Where Did the Phrase ‘Mortal Coil’ Originate?

Hi everyone, I had to look this up, but Denis provided a much better answer than I could.

The phrase “mortal coil” is derived from 16th-century English and originates from Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's renowned works. It signifies the troubles and suffering of daily life. For instance, in a famous soliloquy in Hamlet, the character debates the notion of suicide:

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil

Mortal coil is a vivid expression that has endured through the centuries. It comes from the famous speech in Hamlet that begins with the soliloquy “To be or not to be.” The phrase “shuffled off this mortal coil” is an excellent example of how Shakespeare used familiar words in new and creative ways to add color to his text.

Why were you unable to find this out for yourself? We should practice using simple search engines like Google to find answers to our questions. It’s poetry which often combines multiple meanings. The allusion I like best is to Greek mythology, where the three Fates or Moirai had the job of creating an individual mortal life by spinning Time into a coiled thread, measuring it to determine how long a person would live, and then cutting the thread to indicate death.

Derivation

Mortal coil is derived from 16th-century English. It is in this last sense which became popular in the 16th century that Shakespeare used the word. Hamlet's famous “To be or not to be” passage plays a crucial role in cementing the phrase in the English language.

To understand the historical context, it is important to delve into the origins of the term and its connections to Shakespearean literature. The figure of speech emphasizes the ephemeral nature of mortal life and the hardships one must endure. Its modern usage still conveys a poignant sense of the frailty and burden of human existence.