no more, thou dost talk nothing (_i.e._ nonsense) to
me." Gonzalo replies that he did so purposely "to minister occasion to
those gentlemen, who are of such sensible and nimble lungs that they
always use to laugh at nothing." They retort that they were not laughing
at his humour, but at himself. "Who," he replies, "in this merry fooling
am nothing to you" meaning, apparently, that he is acting the fool
intentionally and out of his real character.

Hamlet, when his mind is distraught, "like sweet bells jangled," is
allowed to indulge in a little punning, and Biron is humorous, for which
he is reproached by Rosalind, who tells him that he is one

"Whose influence is begot of that loose grace
Which shallow laughing hearers give to fools;"

that only silly thoughtless people admire wit, and that

"A jest's prosperity lies in the ear
Of him that hears it--never in the tongue
Of him that makes it."

Here the variable character of humour is recognised, but it is not to be
supposed that Rosalind's arguments were intended to be strictly correct.
Very much must depend upon the form in which a jest is produced, and
without the tongue of the utterer, it cannot exist though the sympathy
of the listener is required for its appreciation.

In Shakespeare's plays, and in most comedies we find humour in the
representation of ludicrous characters. Words, which would be dull
enough in ordinary cases, become highly amusing when coming from men of
peculiar views. Sometimes people are represented as perpetually riding
their hobby, or harping on one favourite subject. We have an instance of
this in Holophernes and his pedantry; and the conversation between the
two gravediggers in Hamlet, is largely indebted for its relish to the
contrast between the language of the men and their occupation. In the
same way, the ignorance and misrepresentations of rustics in play
acting, which Shakespeare had probably often observed in the
provinces--gives zest to the exaggerated caricature in "Midsummer
Night's Dream."--

_Bottom._ There are things in this comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe
that will never please. First, Pyramus must draw a sword to kill
himself, which ladies cannot abide. How answer you that?

_Snout._ By'r lakin a parlous fear.

_Starveling._ I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is
done.

_Bottom._ Not a whit. I have a device to make all well. Write me a
prologue, and