Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·284 of 348
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
They never said that.
What people say
"The pen is mightier than the sword."
What was actually said
"Beneath the rule of men entirely great, / The pen is mightier than the sword." Cardinal Richelieu — Richelieu, II.ii (1839) by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Why it stuck
Bulwer-Lytton's Cardinal Richelieu delivers the line; a stage play turned it into a proverb.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.