Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·272 of 348
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."
They never said that.
What people say
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."
What was actually said
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Dick the Butcher — Henry VI Part II (c. 1591) IV.ii
Why it stuck
Correct as words. But the speaker is a rebel conspirator plotting to overthrow civil order — killing the lawyers is the first step in ending due process. Shakespeare is praising the profession by having its destruction be the criminals' aim. The modern anti-lawyer quote flips the meaning.
The American Bar Association has repeatedly cited this context as a defence of the profession. It is literally what the line does in the play.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.