Shakespeare Words
Shakespearean, not stirred.
If Shakespeare wrote it, we've Shmooped it.
Auspicious
Invented in Love's Labour's Lost“ | Forgive me, cousin.—Ah, dear Juliet, | |
| Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe | ||
| That unsubstantial death is amorous, | ||
| And that the lean abhorrèd monster keeps | ||
| Thee here in dark to be his paramour? | ||
| For fear of that, I still will stay with thee, | ||
| And never from this palace of dim night | ||
| Depart again. Here, here will I remain | ||
| With worms that are thy chamber maids. Oh, here | ||
| Will I set up my everlasting rest, | ||
| And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars | ||
| From this world-wearied flesh. Eyes, look your last. | ||
| Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O you | ||
| The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss | ” |
Inauspicious might be a fancy word, but we still use it today—in exactly the way Shakespeare meant it. Basically, something that's inauspicious carries bad omens. And wouldn't you know it? Romeo dies pretty much immediately after using the word. Today, inauspicious is used in a lot of religious settings—for example, folks don't like getting marries on "inauspicious" days. We guess they don't want to end up like Romeo. |
Tag: Love's Labour's Lost