Shakespeare's bawdy

Published in 1947 by E.P. Dutton, Shakespeare's Bawdy emerged from the meticulous scholarship of lexicographer Eric Partridge. Conceived during a time when academic analysis of the Bard was shifting toward a more nuanced, psychological, and socially contextualized reading, the volume was intended to decode the often-obscured sexual puns and innuendos embedded in Shakespeare’s plays. Partridge sought to provide a definitive glossary that would allow readers and scholars to grasp the playwright's linguistic dexterity, stripping away the sanitized interpretations that had dominated Victorian and Edwardian literary criticism.

The book is structured as a comprehensive dictionary, cataloging the bawdy vocabulary alongside a critical essay that explores the Elizabethan attitude toward sexual expression. Partridge, known for his work on slang and unconventional language, brought a rigorous, almost clinical, eye to the task, aiming to balance historical accuracy with literary appreciation. Upon its release, the work was seen as a groundbreaking, if provocative, resource that bridged the gap between popular curiosity and scholarly inquiry, eventually becoming a staple in Shakespearean studies for its insight into the earthy, ribald humor of the Renaissance stage.