What shakespeare play says brevity is the soul of wit?

Answer 1

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is a line from Hamlet, Act 2. It is said by Polonius, and it is ironic because although Polonius is saying that brevity is a virtue, it appears to be a virtue he does not posess. He is incapable of brevity, which by his maxim means he has very little wit.

Answer 2

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is a quotation from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2. It is said by the tedious counselor Polonius, who ironically is neither brief nor witty.

The play is Hamlet, Act II, scene ii, line 90:

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, day, and time;

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,

And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,

I will be brief. Your noble son is mad. . . .

The play 'Hamlet' contains this proverb, but Shakespeare also made other references to ephemerality outside of the context of concise expression and more within the sense of human lives in other plays; the sense of 'brevity' in 'The Tempest' could make an interesting comparison with the more light-hearted sense of this proverb in 'Hamlet.'

Answer 3

This is said by Polonius in Hamlet in Act 2 Scene 2. The irony is, of course, that Polonius cannot be brief and is of course witless (but does not have the wit to realize he is saying this about himself.) Here's the context: Polonius is about to tell the king and queen that he thinks Hamlet is crazy from frustrated love for Ophelia, Polonius's daughter. He says this:

My liege and madam, to expostulate what majesty should be, what duty is, why day is day, night is night and time is time, were but to waste night, day, and time. Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief. Your noble son is mad.

When he says "I will be brief" we are tempted to shout out "Too Late!", but the succinctness of "Your noble son is mad" is promising. Can he keep up this brevity? Alas, no, he cannot help himself and blithers on as follows:

Mad call I it for to define true madness, what is't but to be nothing else but mad?

Thanks, Captain Obvious. Evidently he realizes that he has failed in his project to be more succinct that has been his usual practise. He says:

But let that go.

To which Gertrude, who is a true mistress of brevity and pithiness responds:

More matter with less art.

Indeed.

Answer 4

Polonius, in Act 2. It is ironic because Polonius is a long-winded blowhard, and the speech the quotation comes from is itself unnecessarily long.

Answer 5

"Brevity is the soul of wit" is from Lord Polonious' speech in Shakespeare's Hamlet, in Act II, scene ii.

Answer 6

"Brevity is the soul of wit" comes from William Shakespeare's Hamlet (act II, scene ii).

Answer 7

Polonius says it. But it is ironic because at the time Polonius is being anything but brief. It is almost as if he cannot help drivelling on and on, even when he is trying to be pithy.