They say humor is universal. But what people find funny does sometimes change over time. The oldest recorded joke in human history is from Sumeria, around c. 2300-1900 B.C.: "Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap." It was found on a clay tablet. But that above joke does illustrate something about jokes. They almost always seem to involve inappropriate subject. And it seems it's always been that way. Shakespeare includes some jokes in his plays. Some are still funny, some maybe less so. "Hamlet" has a couple in it. In act II, scene 2 Shakespeare writes one of the oldest gay jokes on record. Hamlet is talking to Rosencrantz, when he makes his famous "what a piece of work is a man!" speech. At the end of it he says "And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me: no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so." To which Rosencrantz replies "My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts... to think, my lord, if you delight not in man, what Lenten entertainment the players shall receive from you?" "Lenten" means little, sparse, meager. But it is also a play on the Lenten season, meaning that time of year before Easter. Because it was apparently the season of Lent when Hamlet and Rosencrantz had this dialogue together. There are more dirty jokes in "Hamlet". Hamlet and Ophelia have this famous exchange in act III, scene 1: "Lady, shall I lie in your lap?" "No, my lord." "I mean, my head upon your lap?" "Ay, my lord." "Do you think I meant country matters?" "I think nothing, my lord." Then Hamlet kind of drifts off mentally and says "...That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs." Ophelia continues "What is, my lord?" "Nothing." You see you have to hear the actual play to get this joke. He actually pronounces the word country in two syllables "coun-try", with emphasis on the first syllable. It's a reference to a woman's pudendum. Also, Ophelia replies at the end of the scene "You are merry, my lord." Shakespeare was a keen observer of human behavior. And Hamlet was obviously bipolar. Lady Macbeth obviously had Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder because she kept washing her hands, thinking there were blood stains on them. Some people think Shakespeare must have noticed this behavior in some English noblemen, especially women. There's more humor in "Hamlet". In act V, scene 1 the first and second clown are having a conversation. And it goes like this "What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?" "The gallows-maker. For that frame outlives a thousand tenants." A "clown" in Shakespeare's time was a rustic or uneducated person. They were very unlike the nobles and titled people in his time. In his plays they often made crude jokes involving sex (or in this case, grave humor).He used them for dramatic effect because they could get away with more. Because of their supposed ignorance. Also in "Hamlet" act V, scene 1 the first and second clown are having another discussion. It goes "The crowner hath sat on her, and finds it Christian burial." "How can that be, unless she drowned herself in her own defense?... It must be 'se offendendo', it cannot be else. For here lies the point: if I drown myself wittingly, it argues an act: and an act hath three branches: it is, to act, to do, to perform. Argal, she drowned herself wittingly." "Argal" is a corruption of the word ergo. Which of course is Latin for "therefore". That's called a malaproprism. When you pretend to be educated by using big words. But then you make a ridiculous, and funny, mistake like that. Yeah, the word "malapropism" comes from the character Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's play "The Rivals" (1775). He was talking about people who acquired newfound wealth in England, and thus thought they were suddenly educated. But the joke works too with clowns. "Hamlet" isn't the only Shakespeare play that has a malapropism in it. "In The Merry Wives of Windsor" act IV, scene 1, Sir Hugh Evans and William Page are having a talk. And it goes like this: "Leave your prabbles, 'oman. What is the focative case, William?" "'O—vocativo—O!'" "Remember, William. Focative is caret." And then Hostess Quickly who overhears the conversation jokes "And that's a good root." Sir Hugh Evans mispronounces the word "vocative", as in the Latin vocative case. But he pronounces it like the F-word. Then he reminds William the "focative" case is a "caret". Caret means to take away (he might at this point mean the ablative case: cf. Ablative case - Wikipedia). Then Hostess Quickly says it's a good root. Get it? Sex/caret/carrot/penis/"root"? Oh, well. Most people today say they get that joke. They just don't find it funny. Because as I said, that's the other thing. What's funny changes over time. In "The Tempest" act IV, scene 1, Stephano is talking to Caliban. And he says "Be you quiet, monster. Mistress line, is not this my jerkin? Now is the jerkin under the line: now, jerkin, you are like to lose your hair and prove a bald jerkin." "Under the line" probably refers to sailors going to the southern hemisphere and contracting diseases and violent fevers, supposedly from the heat. It often caused them to lose all their hair. As I said, people just had a different idea of what was funny back then.
In court at Venice, Shylock demands that the terms of his bond be fulfilled. Portia enters as a doctor of laws, with a letter of introduction from Dr. Bellario. She saves Antonio by determining that the bond allows Shylock no more than a pound of Antonio’s flesh and not a drop of his blood. She also finds Shylock guilty of plotting the death of a Venetian and subject to the penalty of forfeiting his estate and suffering execution. Antonio intercedes with the Duke to reduce the penalty. A defeated Shylock agrees to the proposed terms. Bassanio offers the disguised Portia the three thousand ducats that he brought to give to Shylock, but Portia demands the ring that she herself gave Bassanio. When he refuses, she departs as if insulted. When Antonio asks Bassanio to give the ring, Bassanio sends Gratiano after her with it.
Also. To understand some jokes from Shakespeare, you have understand how the plays were performed. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Act III, Scene 2, Lysander says to Hermia: "Get you gone, you dwarf, You minimus of hind’ring knotgrass made, You bead, you acorn—" The joke is, that women weren't allowed on stage back then. And the man Shakespeare got to play Helena was much taller than Hermia. And Lysander is complaining about how small Hermia is, in comparison.
