Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III.ii ·Puck
"What fools these mortals be!"
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"What fools these mortals be!"
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!" Puck — A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III.ii
Why it matters
The "Lord" is an exclamation, not an address — Puck is amused, not praying. Without it, the line reads colder than Shakespeare wrote it.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.