A Comedy of Errors: 101 Best Shakespearean Puns to Make You Chuckle

Even the Bard of Avon loved a good pun. William Shakespeare, the master playwright renowned for his eloquent verses and dramatic tragedies, also had a knack for witty wordplay and clever puns. From sly double entendres hidden in his sonnets to playful banter exchanged between characters in his plays, Shakespearean puns are a testament to his linguistic genius. 

So, whether you’re a Shakespeare aficionado or simply appreciate a good laugh, get ready to embark on a hilarious journey through the Bard’s best puns. These clever quips not only prove that even the most serious of subjects can be infused with humor, but they also showcase Shakespeare’s enduring legacy as a master of language and wit.

Did you know that Shakespeare is believed to have invented the word “swagger”? Now that’s a word that truly struts its stuff!

Shakespeare Puns for Literature Lovers

These puns are perfect for literature enthusiasts who want to add some humor to their Shakespearean discussions.

1. To pun or not to pun, that is the question. – Hamlet
2. A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a pun! – Richard III
3. Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your puns. – Julius Caesar
4. Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou pun, Romeo? – Romeo and Juliet
5. Out, out, brief pun! – Macbeth
6. Et tu, Puns? – Julius Caesar
7. To thine own pun be true. – Hamlet
8. Some are born punny, some achieve puns, and some have puns thrust upon them. – Twelfth Night
9. A pun by any other name would sound as sweet. – Romeo and Juliet
10. Is this a pun which I see before me? – Macbeth
11. The lady doth protest too much, methinks… about my puns. – Hamlet
12. Get thee to a punnery! – Hamlet
13. All’s well that ends punny. – All’s Well That Ends Well
14. Parting is such sweet punning. – Romeo and Juliet
15. I am a man more sinned against than punning. – King Lear
16. The better part of Valour is Discretion… in punning. – Henry IV, Part 1
17. O brave new world, that has such puns in it! – The Tempest
18. If puns be the food of love, pun on. – Twelfth Night
19. The course of true pun never did run smooth. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
20. A pun! A pun! My kingdom for a pun! – Richard III

Funny Shakespeare Puns

These puns will make you laugh out loud while appreciating the Bard’s work.

21. Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t… for puns. – Hamlet
22. Puns are such stuff as dreams are made on. – The Tempest
23. All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely punsters. – As You Like It
24. Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this pun of York. – Richard III
25. What’s in a pun? That which we call a pun by any other name would sound as sweet. – Romeo and Juliet
26. Beware the Ides of Puns. – Julius Caesar
27. When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in puns? – Macbeth
28. Full fathom five thy puns lie. – The Tempest
29. Much Ado About Punning. – Much Ado About Nothing
30. The pun is mightier than the sword. – Hamlet
31. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s pun? – Sonnet 18
32. Double, double toil and pun. – Macbeth
33. We are such stuff as puns are made on. – The Tempest
34. For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her puns. – Romeo and Juliet
35. Cowards die many times before their puns; the valiant never taste of death but once. – Julius Caesar
36. If music be the food of love, play on. If puns be the food of laughter, pun on. – Twelfth Night
37. What light through yonder pun breaks? – Romeo and Juliet
38. These puns are all my joy, all my delight. – Sonnet 128
39. I cannot heave my heart into my mouth, but I can heave a pun. – King Lear
40. There’s daggers in men’s smiles, and puns in their words. – Macbeth

Clever Shakespeare Puns

These clever puns are perfect for those who love wordplay and Shakespeare.

41. There is no darkness but ignorance, and no wit but puns. – Twelfth Night
42. This above all: to thine own pun be true. – Hamlet
43. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our puns, but in ourselves. – Julius Caesar
44. Better a witty fool than a foolish wit… with no puns. – Twelfth Night
45. What a piece of work is pun! – Hamlet
46. Though she be but little, she is fierce… with puns. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
47. When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew the pun. – Hamlet
48. Shall we their fond pageant see? Lord, what fools these mortals be… for puns. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
49. By the pricking of my thumbs, something punny this way comes. – Macbeth
50. The golden age is before us, not behind us… and it’s filled with puns. – Henry V
51. By my troth, I care not; a man can die but once… and he can pun until then. – Henry IV, Part 2
52. A pun in the bush is worth two in the Bard. – Twelfth Night
53. They do not love that do not show their puns. – Two Gentlemen of Verona
54. The robb’d that smiles, steals something from the thief… and leaves a pun. – Othello
55. I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at; and my pun for all to hear. – Othello
56. Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps, and some with puns. – Much Ado About Nothing
57. The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, but I cite puns. – The Merchant of Venice
58. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good pun in a naughty world. – The Merchant of Venice
59. A pun, a pun! My kingdom for a pun! – Richard III
60. A little more than kin, and less than pun. – Hamlet

Hilarious Shakespeare Puns

These hilarious puns are sure to bring laughter to any Shakespeare fan.

61. Puns are the soul of wit. – Hamlet
62. The evil that men do lives after them; the puns are oft interred with their bones. – Julius Caesar
63. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be pun-morrow. – Romeo and Juliet
64. O wonderful, wonderful, and most wonderful wonderful! And yet again wonderful, and after that, out of all whooping… puns! – As You Like It
65. I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is not that strange? Not if you love puns. – Much Ado About Nothing
66. Puns are the summer soldiers and the sunshine patriots. – Julius Caesar
67. Men of few words are the best men… except when punning. – Henry V
68. I’ll teach you differences… between puns and real jokes. – King Lear
69. Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments… or bad puns. – Sonnet 116
70. Brevity is the soul of wit, and puns are its beating heart. – Hamlet
71. There is nothing either good or bad, but punning makes it so. – Hamlet
72. As merry as the day is long… with puns. – Much Ado About Nothing
73. The wheel is come full circle; I am here… with more puns. – King Lear
74. What’s done cannot be undone, but a pun is forever. – Macbeth
75. The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, are of imagination all compact… and full of puns. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
76. The devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape… and so do puns. – Hamlet
77. I am not bound to please thee with my puns. – The Merchant of Venice
78. In time we hate that which we often fear, but we always love puns. – Antony and Cleopatra
79. They stumble that run fast; let me stay with thee, and enjoy a pun. – Romeo and Juliet
80. The voices of the dead sounded like a distant humming, filled with the ghosts of puns. – Macbeth

Punny Shakespeare Jokes

These jokes are perfect for anyone who loves Shakespeare and enjoys a good laugh.

81. Why did Shakespeare become a playwright? He couldn’t find the write pun.
82. Why don’t Shakespeare’s plays have happy endings? Because everyone gets pun-ished.
83. What did Hamlet say when he was complimented? “Thanks, I think you’re punny too.”
84. How does Shakespeare write so well? He has a way with puns.

85. What’s Shakespeare’s favorite cereal? Raisin Bran-tom of Athens.
86. How did Shakespeare ask for silence? “Peace, ho! No more puns!”
87. Why was Shakespeare always so calm? He knew all the plays were just staged puns.
88. How does Shakespeare organize his kitchen? By putting everything in pun-try jars.
89. Why did Shakespeare visit the bank? To get his poet’s account balanced.
90. What’s Shakespeare’s favorite fruit? A “wherefore” fruit.
91. How did Shakespeare sign his letters? “Yours pun-fully.”
92. What’s Shakespeare’s favorite animal? A “bard”-owl.
93. Why was Shakespeare so bad at math? Because he always confused his figures of pun.
94. Why don’t Shakespeare’s plays make sense? Because they’re full of sound and fury, signifying puns.
95. How does Shakespeare start his day? With a cup of pun-derful coffee.
96. What did Shakespeare say to the bartender? “I’ll have a pint of ale, and make it punny.”
97. What did Shakespeare say when he was cold? “Alas, poor Yorick! Turn up the heat!”
98. What’s Shakespeare’s favorite game? “Much Ado About Nothing” – it’s just full of puns.
99. What did Shakespeare say to the unruly student? “Get thee to a punnery!”
100. How does Shakespeare like his eggs? “Scrambled, methinks.”
101. Why did Shakespeare go to the doctor? To get his puns checked out.

To Pun or Not to Pun: That Is the Shakespearean Question

So there you have it, a collection of Shakespearean puns that are sure to tickle your funny bone and make you appreciate the Bard’s wit all the more. These puns are not only a testament to Shakespeare’s linguistic genius but also a reminder that humor can be found even in the most unexpected places. 

Whether you’re a die-hard Shakespeare fan or simply enjoy a good laugh, we hope you’ve enjoyed this pun-tastic journey through the works of the Bard. As Shakespeare himself might say, “All’s well that ends well” – especially when it ends with a good pun!