Download the all-new Republic app:

Published 15:07 IST, August 24th 2020

William Shakespeare was 'undeniably bisexual', claim French researchers

Greatest writer William Shakespeare was ‘undeniably’ bisexual, claims French researchers as reported by The Telegraph. Read on to know more about it.

Reported by: Mamta Raut
Follow: Google News Icon
  • share
null | Image: self
Advertisement

Greatest writer William Shakespeare was ‘undeniably’ bisexual, claim French researchers as reported by The Telegraph. Dr Paul Edmondson and Professor Sir Stanley Wells reportedly state that their new analysis of his sonnets should end the prolonged debate that revolved around Shakespeare’s sexuality. The researchers claim that a few of his sonnets were addressed to women, while others were for men.

Adding to the same, they suggest that their findings which are soon going to be published in a new book, may end all speculations over the author’s sexuality and should answer whether he had affairs while being married to wife Anne Hathaway. The two intellectuals have reportedly arranged 154 sonnets out of the 1609 edition in chronological order by matching it with Shakespeare’s plays. According to the outlet, it is appealed that some of his most ‘powerfully lyrical, resonant, and memorable poems’ revolve around experiencing ‘romantic love’.

Advertisement

ALSO READ| Brad Pitt's Production 'The King' Was Based On  Shakespeare's Play 'Henriad', Read Trivia

The researchers have suggested that 27 sonnets among them are referred to males while only 10 are addressed to women. Along with it, these sonnets are ‘open in their directions of desire’. It is also accomplished that their book may also put an end to the long-held assumption of Shakespeare being captivated by ‘Fair Youth’ and led astray by the ‘Dark Lady’ as the characters were non-existential. Multiple reports previously have stated that Shakespeare had an affair with both the characters.

Advertisement

ALSO READ| Shekhar Kapur Reveals He Wanted 'Mogambo' To Be Like A Shakespearean Character

Prof Wells reportedly said that some of his sonnets are addressed to a fair young man, while there is a possibility that it might refer to one man or several different men. The scholars add that the language of sexuality in some of his work are deficiently subject to men and hence it has left no doubt in their mind that the author was ‘bisexual’. According to them, it had become ‘fashionable’ to think of Shakespeare as ‘gay’ since the mid-1980s. However, he was married and had children.

Advertisement

ALSO READ| Lives Lost: Woman Who Performance Shakespeare On The Street

The upcoming publication of their research is titled to be All the Sonnets of Shakespeare. It will reportedly be published by the Cambridge University Press. The date of the book being published is stated to be September 10, 2020.

Advertisement

ALSO READ| Group Hopes To Rebuild Shakespeare Theater That Burned Down

15:06 IST, August 24th 2020