Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·113 of 348
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
They never said that.
What people say
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
What was actually said
"Hell is empty, / And all the devils are here." Ferdinand — The Tempest (I.ii)
Why it stuck
The line is typically quoted correctly but misattributed — sometimes to Melville, sometimes to Conrad. It is Shakespeare's Ferdinand, surveying the shipwreck.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.