Comedy, like sodomy, is an unnatural act.

I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”

Laughter almost ever cometh of things most disproportioned to ourselves and nature. Laughter hath only a scornful tickling.

He who laugheth too much, hath the nature of a fool; he that laugheth not at all, hath the nature of an old cat.

Jests and scoffs do lessen majesty and greatness and should be far from great personages and men of wisdom.

Wit enables us to act rudely with impunity.

Big head, little wit.

It is easy to distinguish between the joking that reflects good breeding and that which is coarse—the one, if aired at an apposite moment of mental relaxation, is becoming in the most serious of men, whereas the other is unworthy of any free person, if the content is indecent or the expression obscene.

Some things are privileged from jest—namely, religion, matters of state, great persons, all men’s present business of importance, and any case that deserves pity.

Jesters do oft prove prophets.

I used to think that everyone was just being funny. But now I don’t know. I mean, how can you tell?

Jokes are grievances.

Laughter always arises from a gaiety of disposition, absolutely incompatible with contempt and indignation.