All the world's a stage

Cultural  

1. The beginning of a speech in the play As You Like It, by William Shakespeare. It is also called “The Seven Ages of Man,” because it treats that many periods in a man's life: his years as infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, judge, foolish old man, and finally “second childishness and mere oblivion.” The speech begins: “All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players….”

---

Example Sentences

All the world’s a stage, and all the cadets are merely players.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

As part of our conversation, we decided that Shakespeare was right: "All the world's a stage" and we had both played many roles.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2023

All the world’s a stage but all of L.A. is a musical in the new romantic drama “Soundtrack.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2019

But, as the Bard wrote, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances."

From US News • Dec. 16, 2014

I have never heard the speech beginning "All the world's a stage" delivered more finely, not even by Phelps, who was fine in the part.

From The Story of My Life Recollections and Reflections by Terry, Ellen