all the world's a stage
Existence is performance
A line from Shakespeare's *As You Like It*, now a common expression meaning that life resembles a theatrical performance—people play roles, make entrances and exits, and perform for others.
The full speech compares the stages of human life to acts in a play: All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.
- ShakespeareElizabethan dramatist and poet
- theaterVenue for live drama
- performanceCarrying out a task
- dramatic monologuePoem as character's speech
- actorsThose playing roles
players · playing a part · theatrical performance · exits · entrances · roles · drama · curtain · curtain call · soliloquy · masquerade · illusion · pretense · masks · comedy · tragedy · Jacques · As You Like It
- Shakespeare phrasesto be or not to be, et tu Brute, out damned spot, friends Romans countrymen, once more unto the breach
- classic excerptsto be or not to be, call me Ishmael, once upon a time, nevermore, et tu Brute
- Literary Phrasesto be or not to be, carpe diem, et tu Brute, call me Ishmael, once upon a time
- theaterplays, play, onstage, acting, auditorium
- catchphrasescatchphrase, why so serious, cowabunga, good grief, yabba dabba doo
all the world's a stagewhat you see is what you get
No deception or concealment
all the world's a stagefree will
Autonomous choice capacity
self-determination · spontaneity · improvisation · agency · carpe diem
world, worlds, worldly, worldwide, worldliness, otherworldly, stage, stages, staged