Puzzle 1
Starter clue: J = T
JMXRFLJR,JMXRFLJR,LALOUC,JLYRCHOREJMFCQLFRDJHDFLJDMPR.
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 15
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: Y = A
REVYOMKTSCYBPDZPSDWBIF,YEINYUUY-ORBFZEQ,UZMCYXCBTIBYG.
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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- Y
- Z
Puzzle 3
Starter clue: Q = A
QLCVBB-LRBVKVCVJXDMD,QJFLWKYQCRJXWDQLVQUXBQFVYQZDJRC.
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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- T
- U
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 4
Starter clue: J = T
JQOMZYLGWTLJDMUOJJQTPODITNMQZYTJZGWZMJNGLPTYZOMMTG.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- X
- Y
- Z
Puzzle 5
Starter clue: V = E
GRVVJVYUHOTOBDVYLNRPVRVYD,OTPMLIRLIGCP'RAOFVMLNFFNTE?
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- Y
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Puzzle 6
Starter clue: F = E
CPNAN'QOTGFQZFGQ,YFAZWFSFATOZBFQBNCF,SPAPTAQTOZBFSTTA.
Decoder — write your answer under each cipher letter:
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
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- 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)
- “Take note, take note, O world, To be direct and honest is not safe.”— William Shakespeare, 1604, Othello, Act III. Sc. 3 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=W B=J C=D D=S E=C F=N G=Z H=I I=Q J=T K=V L=O M=A N=U O=R P=F Q=H R=E S=Y T=G U=L V=M W=X X=K Y=B Z=P
- “Unpack my heart with words, And fall a-cursing, like a very drab.”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=J B=R C=E D=W E=N F=S G=B H=Z I=D J=X K=M L=Q M=K N=F O=C P=T Q=G R=U S=H T=Y U=L V=P W=O X=V Y=A Z=I
- “A still-soliciting eye, and such a tongue as I am glad I have not.”— William Shakespeare, 1606, King Lear, Act I. Sc. 1 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=L C=T D=E E=Q F=D G=B H=J I=K J=N K=C L=S M=Y N=P O=Z P=F Q=A R=O S=R T=W U=M V=I W=U X=G Y=H Z=V
- “Thus ornament is but the guiled shore to a most dangerous sea.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, The Merchant of Venice, Act III. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=X B=P C=Q D=I E=J F=V G=A H=Y I=L J=T K=Z L=N M=S N=D O=U P=G Q=H R=C S=F T=E U=B V=K W=M X=W Y=R Z=O
- “Use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping?”— William Shakespeare, 1601, Hamlet, Act II. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=C B=F C=L D=T E=G F=P G=U H=M I=O J=V K=Q L=H M=W N=I O=A P=D Q=Z R=S S=B T=N U=Y V=E W=K X=J Y=R Z=X
- “Diana's foresters, gentlemen of the shade, minions of the moon.”— William Shakespeare, 1597, King Henry IV, Part I, Act I. Sc. 2 (in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 9th ed., 1891)Cipher key: A=N B=H C=D D=X E=Q F=E G=R H=W I=B J=Y K=J L=P M=K N=A O=F P=I Q=S R=Z S=M T=O U=V V=U W=L X=C Y=G Z=T