Shakespeare Insults

The following list of insults from Shakespeare's plays may seem a bit out of date. Can you think of any present day equivalents?

Shakespeare Insult 1 – The Two Gentlemen of Verona
“Thou subtle, perjur’d, false, disloyal man!”
Shakespeare Insult 2 – As You Like It
“Thou art like a toad; ugly and venomous.”
Shakespeare Insult 3 – The Tempest
“Thine forward voice, now, is to speak well of thine friend; thine backward voice is to utter foul speeches and to detract.”
Shakespeare Insult 4 – Measure For Measure
“Thou art a flesh-monger, a fool and a coward.”
Shakespeare Insult 5 – All’s Well That Ends Well
“A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality.”

Shakespeare Insult 6 – Cymbeline
“Thy tongue outvenoms all the worms of Nile.”
Shakespeare Insult 7 – Henry IV Part 2
“You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe!”
Shakespeare Insult 8 – All’s Well That Ends Well
“Methink’st thou art a general offence and every man should beat thee.”
Shakespeare Insult 9 – The Winter’s Tale
“My wife’s a hobby horse!”
Shakespeare Insult 10 – Troilus and Cressida
“Thou art as loathsome as a toad.”

Shakespeare Insult 11 – Macbeth
“Go, prick thy face, and over-red thy fear, Thou lily-liver’d boy.”
Shakespeare Insult 12 – Henry IV Part 1
“Thou clay-brained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson obscene greasy tallow-catch!”
Shakespeare Insult 13 – Henry IV Part 1
“That trunk of humours, that bolting-hutch of beastliness, that swollen parcel of dropsies, that huge bombard of sack, that stuffed cloak-bag of guts, that roasted Manningtree ox with pudding in his belly, that reverend vice, that grey Iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years?”
Shakespeare Insult 14 – Henry IV Part 1
“You starvelling, you eel-skin, you dried neat’s-tongue, you bull’s-pizzle, you stock-fish–O for breath to utter what is like thee!-you tailor’s-yard, you sheath, you bow-case, you vile standing tuck!”
Shakespeare Insult 15 – Henry IV Part 1
“Peace, ye fat guts!”

Shakespeare Insult 16 – Henry V
“There’s no more faith in thee than in a stewed prune.”
Shakespeare Insult 17 – Richard III
“Thou poisonous bunch-back’d toad!”
Shakespeare Insult 18 – Richard III
“Thou art unfit for any place but hell.”
Shakespeare Insult 19 – Hamlet
“Thou are pigeon-liver’d and lack gall.”
Shakespeare Insult 20 – All’s Well That Ends Well
“Your virginity breeds mites, much like a cheese.”

Shakespeare Insult 21 – Henry V
“Thine face is not worth sunburning.”
Shakespeare Insult 22 – As You Like It
“Your brain is as dry as the remainder biscuit after voyage.”
Shakespeare Insult 23 – Henry IV Part 1
“You are as a candle, the better burnt out.”
Shakespeare Insult 24 – Hamlet
“If thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them.”
Shakespeare Insult 25 – Measure For Measure
“Thy sin’s not accidental, but a trade.”

Shakespeare Insult 26 – All’s Well That Ends Well
“A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality.”
Shakespeare Insult 27 – All’s Well That Ends Well
“Methink’st thou art a general offence and every man should beat thee.”
Shakespeare Insult 28 – The Taming Of The Shrew
“Come, come, you froward and unable worms!”
Shakespeare Insult 29 – Macbeth
“Thou cream faced loon”
Shakespeare Insult 30 – Henry IV Part 1
“Thou art as fat as butter.”

Books Unlocked March 2016

This month's theme is Shakespeare week 14 – 21st March and National Poetry day on 21st March.

What Shakespeare have you read, seen on stage, watched as a movie?

What poetry have you read?

If you have any reviews for the blog please share, or email sarah.arkle@beds.ac.uk Look out for the displays at Luton LRC and Bedford Library