Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Macbeth, Act I.i ·Three Witches
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair: / Hover through the fog and filthy air." Three Witches — Macbeth, Act I.i
Why it matters
The couplet is the witches' thesis statement. The second line anchors it in physical setting; popular quotation severs it from the weird moorland where the play begins.
More from the canon.
Browse the rest of the shelf, or try a cold reading.