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It is one of the countless phrases coined by William Shakespeare. It appears in his play, Hamlet, in the second act, where Polonius says, “Since brevity is the soul of wit / And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief…” However, doubt about the creation of this phrase lurks among literary circles. Some critics argue that, by using this proverb in his play, Shakespeare made it popular, though the phrase was already in use. On the other hand, some doubt the veracity of this argument.

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. On the other hand, if explored on a word-by-word level, its meanings are quite interesting. The use of the word “wit” also is debatable, which here refers to knowledge, wisdom, intelligence and humor, as it was used for wisdom and intelligence during the Shakespearean era. Hence, this phrase has won proverbial approval, which means that knowledge and intelligence need be expressed in as few words as possible.

Usage of Brevity is the Soul of Wit

The phrase is used in several rhetorical situations and contexts in modern English. It is mostly used as a sarcastic remark in response to long nonsense chattering. Modern writers use this phrase as their motto in copywriting, speeches, essays, and fictions. Politicians use it to keep their audiences glued to them lest they may leave, feeling boredom and tedium over long political speeches. Statesmen may use this to bring home their audience. Debates and common speakers can also use this phrase to demonstrate that they are about to end their speech or argument.

Literary Source of Brevity is the Soul of Wit

This phrase is used in Act-2, Scene-2, lines 86-92 of the famous play, Hamlet. It is spoken by one of its characters, Polonius. It goes thus:

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 …

(Hamlet, Act-2, Scene-2, lines 86–92)

In its real context, the phrase was meant to be an ironical statement, as one can see how brief Polonius is in telling the King and Queen that their son is mad. Polonius thinks himself the wittiest person on the planet, though his actions put him on the opposite side throughout the play. Throughout the course of time, this phrase has become a standard English proverb, though the context of its use has mostly witnessed neglect.

Literary Analysis of Brevity is the Soul of Wit

Shakespeare is the true master of crafting characters with exquisite subtleties. In Hamlet, Polonius is an incarnation of vanity and foolishness. He wastes a large amount of rhetoric in asserting his brevity. Shakespeare, through this phrase, manifests his grip on using irony, and making epigrammatic statements pregnant with meaning. In this context, it is not just the phrase, but equally noteworthy is the character who speaks it. In Jokes and Their Relation to Unconscious, Sigmund Freud aptly personifies Polonius as “the old chatterbox,” who is always least “brief” and least “witty.”

I’m struck by how different these sayings are literally, even though they all convey the same message. I’ve provided rough literal translations of the non-English ones, but they don’t really do them justice.

The Arabic one has rhyme and is only five words long, demonstrating the very feature it commends! The others are all relatively short as well (six words in English and German, seven in Spanish). The German one also has rhyme. The Spanish one doesn’t, but it does repeat a word. That one’s my favorite out of the four.

What ones do you know? What do they mean literally?

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In Greek we use the fossilised expression taken from Plato's Protagoras:

«Τὸ λακωνίζειν ἐστὶ φιλοσοφεῖν» tò lăkōnízein ĕstì pʰĭlŏsŏpʰeîn MoGr: [ˌt̠o̞.la.ko̞.ˈni.z̠in.e̞.ˈst̠i.fi.lo̞.s̠o̞.ˈfin] Roughly, The Laconic (=Spartan) way is wisdom.

The Ancient Greeks admired the Spartan way of concise and blunt articulating one's thought. Let me post a couple of famous Laconisms:

-After Philip II of Macedon had subjugated several Greek city-states already, especially after the successful Battle of Chaeronea, he sent a warning to Sparta, stating, You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I invade Laconia, I will drive you out!

The Spartan response was simply Aἷκα haîkă (If)*.

-Or when, after the disastrous Naval Battle of Cyzicus during the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan survirors despatched this message back to Sparta:

«Ἔῤῥει τὰ κᾶλα· Μίνδαρος ἀπεσσύα· πεινῶντι τὤνδρες· ἀπορίομες τὶ χρὴ δρᾶν» Ships gone; Mindarus dead; the men starving; at our wits' end what to do.

*Doric form of the Attic «εἷκα» heîkă, the substantivised 1st p. perfect indicative singular of the athematic verb «ἵημι» híēmĭ used sometimes instead of the conjuction «εἰ» ei for a relevance conditioner.

Last edited: Aug 27, 2022

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Polish

" Zwięzłość jest istotą dowcipu. " literally „brevity is the being, (essence) of wit”

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Russian: краткость - сестра таланта (krátkost' - sestrá talánta), "brevity is the sister of talent" (Anton Chekhov, 1889, from a letter to his brother Alexander).

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This makes me think of two known French sentences, but they are used in a somehow different context:

"Les plaisanteries les plus courtes sont les meilleures" (The shortest jokes are the best)

"Ce qui se conçoit simplement s'énonce clairement, et les mots pour le dire arrivent aisément" (What is simply conceived is clearly stated, and the words to say it come easily)

The latter is a quote by Nicolas Boileau, a classic French writer and poet.

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Catalan:

· Poquet i bo. "Very little and good" · Poques paraules i ben dites (or Poques raons i ben dites). "Few words but well-said ones" · Com més curt, millor. "The shorter the better" · La brevetat i l'exactitud són una virtut. "Brevity and accuracy are a virtue"

Last edited: Aug 28, 2022

elroy

Moderator: EHL, Arabic, Hebrew, German(-Spanish)

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@Yendred, is there no actual French equivalent? I’d be very surprised if it were so!

· Poques paraules i ben dites (or Poques raons i ben dites). "Few words but well-said ones"

This sounds like it’s used to remark on a specific instance of brevity, not as a general aphorism. Am I right?

Last edited: Aug 28, 2022

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  This sounds like it’s used to remark on a specific instance of brevity, not as a general aphorism. Am I right?

Right.

You made me think of one I've just added and put at the top, as it could be applied in many more instances.

elroy

Moderator: EHL, Arabic, Hebrew, German(-Spanish)

• 9

  You made me think of one I've just added and put at the top, as it could be applied in many more instances.

  · Poquet i bo. "Very little and good"

The English equivalent is “Less is more.”

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  @Yendred, is there no actual French equivalent? I’d be very surprised if it were so!

Unfortunately, I'm afraid there's none See here: Ce que j’appelle la théorie du "Less is more"

L’expression less is more parle d’elle même et il est dur de trouver une traduction aussi efficace en français, c’est pourquoi j’ai nommé mon blog « toujours moins, toujours mieux » en me disant que cela parlerait peut-être davantage aux non anglophones.

Meanwhile, it also makes me think of other French expressions: "Qui peut le plus, peut le moins" (lit. The one who can do the most, he can do the least) "Pourquoi faire compliqué quand on peut faire simple" (lit. Why make it complicated when you can make it simple)

The latter was often ironically changed into the opposite: "Pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué"

Last edited: Aug 28, 2022

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As @Yendred cites Victor Hugo, I'm sure he must be aware of an example of brevity being the soul of wit regarding the correspondence between the author and his publishers a propos the popularity of his work, Les Misérables.

The story goes that Hugo wrote,"?".

To which his publishers replied, "!".

The shortest letters on record.

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Well found @Welsh_Sion Yes indeed, I knew that story

And by the way, my signature quote is taken from Les Misérables

The story goes that Hugo wrote,"?". To which his publishers replied, "!".

In Spanish, it would have been twice as long: - ¿? - ¡!

Last edited: Aug 28, 2022

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  In Greek we use the fossilised expression taken from Plato's Protagoras:

And, of course: «οὐκ ἐν τῷ πολλῷ τὸ εὖ» "plenty does not mean good", "less is more".

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It is not a sentence, but : "Kort en goed" (Short and good), but there might be others...

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'Short and sweet' is close to 'brevity is the soul of wit' in meaning.

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  Unfortunately, I'm afraid there's none See here: Ce que j’appelle la théorie du "Less is more"

But how about a trick/... with concis (concise)? Something with Descartes? I have found what I meant, but it does not refer to conciseness really: "Que nous ne saurions faillir en ne jugeant que des choses que nous apercevons clairement et distinctement." I suppose it does imply that conciseness/... is needed as well, but I am not 100 % sure...

Last edited: Sep 2, 2022

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  "Que nous ne saurions faillir en ne jugeant que des choses que nous apercevons clairement et distinctement."

I didn't know the quote, but I understand it as: "we can only make a judgement about things that we clearly see", so unfortunately nothing to do with "less is more".

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You know, my association was: if your ideas are worded using lots of words, they bcome "hidden", un-clear, and therefore one must keep sentences and texts concise. But those might be an "idiosyncratic" idea.