Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·Hamlet, Act V.ii ·Horatio

"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Not exactly. The full line is "Good night, sweet prince: / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" — from Hamlet, Act V.ii.

Not quite the line.

How it's usually quoted

"Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

What Shakespeare actually wrote

"Good night, sweet prince: / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!" Horatio — Hamlet, Act V.ii

Why it matters

Horatio says the line to the dying Hamlet. Repurposed as a general farewell, it reads gentle; in its place, it is elegiac and specific to Hamlet.

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