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- Title
On Shakespeare, Syphilis and His Naughty Synonyms for Penis.
- Authors
Sachi Sri Kantha
- Abstract
Objective: Why did Shakespeare use so many naughty synonyms for penis in his plays? Methods: Shakespeare's canon of 38 plays was scanned for his word play for penis. Results: Six broad types of naughty synonyms for penis can be categorized. These include: anatomy, sports, warfare, gardening and farming, domestic items and miscellaneous. 22 examples are offered from 16 plays namely, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, Cymbeline, Henry IV (Part 2), Henry V, Henry VIII, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Love's Labour's Lost, Much Ado about Nothing, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Troilus and Cressida. I propose four reasons. (1) raging syphilis disease in Europe during the quarter century (1588-1611) in which these plays were written, (2) sheer dramatic entertainment for the peasant audience, (3) Shakespeare's linguistic creativity, and (4) Shakespeare's interest in sex-related metaphors. The Latin word 'penis' came to be used in English only 77 years after Shakespeare's death. Shakespeare could have introduced 'penis' into his plays, because he did use many Latin words and phrases in his plays. Conclusion: The omission of 'penis' word among Shakespeare's canon cannot be explained by the playwright's lack of Latin knowledge.
- Subjects
AUTHORS; HISTORY; HUMAN reproduction; LITERATURE; PENIS; SYPHILIS
- Publication
International Medical Journal, 2016, Vol 23, Issue 4, p310
- ISSN
1341-2051
- Publication type
Article