How does the author portray the development of the character’s attitude towards life?

Shakespeare’s As you Like it, recites a romantic comedy of contrasting identities

and opposing characters, and how they may find love. Shakespeare employs numerous
stylistic devices throughout the play, particularly in Jacques' stages of life speech, in
order to portray his attitude towards life and amplify the theme of humans progressive
role throughout life.

Jacques begins the speech by stating that, “the worlds a stage”, giving the
audience the initial hint that he will be discussing the nature of acting out as if life was a
play. Shakespeare's use of cyclical and theatrical imagery in this passage both draws the
comparison between life and theater, and depicts the typicality of life. Jacques describes
initially that all men and women are, “Merely players”, suggesting that as actors play a
role within their work, each individual plays a role within their life. Just as actors do, they
have their “Exits and their entrances”, allowing the difference between life and death to
be portrayed through a comedic lense. Jacques refers to these stages as acts, allowing
the audience to see how each stage of life described has importance to the greater role
of life itself. Jacques' objective view of the different stages of life create objectivism
through the lens of the narrator, examining the human condition. Jacques continues to
describe the development of humans throughout their many stages of life, only to
conclude with the last scene of all, being the, “Second childishness”. Jacques refers to
this final stage as such as he believes that death is the reverse of growth and that with
age, you revert back to your original form. Shakespeare's nihilist perspective is
represented through Jacques here, as he concludes that life is a collection of random
experiences. Jacques implies that with death comes a new life as once you die, you are
without all that you have ever acquired, making you once again a “Child”. In conjunction
with theatrical imagery, as a character leaves the stage for the final time, his story arc is
concluded, only to be repeated again as the character enters the stage for the first time
once again. Similarly to life itself, Jacques views life as a stage in which characters
constantly enter and exit, and return back to simplicity at the end of the play.

Throughout Jacques’s speech, he employs numerous allusions to war speech, and

typical male like speech structures in order to describe the mold that a man tried to fit
into society. In the third stage, Jacques describes man as a “Soldier” bound by oaths and
bearded. Jacques suggests that as man approaches a certain stage in their life, they are
forced to conform to a societal mold of what a man should be. The reference to an oath,
proposes that man will often succumb to others, in order to maintain image or societal
position. Jacques characterizes this “Man”, as a soldier, “Jealous in Honor” and “Seeking”
a reputation, suggesting that man will go about their life and remain the same as others,
retaining ignorance and determined to attain a particular reputation from society. The
allusion to war like speech, connotes an image of a stereotypical man often represented
by a rough and tough figure. Jacques describes within the early stages of life, the,
“Whining school boy” who is reluctant to learn. Jacques describes this boy in a negative
tone in order to emphasize worthlessness, and the transition of male interest as life
progresses. Jacques feels as though men succumb to a role placed on them by society,
and that the possession of traits such as negligence and unwillingness to be different.

The tone that Jacques speaks with within this speech transitions from unwilling
and shameful to reflective and wise, in order to encapsulate the way Jacques believes
man's mind changes as he ages. In the first stage of life, Jacques notes the infant,
“Mewling and puking” upon birth. This statement shows how Jacques feels that man is
pathetic upon being born, and must rely on others, just as an old man would. Although
the first stage is still a man, playing “many parts”, this stage is worthless to others.
Jacques later describes the shift in man's attitude, directly following the stage of a
soldier, stating that man becomes, “The Justice”. This stage of life depicts man having the
ability to be just, as he has acquired qualities that allow him to no longer worry about his
reputations. It is at this stage that man finds his worth, as he is rid of the desire to satisfy
others. Jacques states for the first time in his speech that man “Plays his part” suggesting
that man can live now based on acquired knowledge and is of use to others with his
“Wise saws” and “Modern instances”. The tone of the 6th stage is similar to that of the
first couple, as Jacques describes the inaction and desire of a man of old age, to regain
his youthful self. This stage of man desires to wear his, “slippered pantaloon” only to
realize that the world is, “Too wide for his shrunk shank.” This statement suggests that
man has become reforeful. And desires to retain his youth, only to realize that the world
has grown around him, and that his role as man has shrunk, just as his body has. The
pants representing the world around him and his body representing his role as a man.

Jacques' opinion on the final stages of man is encapsulated in through

Shakespeare's use of transition of time. As the 6th stage concludes, man turns toward,
“childish treble”, referencing how with death, Jacques views us as once again being
children. What was once a, “big manly voice” has now returned to its original form.
Through this statement, the reader may determine that Jacques views human existence
as being useless, similar to the Nihilistic views represented by Shakespeare. As man
grows older, we need help from those who play a larger role, just as children do
following birth. Jacques announces the last stage as the conclusion of a, “Strange
eventful history”, suggesting that the life cycle of man is merely a compilation of
experiences that transition from one stage to another. Jacques offers the worthlessness
of the life cycle, as all of our experiences round up to conclude with nothingness.

The repetition of the word sans, meaning without in the last line, describes the
oblivion that we enter within death, further emphasizing the nothingness man faces at
the end of his life. Jacques concludes his speech stating that man's life ends, “sans
everything” meaning we have lost all that we have ever obtained. Jacques suggests that
once man loses qualities such as self indulgence, and memory, we re obtain childlike
features such as innocence and vulnerability. This final stage could be perceived as either
death, or the loss of both physical and mental characteristics that often occur as a result
of old age. In either circumstance, Jacques depicts the cyclical nature of life, and that all
stages of life will occur, merely to be repeated once again, emphasizing his view of life as
worthless and dull.

To close, Shakespeare encapsulates the cyclical nature of life through numerous

stylistic devices and choices. Of these, repetition, cyclical and warlike imagery, allusion,
tone and transition of time assist the reader in developing an understanding of Jacques'
attitude towards life.