Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·41 of 348
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
They never said that.
What people say
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
What was actually said
"Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief." Polonius — Hamlet (1600) II.ii
Why it stuck
Polonius — again — says this, then is anything but brief for the remainder of the scene. The isolated aphorism is wisdom; in Shakespeare's hands, the whole speech is comic self-refutation.
Shakespeare uses Polonius for three of the most-misattributed-to-Shakespeare life mottoes in English.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.