of oaths, quick to fight, seeking fame and honor even at the risk of death in battle.
- Justice (Judge): The fifth stage is middle age. The man becomes a judge with a round belly from eating rich food, a well-trimmed beard, severe eyes, and full of wise sayings and examples.
- Old Age: The sixth stage shows decline. The man becomes thin, wears slippers and spectacles, carries a pouch, and his old clothes are too big for his shrunken legs. His strong voice becomes high-pitched and childish again.
- Extreme Old Age: The final stage is like second childhood - complete helplessness. The person loses teeth, eyesight, taste, and everything, ending in oblivion (being forgotten).
Main Message: Life is a journey through different stages, and each stage has its own characteristics and roles to play.
Summary in Malayalam (സംഗ്രഹം)
ഷേക്സ്പിയർ ലോകത്തെ ഒരു വേദിയോടും മനുഷ്യജീവിതത്തെ ഒരു നാടകവുമായി താരതമ്യം ചെയ്യുന്നു. എല്ലാ പുരുഷന്മാരും സ്ത്രീകളും ഈ വേദിയിൽ പ്രവേശിക്കുകയും പുറത്തുപോകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന അഭിനേതാക്കൾ മാത്രമാണെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം പറയുന്നു. ഓരോ വ്യക്തിയും അവരുടെ ജീവിതകാലത്ത് പല വ്യത്യസ്ത വേഷങ്ങൾ ചെയ്യുന്നു. ഷേക്സ്പിയർ ഇത് ഏഴ് പ്രായങ്ങളായി വിഭജിക്കുന്നു.
ഏഴ് പ്രായങ്ങൾ:
- ശിശു: ആദ്യഘട്ടം ശൈശവമാണ്, അവിടെ കുഞ്ഞ് നഴ്സിന്റെ കൈകളിൽ കരയുകയും ഛർദ്ദിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
- സ്കൂൾകുട്ടി: രണ്ടാം ഘട്ടം ബാല്യമാണ്. കുട്ടി ബാഗുമായി, പുതിയ മുഖത്തോടെ, ഒച്ചയെപ്പോലെ സാവധാനം സ്കൂളിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു.
- പ്രേമി: മൂന്നാം ഘട്ടം യൗവനമാണ്. യുവാവ് ഒരു ചൂളയെപ്പോലെ നെടുവീർപ്പിടുകയും തന്റെ പ്രിയതമയെക്കുറിച്ച് ദുഃഖഗാനങ്ങൾ എഴുതുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.
- സൈനികൻ: നാലാം ഘട്ടം യൗവനത്തിന്റെ തുടക്കമാണ്. മനുഷ്യൻ പുലിമീശയുള്ള സൈനികനാകുന്നു, വേഗം കലഹിക്കുന്നു, യുദ്ധത്തിൽ മരണത്തെ നേരിട്ടും കീർത്തിയും മാനവും തേടുന്നു.
- ന്യായാധിപൻ: അഞ്ചാം ഘട്ടം മധ്യവയസ്സാണ്. മനുഷ്യൻ സമ്പന്നമായ ഭക്ഷണം കഴിച്ച് വണ്ണമുള്ള ന്യായാധിപനാകുന്നു, കർക്കശമായ കണ്ണുകളും ജ്ഞാനവാക്കുകളും നിറഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നു.
- വാർദ്ധക്യം: ആറാം ഘട്ടം തകർച്ച കാണിക്കുന്നു. മനുഷ്യൻ മെലിഞ്ഞ്, ചെരുപ്പും കണ്ണടയും ധരിക്കുന്നു, പഴയ വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ചുരുങ്ങിയ കാലുകൾക്ക് വലുതാണ്, ശക്തമായ ശബ്ദം ഉയർന്നതും കുട്ടിത്തവുമായി മാറുന്നു.
- അതികഠിനമായ വാർദ്ധക്യം: അവസാന ഘട്ടം രണ്ടാം കുട്ടിക്കാലം പോലെയാണ് - പൂർണ്ണമായ നിസ്സഹായത. വ്യക്തി പല്ലുകൾ, കാഴ്ച, രുചി, എല്ലാം നഷ്ടപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു.
മുഖ്യസന്ദേശം: ജീവിതം വ്യത്യസ്ത ഘട്ടങ്ങളിലൂടെയുള്ള ഒരു യാത്രയാണ്, ഓരോ ഘട്ടത്തിനും അതിന്റേതായ സവിശേഷതകളുണ്ട്.
Understanding the Seven Ages
Age 1: The Infant
Characteristics: Helpless, dependent, crying, needs constant care
Image: Baby in nurse's arms
Age 2: The School-boy
Characteristics: Reluctant, complaining, innocent, fresh-faced
Image: Child creeping slowly to school like a snail
Age 3: The Lover
Characteristics: Emotional, romantic, passionate, dramatic
Image: Young man sighing and writing love songs
Age 4: The Soldier
Characteristics: Brave, aggressive, honor-seeking, ambitious
Image: Bearded warrior seeking fame in battle
Age 5: The Justice
Characteristics: Wise, experienced, well-fed, authoritative
Image: Judge with round belly and severe expression
Age 6: The Pantaloon (Old Man)
Characteristics: Weak, thin, dependent on aids (spectacles, slippers)
Image: Elderly man with loose clothes and high voice
Age 7: Extreme Old Age
Characteristics: Helpless like a baby, memory loss, loss of senses
Image: Return to complete dependency - "sans everything"
Literary Devices in the Poem
1. Extended Metaphor
The entire poem compares life to a theatrical performance on stage.
2. Similes
- "Creeping like snail" - school-boy's slow movement
- "Sighing like furnace" - lover's heavy sighing
- "Bearded like the pard" - soldier's facial hair
3. Imagery
Vivid pictures of each age create clear mental images.
4. Symbolism
- Stage = World
- Players = People
- Seven ages = Complete life cycle
5. Personification
Life stages are given human characteristics and behaviors.
Key Themes
- Life as a Journey: Life moves through predictable stages
- Impermanence: Nothing lasts forever; we all change
- Cycle of Life: We begin and end helpless
- Universal Experience: Everyone goes through these stages
- Role-Playing: We play different roles at different times
Important Questions and Answers
Q1. What does Shakespeare compare the world to?
Answer: Shakespeare compares the world to a stage where everyone acts as players performing their parts.
Q2. How many ages does Shakespeare describe? Name them.
Answer: Shakespeare describes seven ages: Infant, School-boy, Lover, Soldier, Justice, Old Age (Pantaloon), and Extreme Old Age (Second Childhood).
Q3. Why does the school-boy move like a snail?
Answer: The school-boy moves slowly like a snail because he is unwilling to go to school. He doesn't want to study, so he walks as slowly as possible.
Q4. What does "bubble reputation" mean?
Answer: "Bubble reputation" means short-lived fame. Like a bubble that bursts quickly, fame doesn't last long. The soldier seeks this temporary glory even at the risk of his life.
Q5. Describe the sixth age of man.
Answer: The sixth age shows an old man who has become thin and weak. He wears slippers and spectacles, carries a pouch, and his old clothes are too big for his shrunken legs. His once-strong voice has become high-pitched and childish.
Q6. What is meant by "second childishness"?
Answer: "Second childishness" refers to the final stage of life when old people become helpless like children again. They lose their teeth, eyesight, taste, and all abilities, becoming completely dependent on others.
Q7. What message does Shakespeare convey through this poem?
Answer: Shakespeare conveys that life is temporary and everyone must go through different stages. Each stage has its own characteristics. We start helpless as infants and end helpless in old age. The poem reminds us that life is like a play where we perform our roles and then exit.
Tips for Students
- Remember the sequence: Infant → School-boy → Lover → Soldier → Justice → Pantaloon → Second Childhood
- Understand the metaphor: Life = Play, World = Stage, People = Actors
- Learn key phrases: "All the world's a stage," "sans everything"
- Visualize each age: Create mental pictures of each stage
- Connect to real life: Think of people you know in different life stages
Conclusion
"The Seven Ages of Man" is Shakespeare's brilliant observation of human life. Through the metaphor of a theatrical performance, he shows us that life is a journey through different stages, each with its unique characteristics. The poem reminds us that change is constant and that we all play many roles in our lifetime before our final exit from the world's stage.