William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part II includes the line "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." The president of the Canadian Bar Association interpreted this quotation as

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The line "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" is often misunderstood as a condemnation of lawyers. However, in context, it is actually spoken by a rebel character who seeks to overthrow the rule of law and replace it with tyranny. The line is meant to suggest that in order to establish an oppressive regime, the first thing one must do is eliminate the rule of law, and by extension, the lawyers who uphold it. Therefore, the line can be seen as a comment on the importance of the "rule of law" rather than a threat or insult to lawyers.

William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part II Includes the Line "The