Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Macbeth, Act II.ii ·Lady Macbeth
"A little water will wash away this deed."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"A little water will wash away this deed."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"A little water clears us of this deed." Lady Macbeth — Macbeth, Act II.ii
Why it matters
She says "clears us," not "washes." The irony lands later: in her sleepwalking scene she scrubs imaginary blood forever. The paraphrase flattens the foreshadowing.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.