Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage"

"All the world's a stage" monologue from As You Like It by William Shakespeare (Act II, Scene VII):

"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.

Then the whining schoolboy, 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 honor, 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 lined. 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 slippered pantaloon. With spectacles on nose and pouch on side. His youthful hose well saved, 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."

When did you last read the entire passage as opposed to the famous first line? The common understanding is that this passage reflects the seven stages of life, Jacque’s life to be specific. Growing from a puking baby all the way to a second childishness in old age with no teeth, eyes, and taste. 

Source: ChatGPT, 2/28/25

What Do I Think?

Over the past 6 weeks, we have witnessed rapid and horrifying events that suggest our 248-year-old country may be transmogrifying. Our robust three-legged balance of power is merging rapidly into a single, solid leg. Or picture a stunning three-stemmed red rose bush morphing into a single-trunk baobab tree, leafless, grey, and barren. 

Image by freepik

In December, I blogged “The US is a Colonial Power”. The expansionist, colonial role is a milestone of being an empire. Will the US reach its 250th Anniversary next year as a democratic country with a Bill of Rights and rule of law or will it reflect the same kingdom that the founding fathers turned their backs on in the late 1700s?

I am beginning to believe that Shakespeare’s passage is really about great empires that have risen and fallen. Think of the Mongols, Mughals, Ottomans, Japanese, Qing, Romans, and British.

Here is how ChatGPT compared these empires:

Empire - Lifespan: Peak Power - Major Decline or Fall

• Mongol Empire - 162 years: 1206–1279 (China fully conquered) -1368 (Yuan Dynasty falls)
• Ottoman Empire - 623 years: 1453–1683 (Constantinople, Vienna Siege) -1800s–1922 (Dissolution)
• Mughal Empire - 331 years: 1556–1707 (Akbar to Aurangzeb) - 1857 (British control)
• Qing Dynasty - 268 years: 1680s–1800s (Pax Sinica) - 1912 (End of Imperial China)
• Japanese Empire - 77 years: 1905–1942 (Defeat of Russia, WWII expansion) - 1945 (WWII defeat)
• Roman Empire - 503 years (West): 27 BCE–200s CE - 476 CE (Fall of Rome)
• British Empire - 414 years: 1815–1914 (Global dominance) - 1947–1997 (Decolonization)

What did AI say about the USA? It said:

"United States - 248+ years: 1945–present (WWII superpower) - TBD (Signs of decline?)"

Why Should You Care?

If you are a United States resident, this is your country. Where do you see it going and what are you going to do about it? 

Ask your favorite Artificial Intelligence assistant to: “apply Shakespeare’s “Seven Ages of Man” to the rise and fall of the United States. Where are we today?” Let me know what you get and what you think. More importantly, let your elected representatives know what you think.

Disclaimer: the views expressed are solely my own, published under my first amendment rights, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government or any of its federal agencies.