What does Hamlet mean by “shuffled off this mortal coil”?

What does Hamlet mean by “shuffled off this mortal coil”?

Answer

The soliloquy in the play Hamlet by Shakespeare is one of the most famous where the character contemplates suicide and whether life is worth living. He says that the sufferings of life are “the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to.” Through the metaphor of “shuffling off this mortal coil,” Hamlet is talking of our shedding this earthly, bodily existence after death. The coil symbolizes the trials and tribulations of residing in our human, physical bodies. When we die we shuffle off this coil which means we cast off the chains and sorrows of our finite human condition. Hamlet inquires on whether the dreams that may come in the sleep of death justify enduring the whips and scorns of life over committing suicide. Finally, the fear of the unknown after-life keeps Hamlet alive suffering through the problems of life.