Primrose Path
Encyclopedia
To be "led down the primrose
path" is an idiom
suggesting that one is being deceived or led astray, often by a hypocrite. The primrose path also refers to someone living a life of luxury apparently linking primroses to libertine indulgence.
An early appearance of the phrase in print occurs in Shakespeare
's 1602 play Hamlet
(Act I, Scene III), where Ophelia, rebuffing her brother Laertes
' insistence that she resist Hamlet's advances, warns Laertes against hypocrisy:
Variations of the phrase, such as "primrose way" and "primrose lane" are known. In Macbeth
, the Porter speaks of "the primrose way to th'everlasting bonfire".
Primulaceae
Primulaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 24 genera, including some favorite garden plants and wildflowers. It is also known as the primrose family.- Genera :...
path" is an idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
suggesting that one is being deceived or led astray, often by a hypocrite. The primrose path also refers to someone living a life of luxury apparently linking primroses to libertine indulgence.
An early appearance of the phrase in print occurs in Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's 1602 play Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(Act I, Scene III), where Ophelia, rebuffing her brother Laertes
Laertes
In Greek mythology, Laërtes was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. He was the father of Odysseus and Ctimene by his wife Anticlea, daughter of the thief Autolycus. Laërtes was an Argonaut and participated in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar...
' insistence that she resist Hamlet's advances, warns Laertes against hypocrisy:
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles, like a puff'd and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads
And recks not his own rede.
Variations of the phrase, such as "primrose way" and "primrose lane" are known. In Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, the Porter speaks of "the primrose way to th'everlasting bonfire".