The winter of our discontent
Meaning
A period of widespread unhappiness, dissatisfaction, or a time of general unease and trouble.
Origin
The phrase springs from the very first line of William Shakespeare's chilling history play, Richard III. "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York," declares the deformed and villainous Richard, Duke of Gloucester. He refers to the grim period of the Wars of the Roses as the "winter of our discontent," now supposedly over with the ascension of King Edward IV (the "sun of York"). However, Richard himself remains consumed by his own bitter "discontent," fueled by his ambition and physical deformities, immediately plotting to shatter this new peace and seize the throne. The line thus becomes a powerful evocation of a period of deep unhappiness, even as it signals Richard's sinister intent to prolong it for others.
Examples
- After a series of economic downturns and political scandals, many people felt they were enduring the winter of their discontent.
- The long, arduous project became the winter of our discontent, pushing everyone's patience to its limits.