Wit

Explore 4 quotes about Wit

Brevity is the soul of wit.

William Shakespeare

Hamlet

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Topic

Brevity Wit Pithiness

Speaker

Lord Polonius

Author

William Shakespeare

Source

Hamlet

Medium

Play

Genre

Tragedy (play)

Language

English

Time

1616 1610s 17th century

Era

European Renaissance

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. London: Edward Blount and William and Isaac Jaggard, 1623, act 2, sc. 2.

Current Citation

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton Shakespeare, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, et al., 3rd ed., W. W. Norton & Company, 2015, act 2, sc. 2.

Wit is educated insolence.

Aristotle

Rhetoric

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Topic

Wit Being funny

Author

Aristotle

Source

Rhetoric

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Greek

Time

322 BC 320s BC 4th century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Aristotle. Rhetoric. 322 BC, bk. 2, pt. 12, sect. 16.

Current Citation

Aristotle. The Art of Rhetoric, translated by Robin Waterfield. Oxford University Press, 2018, bk. 2, pt. 12, sect. 16.

True wit is Nature to advantage dressed,
What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed.

Alexander Pope

An Essay on Criticism

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Topic

Wit

Author

Alexander Pope

Source

An Essay on Criticism

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1711 1710s 18th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Pope, Alexander, [published anonymously]. "An Essay on Criticism." London: W. Lewis, 1711, pt. 2, l. 297-298.

Current Citation

Pope, Alexander. "An Essay on Criticism." The Major Works, edited by Pat Rogers. Oxford University Press, 2009, pt. 2, I. 297-298.

Wit is the only wall
Between us and the dark.

Mark Van Doren

More information about this quote

Topic

Wit Power of humor Humor

Author

Mark Van Doren

Source

Wit

Medium

Poem

Language

English

Time

1939 1930s 20th century

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Doren, Mark Van. "Wit." Collected Poems 1922–1938. Henry Holt & Company, 1939, st. 1.