# Is there a concordance of Shakespeare's plays?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 28, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879 "2009-05-28T01:25:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879/1 "2009-05-28T01:25:26Z")

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As the title says. I know that, say, the Bible has concordances, for different translations even.

But I’m trying to find out if such a thing exists for the plays of Shakespeare. On another board someone had that quote about killing lawyers. I don’t know what play it’s from, but with a concordance I could look up “kill” or “lawyers” and find listed all the instances where that word occurs. And from there I could find out what play the entire quote is in.

So, has anyone ever heard or seen something like this?

And BTW, I did find that the quote I mentioned is in _Henry VI, part 2_

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**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879/2 "2009-05-28T01:31:56Z")

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Heard of it, used it many times. Any college library should have one.

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**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879/3 "2009-05-28T01:40:05Z")

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There’s also an online version [here](http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/concordance/).

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879/4 "2009-05-28T03:18:45Z")

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> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#):
>
> There’s also an online version [here](http://www.opensourceshakespeare.org/concordance/).

Thank you! God, I love the Dope!

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-concordance-of-shakespeares-plays/497879/5 "2009-05-28T12:21:11Z")

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I’m sure the OP found the quote already, but [here’s the scene](http://www.opensourceshakespeare.com/views/plays/play_view.php?WorkID=henry6p2&Act=4&Scene=2&Scope=scene&LineHighlight=2379#2379):

> [@](#):
>
> Jack Cade. I thank you, good people: there shall be no money;  
> all shall eat and drink on my score; and I will  
> apparel them all in one livery, that they may agree  
> like brothers and worship me their lord.
> 
> Dick the Butcher. The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.
> 
> Jack Cade. Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable  
> thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should  
> be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled  
> o’er, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings:  
> but I say, 'tis the bee’s wax; for I did but seal  
> once to a thing, and I was never mine own man  
> since. How now! who’s there?

People love the lawyers quote but most people who quote this line miss the fact that Shakespeare is making fun of Cade’s peasant revolt.