NCERT Solutions 09th English Chapter 10 The Seven Ages

1.What according to you are the stages of a person’s life? What characteristics would you associate with each stage? (e.gchildhood : innocence, joy)
Answer:
The other stages of life which are not mentioned in the extract by Shakespeare are:

	Stages	Characteristics
(1)	Childhood	innocence, joy, carefree life
(2)	Youth	dynamism, strength and romance
(3)	Middle	responsibility, maturity and Age wisdom

Besides the above mentioned stages, Shakespeare describes seven stages in man’s life. They are

	Stages	Characteristics
(1)	Infant	mewling and pucking.
(2)	Schoolboy	unwilling to go to school, shining face.
(3)	Lover	sighing, writing romantic ballads for mistress.
(4)	Soldier	jealous in honour, quick in quarrel, seeking bubble reputation.
(5)	Justice	full of wise sayings and modem instances.
(6)	Old pantaloon	Shrunk shank, manly voice turns into childish treble.
(7)	Last stage	Second childishness, without taste, without eyes.

2.Listen to this extract from Shakespeare’s play As you like it, As you listen, read the poem aloud, you can do this more than once.
Answer:
For self-attempt.
3.On the basis of your understanding of the poem, answer the following questions by ticking the correct choice:
(a) All the world’s a stage is an extended metaphor for ______
(i) the life shown in well known plays.
(ii) seeing the well known plays.
(iii) life of well known actors.
(iv) the life of man.
Answer:
(iv) the life of man.
(b) All ‘have their exits and their entrances Exits and entrances refer to ______
(i) birth and death
(ii) beginning and end of play
(iii) coming and going of actors
(iv) the end of the Shakespearean era
Answer:
(i) birth and death
(c) The seven roles that a man plays correspond to his ______
(i) chronological age in life
(ii) desires
(iii) mental age in life
(iv) idea of a perfect life
Answer:
(i) chronological age in life
4.Having read this extract, identify the stages of a person’s life as Shakespeare has done. Write down these gtages in your notebook, and sum up the characteristics of each stage in two or three words. e.g.

	Stages	Characteristics
(1)	infancy	crying

Answer:

	Stages	Characteristics
(1)	infancy	crying
(2)	Schoolboy	unwilling to go to school.
(3)	Lover	sighing for mistress.
(4)	Soldier	searching for bubble reputation.
(5)	Justice	full of wise sayings and instances.
(6)	Old pantaloon	grows weak
(7)	Last stage	second childhood.

5.Work individually, and rank the seven stages in order of attractiveness. If you think being a schoolboy is most attractive, you could rank it number 1. Then, work in groups of four and compare your individual rankings.
Answer:

S.No	Stages	Rank
1.	infancy	1
2.	Schoolboy	2
3.	Lover	3
4.	Soldier	4
5.	Justice	5
6.	Old pantaloon	6
7.	Last stage	7

6.Explain the meaning of the following:
(a) …all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances…
(b) And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace…
(c) a soldier,
…Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth.
Answer:
(a) Shakespeare compares this world to a stage. All men and women are like actors. They play their individual roles and go away. Like the stage of dramas, life too has its own exits and entrances. In this world, men take birth and go out when they die.
(b) The third stage of life is that of a lover. He is always sighing like furnace for his beloved. He is full of passions and emotions for his beloved.
(c) The fourth stage of life is that of a soldier. He is ready to die for honour. He is very quick to seek honour and reputation. He is ready to sacrifice his life and jump into a cannon’s mouth just for a momentary reputation.