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‘Brevity is the soul of wit’ is a Shakespeare quote that has become one of his most enduring idioms. It is spoken by Polonius, in act 2, scene 2 of Hamlet. In modern times we talk about someone as being witty, and by that we mean a person who uses language to say something funny or amusing.
Meaning of Brevity is the Soul of Wit. This phrase has multiplicity of meanings. In one sense, it means that a good piece of writing, or a good speech, should be brief and concise. However, in another sense, it implies that funny speech should be short; otherwise, it tends to lose its flavor.
Shakespeare uses “brevity is the soul of wit” in Act II Scene II of Hamlet. This well-loved play describes the fallout after Prince Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark, is murdered by his brother, Hamlet’s uncle. The quote appears in context below: My liege, and madam, to expostulate.
To be (appropriately) brief, ‘brevity is the soul of wit’ means that clever people can express what they wish to say using few words. Or, to put it another, being long-winded and verbose is therefore the enemy of intellect. We need to understand what ‘wit’ means in this context.
The proverbial expression ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’ is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 1602: LORD POLONIUS. This business is well ended. My liege, and madam, to expostulate. What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul ...
Brevity is the soul of wit. Polonius: My liege, and madam, to expostulate. What majesty should be, what duty is, What day is day, night night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night,...
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad. Mad call I it, for, to define true madness, What is ’t but to be nothing else but mad? But let that go.
To say that brevity is the soul of wit is to say that keeping something succinct sounds wiser, wittier, and even funnier than a long, drawn-out statement. This phrase is often given as advice or as a statement commending someone for an exceptionally witty statement.
(90) Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad: Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad?
Jun 19, 2020 · Brevity is the soul of wit is an expression that comes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It means that speech and writing sound their best—either their funniest and wittiest, or their wisest and most intelligent—when short and concise.
