Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Macbeth, Act I.iv ·Macbeth

"Stars, hide your fires. Let not light see my dark desires."

Not exactly. The full line is "Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires." — from Macbeth, Act I.iv.

Not quite the line.

How it's usually quoted

"Stars, hide your fires. Let not light see my dark desires."

What Shakespeare actually wrote

"Stars, hide your fires; / Let not light see my black and deep desires." Macbeth — Macbeth, Act I.iv

Why it matters

"Black and deep," not "dark" — two adjectives stacked for weight. The paraphrase compresses the colour and depth into one softer word.

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