Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Hamlet, Act V.i ·Gertrude
"Sweets for the sweet."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Sweets for the sweet."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Sweets to the sweet: farewell!" Gertrude — Hamlet, Act V.i
Why it matters
"To the sweet," not "for the sweet." Gertrude is scattering flowers into Ophelia's grave — a funerary offering, not a Valentine's card, which is how the paraphrase now reads.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.