60:, "coil" refers to tumults or troubles. Used idiomatically, the phrase means "the bustle and turmoil of this mortal life". "Coil" was coined repeatedly; at various times people have used it as a verb to mean "to cull", "to thrash", "to lie in rings or spirals", "to turn", "to mound hay" and "to stir". As a noun it has meant "a selection", "a spiral", "the breech of a gun", "a mound of hay", "a pen for hens", and "noisy disturbance, fuss, ado". It is in this last sense, which became popular in the 16th century, that Shakespeare used the word.
30:" is a poetic term for the troubles of daily life and the strife and suffering of the world. It is used in the sense of a burden to be carried or abandoned. To "shuffle off this mortal coil" is to die, exemplified in the "
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However, there are no other references in the speech to thread, looms, or weaving (aside from Bodkin), and the remaining content of the speech matches the usage of coil, coile, or coyle to mean turmoil.
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In this way, the length of our life is metaphorically the length of thread that is coiled on a spool, a metaphor related to the ancient Greek mythological figures of the
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which was written in German, Volume 2, § 232a, conjectured that this phrase might have been involved in a typesetter's error or a slip of the author's pen.
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is an implement used in weaving. Accordingly, the meaning might be: 'when we have unwound and worked off this coil of mortality.'
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153:, Arthur Schopenhauer, Volume Two, Clarendon Press, Oxford, Oxford University Press, First Published 1974, Reissued 2000
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Should there not have been originally 'shuttled off'? This verb itself no longer exists but
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104:. As humans live, the thread is unwound from the coil by the shuttle of the loom of time.
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A Performance of Hamlet in the
Village of Mrduša Donja
185:"Shakespeare Resource Center – Line Analysis: Hamlet"
1204:
The
Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
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164:"Shuffle off this mortal coil – meaning and origin"
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16:Poetic term for the troubles of daily life
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401:The lady doth protest too much, methinks
1503:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead
1433:Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
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141:Oxford English Dictionary 1979 edition
1680:Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow
1534:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
7:
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1287:My Robin is to the greenwood gone
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576:Cultural references to Ophelia
1:
1443:Highlander II: The Quickening
372:What a piece of work is a man
1258:Tales from the Public Domain
1213:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
312:Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
21:Mortal coil (disambiguation)
1047:The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
74:
2000:
1662:The Conscience of the King
75:Schopenhauer's speculation
18:
1920:The Hobart Shakespeareans
1622:Interred with Their Bones
1150:Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
1841:The River Bank (Ophelia)
876:Let the Devil Wear Black
85:Parerga and Paralipomena
1902:The Chronicles of Amber
1870:Hamlet and His Problems
1612:The Shakespeare Stealer
1163:(BBC 2, animated, 1992)
566:Cultural references to
1473:In the Bleak Midwinter
1240:Lyle the Kindly Viking
98:
1979:Shakespearean phrases
1133:(Australian TV, 1959)
1017:The Dead Fathers Club
997:Gertrude and Claudius
590:Human skull symbolism
90:
987:Too, Too Solid Flesh
856:Hamlet Goes Business
556:Common phrases from
58:16th-century English
19:For other uses, see
1689:Slings & Arrows
1267:The Skinhead Hamlet
977:Hamlet Had an Uncle
786:The Rest Is Silence
583:Language of flowers
506:Critical approaches
489:The Spanish Tragedy
352:To be, or not to be
233:William Shakespeare
80:Arthur Schopenhauer
69:To be, or not to be
32:To be, or not to be
1929:Gertrude – The Cry
1861:Hamlet and Oedipus
1564:To Be or Not to Be
1423:To Be or Not to Be
1403:To Be or Not to Be
1386:In popular culture
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1231:The Klingon Hamlet
1140:Hamlet at Elsinore
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166:. Phrases.org.uk
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187:. Bardweb.net
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123:Vale of tears
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56:Derived from
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1824:(Waterhouse)
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1792:
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1728:
1718:
1708:
1687:
1653:The Producer
1630:
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1511:
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1491:
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985:
975:
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904:
894:
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846:Strange Brew
844:
834:
824:
814:
804:
794:
784:
601:Performances
567:
557:
533:
496:
487:
450:Substitution
360:
236:
189:. Retrieved
179:
168:. Retrieved
158:
150:
146:
137:
106:
99:
91:
83:
78:
62:
55:
43:
27:
25:
1760:The Seagull
1701:Video games
1544:Stage Blood
1153:(BBC, 1980)
1143:(BBC, 1964)
886:The Banquet
769:Adaptations
612:(1911–1912)
421:Terminology
410:Thy name is
361:Mortal coil
343:Soliloquies
118:Silver cord
67:’s famous "
40:Shakespeare
28:Mortal coil
1973:Categories
1644:Television
1513:Three Days
1121:Television
1088:Fortinbras
319:Fortinbras
247:Characters
191:2015-05-28
170:2015-05-28
129:References
71:" speech.
52:Derivation
1913:" (Haydn)
1885:Hamlet Q1
1805:(Cabanel)
1795:(Millais)
1356:(Berlioz)
1222:I, Hamlet
906:Karmayogi
630:On screen
547:Influence
498:Ur-Hamlet
469:Criticism
436:Induction
94:'shuttle'
82:, in his
36:soliloquy
1730:Elsinore
1682:" (2001)
1673:" (1983)
1664:" (1966)
1655:" (1966)
1605:" (1997)
1493:Hamlet 2
1338:(Faccio)
1328:(Thomas)
1307:" (1997)
1298:" (1992)
1186:Parodies
1100:Musicals
443:Quiddity
429:Dumbshow
284:Polonius
270:Gertrude
263:Claudius
112:See also
1878:Hebenon
1852:Related
1822:Ophelia
1803:Ophelia
1793:Ophelia
1353:Tristia
946:Ophelia
936:Hemanta
806:Ophelia
464:Sources
305:Horatio
298:Ophelia
291:Laertes
1984:Hamlet
1733:(2019)
1723:(2010)
1720:Hamlet
1713:(1993)
1692:(2003)
1635:(2020)
1632:Hamnet
1625:(2007)
1615:(1998)
1596:(1994)
1588:(1937)
1576:Novels
1567:(2008)
1557:(1991)
1547:(1974)
1537:(1966)
1516:(2012)
1506:(2009)
1496:(2008)
1486:(2002)
1476:(1995)
1466:(1994)
1456:(1993)
1446:(1991)
1436:(1990)
1426:(1983)
1416:(1973)
1406:(1942)
1376:(Dean)
1373:Hamlet
1366:(Rihm)
1344:Hamlet
1335:Amleto
1325:Hamlet
1170:Hamlet
1160:Hamlet
1130:Hamlet
1112:(1973)
1091:(1991)
1081:(1979)
1071:(1977)
1050:(2008)
1040:(2008)
1030:(2007)
1020:(2006)
1010:(2002)
1000:(2000)
990:(1989)
980:(1940)
968:Novels
959:(2019)
949:(2018)
939:(2016)
929:(2014)
919:(2014)
916:Haider
909:(2012)
899:(2009)
889:(2006)
879:(1999)
869:(1994)
859:(1987)
849:(1983)
839:(1977)
829:(1973)
819:(1968)
809:(1963)
799:(1960)
789:(1959)
620:(1964)
568:Hamlet
558:Hamlet
333:Yorick
256:Hamlet
238:Hamlet
65:Hamlet
45:Hamlet
1742:Books
1525:Plays
1394:Films
1278:Songs
1059:Plays
896:Doubt
777:Films
277:Ghost
102:Fates
758:2011
751:2000
744:1996
737:1990
730:1974
723:1969
716:1964
709:1961
702:1954
695:1948
688:1935
681:1921
674:1917
667:1913
660:1912
653:1908
646:1907
639:1900
1784:Art
1483:War
235:'s
42:'s
38:in
1975::
48:.
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225:e
218:t
211:v
194:.
173:.
26:"
23:.
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