Shakespeare was not the first author to compare the world to a stage and life to a play, but his rendition is by far the most famous. In Act II, Scene VII of “As You Like It”, the melancholy Jaques begins a monologue with a quote that has truly transcended time:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
This sentiment so resonated with Shakespeare that it became the motto of The Globe Theater when it opened in 1599: Totus mundus agit histrionem (All the world plays the actor). While the earliest version has been attributed to Petronius, each generation that follows breathes new life into the timeless quip.
In the rendition of most recent popularity, this concept was animated by DeeKayMotion in his cryptoart masterpiece “Life and Death”, immortalized in the collection of Cozomo de Medici and further documented by HouseOfEste.
Shakespeare’s passage is often called “The Seven Ages of Man” as it proceeds to catalog and describe the 7 stages of a man’s life. DeeKayMotion commits the concept to an arcade-infused version of the modern man, crafting an animation that sets the stage for us: Shakespeare’s Theater of the Mind.
Shakespeare’s Theater of the Mind
Nowhere does Shakespeare’s quote ring more true than in a web3 world, where individuals can participate in the plot and communities wield power. The world is becoming a stage like never before… and everyone reading this can play along.
Our aspirations are astronomical- we hope to one day revolutionize the face of entertainment; but our expectations are humble- we’re exploring new technologies, experimenting with AI, and attracting a community of like-minded people that want to help pioneer a paradigm shift.
It all starts here, with “All The World’s A Stage”, the first NFT in our Gallery of 1,000 Words.
The Winning Image
The inaugural NFT was submitted by HouseOfEste and selected from 13 total options crafted using Midjourney.
The field was narrowed down to a head-to-head vote and ultimately a winner declared.
The crowded theater, fisheye lens, and peeking eye are meant to be thought-provoking but also a little unsettling. It gives us pause- making us wonder about the scale and location of the theater.
Is this earth? Where are we? Are we watching or being watched? Playing or being played? Anything is possible in Shakespeare’s Theater of the Mind!
The Full Monologue
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. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well sav’d, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion;
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.