Puzzle 1
Starter clue: A = E
NCUCTDVQJZQHYAHGQABDCMALIHUANCJDVHJHLQLA?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Shakespeare Cryptograms Set 1
6 cryptograms to solve with a pencil. Each letter of the quote has been swapped for another letter, and the same swap holds all the way through.
20 pt ciphertext — the size a newspaper puzzle page never gives you. 26 pt ciphertext with wide letter spacing and room to write. Both sizes print on US Letter with the answer key on its own page.
Printing this web page instead? Press Ctrl+P (⌘+P on a Mac). The navigation and buttons drop away, and the answer key prints on its own page — open it below first if you want it included.
The puzzles
Puzzle 2
Starter clue: P = A
EQKANRBESCPNNDMYPDCYKOPIKFKYPNCPHRVPYCFM.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: B = T
PXPAQQIEVPBSXYDEBVAMVMIUSJPGJDBSXHAYBDEX.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
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- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: M = N
LVZHGDDGMHRBCZGXDOMFWMN,-XGPPAOMNWSMGBOMHZ.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: Y = T
ANDEINDPVRRSYBJKJNYBJVYBNYWROJDRYYBJKZDG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 6
Starter clue: R = N
QWYIPIPZFUDDZYRBLRWYUUFSZYQRMEDZBZQRXQRN.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- Q
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- X
- Y
- Z
Solver's cheat sheet
- Most common letters
- E T A O I N S H R D L U
- Most common 1-letter words
- A I
- Most common 2-letter words
- OF TO IN IT IS BE AS AT SO WE HE BY OR ON DO IF ME MY UP AN GO NO US AM
- Most common 3-letter words
- THE AND FOR ARE BUT NOT YOU ALL ANY CAN HER WAS ONE OUR OUT DAY GET HAS HIM HIS HOW MAN NEW NOW OLD SEE TWO WAY WHO BOY DID ITS LET PUT SAY SHE TOO USE
- Common double letters
- LL EE SS OO TT FF RR NN PP CC
- Common word endings
- -ING -ION -ENT -TION -LY -ED -ER -EST
- After an apostrophe
- T (don't) S (it's) RE (we're) VE (I've) LL (we'll) D (I'd)
Want this on its own sheet? Print the letter frequency chart.
Show the answer key (6 solutions)
- “Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=E B=R C=O D=T E=C F=J G=S H=A I=L J=N K=F L=P M=B N=D O=X P=V Q=I R=Q S=Z T=U U=Y V=H W=G X=W Y=M Z=K
- “I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.”— William Shakespeare, 1599, King Henry V, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=U B=G C=E D=M E=I F=T G=H H=N I=P J=Q K=O L=B M=Y N=L O=R P=A Q=W R=D S=V T=K U=Z V=S W=X X=C Y=F Z=J
- “We will draw the curtain and show you the picture.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Twelfth Night, Act I. Sc. 5 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=I B=T C=B D=U E=R F=X G=Y H=P I=D J=O K=Q L=G M=N N=M O=K P=W Q=L R=Z S=H T=F U=S V=A W=J X=E Y=C Z=V
- “The common curse of mankind, - folly and ignorance.”— William Shakespeare, 1602, Troilus and Cressida, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=Y B=R C=S D=M E=W F=K G=O H=C I=V J=P K=X L=T M=N N=D O=A P=L Q=Z R=U S=G T=J U=Q V=H W=I X=F Y=B Z=E
- “Many can brook the weather that love not the wind.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, Love's Labour's Lost, Act IV. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=M B=H C=G D=N E=Y F=S G=D H=F I=C J=E K=W L=J M=X N=A O=V P=B Q=U R=O S=K T=P U=Q V=R W=L X=Z Y=T Z=I
- “I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act II. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=T B=D C=L D=O E=F F=Y G=X H=W I=V J=Q K=C L=U M=S N=G O=M P=E Q=I R=N S=B T=J U=P V=Z W=H X=K Y=A Z=R