This is an archive article published on April 24, 2016

How to insult like the Bard

Shakespeare enriched the English language with hundreds of new words. But, upon my word, you can also find some of the best put-downs in his writing.

2 min readNew DelhiApr 24, 2016 12:00 AM IST First published on: Apr 24, 2016 at 12:00 AM IST

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“Thou subtle, perjur’d, false, disloyal man!”
The Two Gentlemen of Verona

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“Thou art like a toad; ugly and venomous.”
As You Like It

“Thine forward voice, now, is to speak well of thine friend; thine backward voice is to utter foul speeches and to detract.”
The Tempest

“Thou art a flesh-monger, a fool and a coward.”
Measure For Measure

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“A most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of no one good quality.”
All’s Well That Ends Well

“Thy tongue outvenoms all the worms of Nile.”
Cymbeline

“You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe!”
Henry IV Part 2

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