All 6 Uses of
brief
in
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Uses with a very common or rare meaning:
- LYSANDER Or, if there were a sympathy in choice, War, death, or sickness, did lay siege to it, Making it momentary as a sound, Swift as a shadow, short as any dream; Brief as the lightning in the collied night That, in a spleen, unfolds both heaven and earth, And ere a man hath power to say, Behold!†
Scene 1.1
- PHILOSTRATE There is a brief how many sports are ripe; Make choice of which your highness will see first.†
Scene 5.1
- 'A tedious brief scene of young Pyramus And his love Thisbe; very tragical mirth.'†
Scene 5.1
- Merry and tragical! tedious and brief!†
Scene 5.1
- PHILOSTRATE A play there is, my lord, some ten words long, Which is as brief as I have known a play; But by ten words, my lord, it is too long, Which makes it tedious: for in all the play There is not one word apt, one player fitted: And tragical, my noble lord, it is; For Pyramus therein doth kill himself: Which when I saw rehears'd, I must confess, Made mine eyes water; but more merry tears The passion of loud laughter never shed.†
Scene 5.1
- ] HIPPOLYTA Methinks she should not use a long one for such a Pyramus: I hope she will be brief.†
Scene 5.1 *
Definition:
-
(meaning too common or rare to warrant focus) Brief is most commonly encountered as an adjective meaning "of short duration." Other meanings derive from the idea of short--as when making a long story short by summarizing it, or when wearing briefs (underwear).