William Shakespeare is known for his profound philosophies on life. "The Seven Ages of Man" is no exception - but is more relatable to us today which further amplifies its effect and meaning. There are many details in this dramatic monologue which help to decipher the theme and message of the text. This monologue in Shakespeare's play "As You Like It" portrays the seven stages of life from a person's birth to their death. One interesting detail to the monologue that builds its theme is the line "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Shakespeare proceeds to state that "one man in his time plays many parts". This could have many interpretations, but it is logical to deduce that Shakespeare is commenting on the concept of determinism - the idea that a person's fate and decisions are determined by factors outside his or her will. This is powerful for Shakespeare is stating that people are given a role or "part" in life as "actors", comparing their stage entrance and exit from the world to birth and death. This can further be extrapolated to the thematic idea that life cycles will repeat, predeterminately, as roles on a stage repeat with each showing. The stages of life that Shakespeare presents are the core pieces of the monologue, and also contain many interesting outlooks on life and builds upon the universal theme. The stages seem to depict the evolution of wisdom and adaptability in life. The infant starts in the nurse's arms, puking and crying and unadapted. As the infant matures and progresses in stage he gradually becomes more mature and less ignorant, until the stages of the lover and the soldier come. He then encounters his first major afflictions, "sighing like a furnace". He starts to grow more wise and liberal - and more reflective on his purpose in the world. Importantly, he starts to conform to the ways of life. He starts to understand his roles and his stage acts, embarking on journeys to embark, unknown of its destination but with a faith in his heart that he has done what he needed to do. He then continues to grow in knowledge and wisdom until his untimely passing. Shakespeare's primary theme showed how the universal and repeating cycle of human life played out - naivete to pain, pain to wisdom, and wisdom to death. The theme can be concluded to be dark for in his description the man only learns how to live shortly before his death.