Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Macbeth, Act V.v ·Macbeth
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, / Creeps in this petty pace from day to day." Macbeth — Macbeth, Act V.v
Why it matters
The triple "tomorrow" is a refrain, not a thesis. Macbeth's speech runs on to "signifying nothing" — quoting the opening alone skips the despair that gives it weight.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.