Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Hamlet, Act II.ii ·Hamlet
"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Hamlet — Hamlet, Act II.ii
Why it matters
Correctly quoted — but frequently repackaged as life advice. Hamlet is deflecting an accusation from Rosencrantz, using sophistry, not dispensing a maxim.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.