Language

". . . to gain the language/it is needful that the most immodest word/be look'd upon and learn'd . . . " - Shakespeare, Henry IV Part II

You Don't Know Shakespeare: Seven Sexy Scenes

We have moved Bruce Deitrick Price from the Education to the Language section in order to entertain you with the pleasure of his article on the nature of Shakespeare's bawdy misdirection.  Bruce suggests this is less understood by today's audiences than it was by the 16th and 17th century audiences for whom it was conceived.

Elizabethan England was a raunchier time, says Bruce.  It has been claimed that the great dramatist's works include more than 1100 puns on sex and genitalia which have been a problem for prudes and teachers ever since they were written.  But his audience of the time needed no explanation.  They got it.  According to Bruce Deitrick Price, a lot of Shakespeare is like a high class version of "Who's on First?"

And for those of our readers who may not understand the significance of that comment, it is a reference to a film and radio sketch of the 1940s, by the American comedy double act of Abbot and Costello, about a baseball game.  This can be found on You Tube for those interested - at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbJwwJ33TEI.