Who first used the term “charmed life”?
Shakespeare! Good heavens, he came up with a lot. I was
researching the roots of “a charmed life” and found this on www.phrases.org.uk:
Meaning
A life of guaranteed
good fortune or invulnerability, by virtue of a charm or spell.
Origin
From
Shakespeare’s Macbeth, 1605:
“Thou losest labour:
As easy mayst thou the
intrenchant air
With thy keen sword impress
as make me bleed:
Let fall thy blade on
vulnerable crests;
I bear a charmed life,
which must not yield,
To one of woman born.”
And a bit of theatrical trivia: Did you know that Macbeth is supposed to curse theaters? Actors refer to it as “the Scottish play.”