Oscar Wilde
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) — Algernon, Act I
Documented source
Attribution
Oscar Wilde
Source
Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) — Algernon, Act I
In full
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”
Status
Public domain in the United States
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About this line
Wilde hands the line to Algernon — his most charming liar — in Act I of Earnest, a play where everyone is performing something. That the truest observation comes from the least trustworthy character is the whole joke, and the whole point.
Why we carry this line
I said “truth” when I initially read this. And immediately added to our quote list.
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