The Ages of Man: Shakespeare and social protection through the life-course

In our 15th Perspective, Nicholas Freeland uses Shakespeare’s depiction of the seven ages of man to explore the vulnerabilities at each stage of the life-course.

He proposes that an inclusive approach to social protection – in which schemes are oriented to addressing risks across the life-cycle – is more suited to addressing such nuances, rather than the neoliberal Conditionista ideology focusing on ‘poor relief’.

Nicholas Freeland is a Social Security practitioner. He read English (and therefore lots and lots of Shakespeare) for Part I of his University degree. As he has moved through his own life course, he is at last understanding the Bard’s messages better, and this famous monologue has assumed greater relevance.