All That Glitters Is Not Gold – Part 2

Research #5 – “All that glitters is not gold; Often have you heard that told: Many a man his life hath sold: But my outside to behold, Gilded tombs do worms enfold.” Written by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, 1596. In the original editions where the phrase was written, Shakespeare wrote “glisters” then later in a misprint “glitters” was printed. The change was only accepted because the two words mean the same thing.

I discovered that our second guess to the meaning of “all that glitters is not gold” was correct. The phrase suggests that appearances and surfaces of things can be misleading. People or objects that sound and seem up-scale could be worthless and a waste of your time. Often people have used the expression to describe politicians or hypocrites.

Before Shakespeare made his permanent mark on the way we express the idea today, there were many renditions of the phrase. In the 12th century Alain de Lille, the French theologian wrote for us, “Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold”. In the poem The House of Fame, 1380 Geoffrey Chaucer wrote, “Hit is not al gold, that glareth”. It makes sense why and how Shakespeare’s version stuck and is still used today. It is clear and concise. This expression like itself has a clear and concise history. We don’t know how any of these writers thought up the idea, but it’s an idea and expression that will never dull.