Vol. 08 · Shakespeare ·The Tempest, Act I.ii ·Ariel (reporting)
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
Not quite the line.
How it's usually quoted
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
What Shakespeare actually wrote
"Hell is empty / And all the devils are here." Ariel (reporting) — The Tempest, Act I.ii
Why it matters
Correctly quoted; often attributed to Shakespeare generally rather than Ariel specifically. The context is Ariel narrating the shipwreck — tabloid drama, not a world-weary maxim.
More from the canon.
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