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Who was Shakespeare? Who was Shakespeare?
The Stratfordian position The Stratfordian position
The Post-Stratfordian position The Post-Stratfordian position
William Shakespeare was a woman William Shakespeare was a woman
William Shakespeare was part of a collective William Shakespeare was part of a collective
Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford was Shakespeare Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford was Shakespeare
It is there in black and white It is there in black and white
Shakespeare was a common man from Warwickshire Shakespeare was a common man from Warwickshire
Shakespeare's name is on the plays and poems attributed to him Shakespeare's name is on the plays and poems attributed to him
Where is the documentation? Where is the documentation?
There were rumors during Shakespeare's life There were rumors during Shakespeare's life
An education gap An education gap
Shakespeare’s detailed will makes no mention of books or literature Shakespeare’s detailed will makes no mention of books or literature
Not all of Shakespeare's plays were published in his lifetime Not all of Shakespeare's plays were published in his lifetime
The two Shakespeares The two Shakespeares
The case for Francis Bacon The case for Francis Bacon
The case for Christopher Marlowe The case for Christopher Marlowe
The case for Edward de Vere The case for Edward de Vere
The case for Walter Raleigh The case for Walter Raleigh
The feminization of Shakespeare The feminization of Shakespeare
There is sufficient motive There is sufficient motive
William Shakespeare was an 'excellent gentlewoman' William Shakespeare was an 'excellent gentlewoman'
Shakespeare had a hidden code Shakespeare had a hidden code
The case for Emilia Bassano The case for Emilia Bassano
Several of Shakespeare's plays are collaborative efforts Several of Shakespeare's plays are collaborative efforts
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Who was Shakespeare?
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William Shakespeare was a woman

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The feminization of Shakespeare

Scholars have stated that many of Shakespeare’s female characters are given opportunities to demonstrate intelligence and possess a great amount of boldness; these are qualities that were, during Shakespeare’s time, largely associated with male characters.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Elizabeth Winkler
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Context

Shakespeare draws on a number of existing sources. But his female characters and friendships are rarely lifted from them. When he includes historical sources, he also, at times, feminizes them. (Plutarch and Anthony and Cleopatra). Shakespeare also builds authentic female relationships and characters at a time when no other masculine playwrights could.

The Argument

Many of the heroines Shakespeare creates refuse to play by the rules. 10 of his female characters defy their fathers, eight disguise themselves as men and six lead armies. These bucked the trends of the day. Beatrice, for example, in Much Ado About Nothing, is infuriated by the limitations of her sex. Kate in the Taming of the Shrew will not be silenced and controlled by her husband. Emilia has strong opinions on women's equality in Othello.[1] The most intriguing relationships that are developed in Shakespeare's works are often between women (Paulina and Hermione in a Winter's Tale; the Merry Wives of Windsor, and many more). How was Shakespeare able to write with such a unique perspective on women's issues and relationships? Because he was a woman.

Counter arguments

Firstly, female authors do not hold a monopoly over female themes and seminal feminist works. You only have to look at Gustav Flaubert and George Bernard Shaw's works to see that male authors can explore feminine themes with as much intricacy and sensitivity as female authors. Therefore, Shakespeare's dealing with the limits of the female sex and challenging the role of women in society is not in itself evidence of the author's gender. Secondly, Shakespeare is able to develop such strong female relationships because he has a masterful understanding of the human condition. He was able to construct deep and meaningful relationships among many of his characters, not only his female characters. The relationship between Lear and his fool, Hamlet and Horatio, and Caesar and Brutus are also masterfully crafted. His ability to build convincing and intricate female to female relationships is not an indication of Shakespeare's gender but of his genius.[2]

Proponents

Premises

[P1] Shakespeare's works explore feminine themes in a way none of his contemporaries could. [P2] His female characters and relationships are also among the most intricate and developed. [P3] Therefore, Shakespeare was likely a woman.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P2] His male to male relationships were just as well crafted. [Rejecting P3] This is evidence of Shakespeare's literary intelligence, not his gender.

References

  1. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/06/who-is-shakespeare-emilia-bassano/588076/
  2. https://thefederalist.com/2019/05/13/no-shakespeare-not-jewish-woman-just-genius/
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 10 Jun 2020 at 23:12 UTC

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