Filthy Shakespeare: Shakespeare's Most Outrageous Sexual Puns

When I was in high school, my English teacher let us in on some of the more tame references and innuendos in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. She may not have gotten away with being more explicit (particularly since one parent had already complained about our reading Of Mice and Men). But, she did manage to give us a taste...

With Filthy Shakespeare: Shakespeare's Most Outrageous Sexual Puns, Pauline Kiernan offers a modern-day translation of some of the most hilarious (and would-be controversial) lines in William Shakespeare's plays. Do you know what all you've missed in the Shakespeare's works?

In this book, Kiernan offers enlightening details related to the funny, sexy (even shocking?) language of William Shakespeare--with more than 70 examples of Shakespeare at his bawdy best. She pulls from The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Tempest, and King Lear--along with the other plays and poetry. Shakespeare wrote about sex, body parts, and beyond. Without an understanding of his use of double entendre, innuendos and other devices, you may well have missed much of the significance of what Shakespeare was really saying.

A Solution to the Problem?

As we look for ways to entice the young and uninitiated to the wonderful world of literature (and the classics), this book may offer one entertaining solution. We can laugh and learn, and somehow even realize that Shakespeare is one of those old, white dead guys, who can be so difficult, daunting and discouraging to some readers. But, with a little understanding, Shakespeare's works can also be riotous fun!