Shakespeare's Bawdy

Shakespeare's Bawdy serves as a dictionary and commentary on the sexual language, erotic references, and ribald content found throughout Shakespeare's plays and poetry. This linguistic reference work catalogs and explicates hundreds of terms and phrases that carried bawdy meanings during the Elizabethan era. Partridge organizes the material into two main sections: a comprehensive glossary of terms arranged alphabetically, and a series of essays examining the patterns of sexual wordplay in specific works. The glossary provides historical context, contemporary meanings, and citations showing how each term appears in Shakespeare's writings. The book functions as both a scholarly resource and a window into the earthy humor and frank sexuality present in Shakespeare's time. Partridge's analysis demonstrates how sexual puns and double entendres operate on multiple levels within the texts. This work challenges sanitized interpretations of Shakespeare while illuminating how bawdy language served dramatic and poetic purposes beyond mere vulgar jokes. The sexual content emerges as integral to Shakespeare's explorations of human nature, relationships, and social conventions.

Readers describe this reference work as thorough but sometimes difficult to navigate. Multiple reviewers note its value for Shakespeare scholars and actors while finding the academic tone dry for casual readers. Likes: - Detailed etymology and historical context for sexual terms - Cross-referencing system between entries - Inclusion of both obvious and subtle innuendos - Helps modern readers catch jokes that would be clear to Elizabethan audiences Dislikes: - Dense academic language - Organization makes quick lookups challenging - Some entries feel speculative or reach too far for sexual meanings - Price high for a reference book of this size "More suited for research than entertainment" notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads user calls it "exhaustively researched but exhausting to read." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (219 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (31 ratings) LibraryThing: 3.8/5 (15 ratings)

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Filthy Shakespeare by Pauline Kiernan Decodes the hidden sexual references and crude jokes in Shakespeare's plays through historical and linguistic analysis.

Shakespeare's Words by David Crystal, Ben Crystal Presents a comprehensive glossary of Shakespeare's language including slang, innuendo, and period-specific meanings.

A Dictionary of Sexual Language and Imagery in Shakespearean and Stuart Literature by Gordon Williams Chronicles sexual euphemisms and bawdy references across Renaissance literature with historical context and citations.

Shakespeare After All by Marjorie Garber Examines Shakespeare's plays through multiple interpretive lenses including linguistic patterns, sexual themes, and cultural meanings.

🎭 Eric Partridge spent over 20 years collecting and analyzing Shakespeare's sexual puns, double entendres, and bawdy references before publishing the first edition in 1947. 📚 The book includes both a comprehensive dictionary of sexual terms used by Shakespeare and detailed commentary on how these terms appear in specific plays and sonnets. ⚔️ The work revealed that "Much Ado About Nothing" contained a sexual pun in its very title - "nothing" was Elizabethan slang for female genitalia. 🎨 Partridge's analysis showed that "Romeo and Juliet," often viewed as a pure romance, contains over 100 sexual references and innuendos. 👑 The book became so influential that the Royal Shakespeare Company began using it as a reference guide to help actors better understand and deliver their lines with appropriate subtext.