Seven Ages of Man

Questions

1. Consider the metaphor of the world considered as a stage, with the people in it merely actors. In what sense might one consider, say, a student at this school as an actor on a stage? That is –

a) What kind of “costumes” do students wear?

b) What kind of “roles” do students take on at school?

c) In what way are students handed “scripts”, that is, prepared words and actions that they are expected to do and say on the stage of high school?

d) Sometimes people assume roles that don’t seem to suit who they really are, and so they seem “phony”. Can you give a (totally anonymous, please!) example of this.

2. a) List the “seven ages of man”, according to Shakespeare’s poem, and for each, provide a very brief description of that stage in your own words.

b) From our class discussion or on your own, think of an important stage or phase in life that is not mentioned in the poem, or that has changed in nature since the poem was written. Explain the importance of that omission or change.

3. What do you consider to be three key changes that students have to undergo as they pass from being children in elementary school to young adults in high school? Describe each of these three changes in at least a couple of sentences for each.

Answer:
1 a)Students wear casual outfits but appear to be young and vibrant. They would probably wear T-shirts, jeans and sport shoes, and they bring backpacks.

b)A typical student mainly study and learn at school and they behave properly according to the teachers' expectation as well as the school's rules and regulations. Also students socialize with each other and sometimes take on the leadership.

c)Students receive their 'scripts' from their early school life experience and from the guidace of their family.d)I know a person who pretend to be very rich and popular but he couldn't perfect his lie.

2 a)In this stage he is a baby that rely on others very much.In this stage he gets the first touch of the outside world. He perfers to be protected by his family rather than get to know the new world.In this stage he is annoyed by the loss of love, and he express his feeling by songs.In the soldier stage, he is taking on more responsiblities but also valuing the honor and reputation.He reaches the justice stage when he has acquired wisdom and rich experience and earned certain social status.In the old stage, he begins to lose his charm in both physical and mental respect.

b)I think there is a stage missing between schoolboy and the soilder, which should be teenage or adolescent. This this stage we get to know about the world in some points, but yet not fully developed. Many event happens during this stage will have enormous impact to the later life.

3The first key change should be the physical development. It doesn't take a great percentage, but it is a must that everyone has to undergo. In addition, this provides the basic condition for other changes to take place.

The second key change is the growth of knowledge. As students attending school every semester, they certainly know more about science, literacy, art and philosophy, and they gradually gain more social experience as they contact with the world. Those knowledge helps student to make more reasonable and proper judgements and decisions.

The third key change I believe it to be the much more work and responsibilities that a teenager would take. There is more school works to do in high school than in elementary school, and students have to share some housework and involve in family issues.