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William Shakespeare on Funny

1564–1616 England

← All quotes by William Shakespeare

22 quotes

A good old man, sir: he will be talking, as they say, When the age is in, the wit is out.

I am not only witty in myself, but the cause that wit is in other men.

Rudeness is a sauce to his good wit,
Which gives men stomach to digest his words,
With better appetite.

Julius Cæsar (1599)

Thy wit is a very bitter sweeting: it is most sharp sauce.

Romeo and Juliet (1597)

Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth; it catches.

Your wit's too hot, it speeds too fast, 'twill tire.

He doth, indeed, show some sparks that are like wit.

Sir, your wit ambles well; it goes easily.

A jest's prosperity lies in the ear
Of him that hears it, never in the tongue
Of him that makes it.

Since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief.

Great men may jest with saints; 'tis wit in them;
But, in the less, foul profanation.

Measure for Measure (1603)

His eye begets occasion for his wit;
For every object that the one doth catch,
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest.

To leave this keen encounter of our wits,
And fall somewhat into a slower method.

Richard III (1591)

Now I perceive the devil understands Welsh;
And 'tis no marvel he is so humorous.

You have a nimble wit; I think it was made of Atalanta's heels.

Look, he's winding up the watch of his wit; by and by it will strike.

Make the doors upon a woman's wit and it will out at the casement; shut that and 'twill out at the key-hole; stop that, 'twill fly with the smoke out at the chimney.

It is a pretty mocking of the life.

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.

They have a plentiful lack of wit.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: William Shakespeare (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.