Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Joking Relationships 2. Women and Wit 3. Clowns and Wise Fools 4. Black Humour 5. Humour and Ethics

About the Author

Indira Ghose is Professor of English at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. She has published widely on early modern wit, jesting, and laughter.

Reviews

‘Shakespeare in Jest offers a pacy, readable account of humour and laughter in Shakespeare’s works, from the repartee of Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing to the porter of Dunsinane Castle in Macbeth. Five well-organized chapters cover joking relationships, witty women, clowns and fools, black humour and the question of ethics. In each, Indira Ghose ably sketches out an early-modern theatrical context with a detailed and demystifying account of how a particular kind of jesting works in a specific play. . . . overall it is an excellent, enjoyable and stimulating introduction to the field.’ Emma Smith, TLS