QuoteQuest“All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”
— William Shakespeare, 1599
Verification
VerifiedWording confirmed against a primary source.
Matches the First Folio text in modern spelling.
Source
- Title
- As You Like It
- Type
- play · Primary source
- Date
- c. 1599
- Location
- Act 2, Scene 7
- Held by
- Folger Shakespeare Library
Context
Spoken by the melancholy Jaques, introducing the "seven ages of man".
What it means
Life is compared to a play in which each person acts out roles across a lifetime.
Cite this source
Shakespeare, William. (c. 1599). As You Like It. Folger Shakespeare Library. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/as-you-like-it/
Check citations against your institution's style guide; some details may be missing.
Provenance: Manually entered from the Folger edition.