Shakespeare’s Top 10 Dirty Jokes

I work hard to make sure kids find him funny with my Shakespeare for Kids books.  But what’s equally clear to me, teens generally consider Shakespeare boring or “Why is my teacher wasting my life reading this #$%@”  As I have seen on Twitter many times.  But hey, if it’s not presented right, it comes across that there are a lot of big words, most of the language we don’t really understand, and don’t even mention iambic pentameter, what the heck is that?

That being said they don’t realize how funny and ironic he really is. And we all know his jokes inside jokes are littered throughout his plays.  Many of us are also aware that he has many sexual innuendoes throughout the plays.  So here is a shortlist of the top 10 dirty jokes. I can’t take credit, but I can definitely share the love! I’ll share the first one and you can go to the site to see the balance.  Enjoy this wonderful article by Kalli Damschen, Baylor University.  10 of Shakespeare’s Best Dirty Jokes

1. TWELFTH NIGHT: ACT 1, SCENE 3

SIR ANDREW
But it becomes me well enough, does ’t not?
SIR TOBY BELCH
Excellent; it hangs like flax on a distaff; and I
hope to see a housewife take thee between her legs
and spin it off.

In this scene, Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew are discussing Andrew’s hair, which is apparently flat and lifeless. While Toby uses the image of a woman spinning yarn from flax, the line is a rather unfortunate double entendre. Essentially, Sir Toby is telling Andrew that he hopes a woman takes him “between her legs” and that he contracts syphilis, a disease which causes hair loss.

#2… 10 of Shakespeare’s Best Dirty Jokes

Photo credit: Mental Floss