In Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It, the character Jaques compares the life of a human being to a theatrical performance, a genre the Bard knew well: "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 . . ." (Act 2, Scene 7).Two aspects of this familiar metaphor intrigue us. First is the awareness that life has a dramaturgical flavor. Second is the surprising fact that none of Shakespeare's "seven ages" of life addresses parenting or, more specifically, fathering.' With this chapter, we hope to claim the gift that Shakespeare has given us-the metaphor of a drama to speak about human We gratefully acknowledge helpful suggestions received from Ed