Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Seven Ages Of Man Questions & Answers.
This poem is written by William Shakespeare. In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of Small Pain In My Chest, Pret In The House and A Fishy Story so, you can check these posts as well.
The Seven Ages Of Man Questions & Answers
Question 1: Choose the correct option:
1. What does the soldier’s ‘being jealous in honour’ imply?
(a) The soldier is jealous of the honour other soldiers receive.
(b) The soldier is protective of his honour
(c) The soldier comes from an honourable family.
(d) Although the soldier is jealous, he is honourable.
2. Which of these describes the sixth stage of man’s life?
(a) He has a beard of a formal cut.
(b) He writes ballads dedicated to his mistress.
(c) He wears a hose which is too wide for his thin body.
(d) He descends into second childhood.
Question 2: What are the world and all people compared to? Which poetic device is employed here?
Answer: The world and all people are compared to a stage, employing the poetic device of metaphor.
Question 3: What does the poet mean by ‘exits’ and ‘entrances’?
Answer: ‘Exits’ and ‘entrances’ symbolize the stages of entering and leaving life.
Question 4: What is the first stage of man?
Answer: The first stage of man is the infant.
Question 5: How does the narrator describe the school-boy?
Answer: The school-boy is described as crying and complaining, unwilling to leave the protected environments of his home, carrying a satchel to school.
Question 6: Whom are the ballads dedicated to?
Answer: The ballads are dedicated to the lover’s mistress.
Question 7: What kind of a man is the soldier?
Answer: The soldier is full of strange oaths, bearded, jealous in honour, and seeks reputation.
Question 8: What shows that the judge leads a comfortable life?
Answer: The judge leads a comfortable life as he has a fair round belly, enjoying good food, has formal beard, and wise appearance.
Question 9: Describe the sixth stage of man’s life.
Answer: The sixth stage of man’s life is described as the old age, becoming thin and wearing comfortable slippers, the elderly person’s saved stockings from youth are now too wide for his shrunken legs and his voice turning towards a childlike treble.
Question 10: What is the end of a man’s history?
Answer: The end of a man’s history is second childishness and nothingness.
Question 11: Read the lines and answer the questions:
1. All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players
They have their exits and their entrances
(a) What does the comparison of the world to a stage imply?
Answer: The comparison of the world to a stage implies the transitory nature of life.
(b) How many parts does a man play in his lifetime?
Answer: A man plays seven parts in his lifetime.
(c) How does the poet describe the helplessness of an infant?
Answer: The poet describes the helplessness of an infant by portraying them as mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
(d) What is the second stage of life?
Answer: The second stage of life is the school-boy.
2. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
(a) Whom does ‘justice’ refer to?
Answer: ‘Justice’ refers to a judge.
(b) What kind of a life does he lead?
Answer: The judge leads a comfortable life with a fair round belly, good capon, and a formal cut beard.
(c) What is the next stage of life?
Answer: The next stage of life is the old age.
(d) What changes occur in the next stage?
Answer: In the next stage, physical changes occur. He is dependent on others for care and unable to interact with the world.
Question 12: This poem takes a cynical view of man’s life. Explain.
Answer: This poem takes a cynical view of man’s life by depicting it as a series of roles or acts, emphasizing the inevitable and often challenging transitions throughout life.
Question 13: Contrast the attitudes of the soldier and the judge.
Answer: The soldier is portrayed as full of passion, strange oaths, and seeking reputation, while the judge is depicted as leading a more comfortable, formal, and wise life.
Question 14: What is the meaning of ‘second childishness’?
Answer: ‘Second childishness’ refers to the final stage of life where a person regresses to a childlike state, marked by physical and mental decline.
Question 15: Would you say that the comparison of ‘reputation’ with a bubble is apt? Why or why not?
Answer: The comparison of ‘reputation’ with a bubble is apt, as it suggests the fragility and fleeting nature of reputation, which can burst or disappear easily.
So, these were The Seven Ages Of Man Questions & Answers.