Polonius says it in act 2, scene 2. Simply put, brevity is the soul of wit means
that clever people can express intelligent things using very few words
. The line itself is actually an example of Shakespeare’s humor, because Polonius tends to have long, rambling speeches to say simple things.
When Polonius says brevity is the soul of wit in view of what we know about Polonius this is?
If something can be said in one sentence, Polonius will say it in a paragraph; if something can be spoken in 30 seconds, Polonius will speak it in 5 minutes. The fact that he says “brevity is the soul of wit” is
an ironic self-indictment–he’s not brief, so he lacks wit.
Who does Polonius says Brevity is the soul of wit to?
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.
Who said since brevity is the soul of wit I will be brief?
In Act1 Scene 2,
Polonius
says, “Since brevity is the soul of wit… I will be brief.” How is this ironic?
What is Polonius most famous line?
Polonius’s most famous lines are found in Act 1 Scene 3 (“
Neither a borrower nor a lender be
“; “To thine own self be true”) and Act 2 Scene 2 (“Brevity is the soul of wit”; and “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t”) while others have become paraphrased aphorisms (“Clothes make the man”; “Old friends are …
What is T but nothing else but mad?
I will be brief: your noble son is mad. 95Mad call I it, for, to define true madness, What is ‘t but to be nothing else but mad?
But let that go
.
What literary device is brevity is the soul of wit?
Literary Analysis of Brevity is the Soul of Wit
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.
Why is Polonius ironic?
For example, his first bit of advice to Laertes is don’t tell people what is on your mind, or act hastily. Certainly this is ironic because
Polonius is unable to act as he instructs his son to act while away at school
. Polonius cannot keep his mouth shut. If he has a thought, he must share it.
Why does Hamlet call Polonius a fishmonger?
The primary reason he ironically calls Polonius a fishmonger is (4) so
that he can express his disrespect for Polonius’s honesty
, or for what Hamlet perceives as his dishonesty: “I would you were so honest a man.” This perception of dishonesty is Hamlet’s suspicion or knowledge of being manipulated and spied on by …
Who says the following line Get thee to a nunnery?
HAMLET
: Get thee to a nunnery, go. Farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too.
What does lack gall mean?
Small pigeons are known as
doves
, and, in the Renaissance, the gentle disposition of the dove was explained by the argument that it had no gall and thus no capacity to feel resentment or to seek revenge. The liver also was seen as the body’s storehouse for courage.
Why does he need proof that the ghost is honest?
What contrast does Hamlet make between himself and the Player King? … Why does he need proof that the ghost is honest?
to assure that Claudius is the true killer
.
With what famous words does Act II end
?
What is the tone of Ophelia’s soliloquy?
What is the tone of Ophelia’s soliloquy? She is
sad, confused, upset, and needs answers
. She wonders what happened to Hamlet, someone who used to be the jewel of the Kingdom, but is now a madman.
What are Polonius last words?
Dead, for a ducat, dead! [Behind]
O, I am slain
! O me, what hast thou done?
How does Polonius conclude Hamlet is mad?
Therefore, Polonius has come to the conclusion that
Hamlet does actually love Ophelia
, and he thinks that Hamlet believes that his love for Ophelia is unrequited—that she does not return his feelings since she has refused to see him or accept any tokens from him (at her father’s direction)—and that this has driven …
Who is Polonius spying on?
At the top of Act II Polonius instructs Reynaldo to spy on
his son, Laertes
, in Paris. Polonius goes into great detail, explaining not only the types of information he wants, but also how Reynaldo should go about procuring that information.
