Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Macbeth, Act IV.i ·Three Witches
"Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Double, double, toil and trouble." Three Witches — Macbeth, Act IV.i
Why it matters
"Double" scans with "trouble" — the rhyme is the whole point. The misremembered "bubble" fits the cauldron imagery but breaks the meter.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.