In the famous ‘all the world’s stage’ speech in As You Like It, Shakespeare – through Jaques – speaks of the seven ages of Man. These seven ages may seem a little contrived, and others have suggested different ones. However, what if we apply the idea to Woman? What might the ‘seven ages of Woman’ be?
Here is a (very) tentative list of seven (st)ages in the female lifespan as "qui fait réfléchir”.
- Birth
- Childhood
- Menarche (attaining adulthood/reproductive capacity)
- Reproductively active
- Climacteric (transition from reproductive capacity)
- Menopause
- Postmenopause (post-reproductive phase)
NB Please note how I deliberately refrained from using blank verse.
