Use of Pun in Shakespearean Dramas

Shakespeare treasured puns and used them as a powerful method of making meaning. Some plays have witnessed an extensive use of puns. Perhaps no other writer is greater known for his use of the pun than Shakespeare. As puns add profound meanings to texts and shape a new way in which the text is interpreted by the readers, apart from being witty and humorous. By playing with the words, a writer reveals his own cleverness and the cleverness of his characters. Shakespeare was able to show his creative ability in using language. Undoubtedly, Shakespeare is widely noted for his command over language; his language can sometimes be a huge faltering block for his readers. Because he composed his works at a time when the English language was in transition, the meaning of some words he used has shifted greatly while other words are no longer used today; new words were being coined and witnessed in print in Shakespearean period. He really experimented with his use of language, playing with word order and sometimes omitting letters or whole words to maintain a rhythm or meter. Shakespeare's clever use of the pun can easily discover in the structure and language of his sonnets. The present paper formulates a modest effort to understand his language, vocabulary, syntax and wordplay or rhetorical devices; and how one can comprehend better his literary merit.