William Shakespeare’s; As You Like It

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 attend 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 bard, Jealous in honor, 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 (without) teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."

Interpretation

Infancy: In this stage he is an infant. He cries like thousand times and vomits milk in the arms of the nurse. He grows stronger with the passage of time.

Childhood: It is in this stage that he begins to go to school. He plays the role of a complaining and unwilling schoolboy. He is reluctant to leave the protected environment of his home as he is still not confident enough to exercise his own discretion.

The lover: In this stage he is always remorseful due to some reason or other, especially the loss of love. He tries to express feelings through song or some other cultural activity.

The soldier: It is in this age that he thinks less of himself and begins to think more of others. He is very easily aroused and is hot headed. He is always working towards making a reputation for himself and gaining recognition, however short-lived it may be, even at the cost of his own life.

The justice: In this stage he has acquired wisdom through the many experiences he has had in life. He has reached a stage where he has gained prosperity and social status. He becomes very attentive of his looks and begins to enjoy the finer things of life.

Old age: He begins to lose his charm — both physical and mental. He begins to become the brunt of others' jokes. He loses his firmness and assertiveness, and shrinks in stature and personality.

Mental dementia and death: He loses his status and he becomes a non-entity. He becomes dependent on others like a child (sometimes called "second childhood") and is in need of constant support before finally dying.

The words of Shakespeare’s “As you like it,” well defines mankind’s life cycle both naturally and to a great extent, “Spiritually.”

We start with the new birth and proceed with the sincere milk of the word and grow through the stages of life. In a word we do just that, we grow through life’s stages. The growth is slow on a daily basis but certain events become landmarks that we can point to. Our lists of firsts are helpful in defining ourselves.

The new birth, the baptism in the Holy Spirit if your faith allowed it, the first time you taught a bible lesson and so on. The shocking thing is when you realized you have left one scene and entered another, especially as you get older.

The one constant is GOD. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. Only our response to this “constant” - - may change with time. For to whom much has been given, much is required. As we grow older and have received much, it is incumbent on us to keep this in proper balance.

Having done this there is only one commandment to concern ourselves with and that is; Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  For the young depend heavily upon the old.

A short clip from as you like it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-e7fHpQxik&feature=related

Unusually done by a woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWVCBj5v9cE&feature=related