Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Hamlet, Act V.i ·Hamlet
"Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio." Hamlet — Hamlet, Act V.i
Why it matters
The direct address to Horatio grounds the whole graveyard soliloquy. "Knew him well" is more English but loses the intimate audience.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.