Homoscocial and Homoerotiscism in Shakespeare
Consider the relationship between homosocial and homoerotic in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and A Twelfth Night.
“To talk of an Individual in this period as being or not being a ‘homosexual’ is an anachronism and ruinously misleading” (Bray, 1982, pg. 16)
Before a solid argument can commence the reader has to first distinguish a number of key points of view, and more over understand them. The problem with such arguments is of course the hurdle between contemporary opinions and renaissance beliefs. The majority of modern reader/audiences have an understanding of homosexuality, or it in some way has been visible to them. This leads to the problem of a modern audience assuming a character is a homosexual based on modern presumptions. However what would be regarded as gay in today’s society may not have during the renaissance. Another issue that must be raised when considering this essay is the difference between ‘homosocial’ and ‘homoerotic’. Homosocial is defined by a relationship of a non-sexual or romantic nature between two or more members of the same sex. Homoerotic is defined as sexual attraction between members of the same-sex. There for it is imperative the reader stay objective when considering the notions of homosocial and homoerotic behaviour. The reader must also try to remember the contextual factors in which it was written and the audience/readers estimations.
The first relationship this essay will focus on is the one between Antonio and Bassanio from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. These two share a very strong friendship, so much so that Antonio offers to lend Bassanio a very large sum of money. Antonio being a wealthy merchant however does not have the cash upfront as it is tied up in his merchandise off shore. He thus decides to go to a Jewish money lender called Shylock and offers his property as guarantee for the loan. Shylock has been spurned by the Venetian citizens on numerous occasions and quite
“To talk of an Individual in this period as being or not being a ‘homosexual’ is an anachronism and ruinously misleading” (Bray, 1982, pg. 16)
Before a solid argument can commence the reader has to first distinguish a number of key points of view, and more over understand them. The problem with such arguments is of course the hurdle between contemporary opinions and renaissance beliefs. The majority of modern reader/audiences have an understanding of homosexuality, or it in some way has been visible to them. This leads to the problem of a modern audience assuming a character is a homosexual based on modern presumptions. However what would be regarded as gay in today’s society may not have during the renaissance. Another issue that must be raised when considering this essay is the difference between ‘homosocial’ and ‘homoerotic’. Homosocial is defined by a relationship of a non-sexual or romantic nature between two or more members of the same sex. Homoerotic is defined as sexual attraction between members of the same-sex. There for it is imperative the reader stay objective when considering the notions of homosocial and homoerotic behaviour. The reader must also try to remember the contextual factors in which it was written and the audience/readers estimations.
The first relationship this essay will focus on is the one between Antonio and Bassanio from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. These two share a very strong friendship, so much so that Antonio offers to lend Bassanio a very large sum of money. Antonio being a wealthy merchant however does not have the cash upfront as it is tied up in his merchandise off shore. He thus decides to go to a Jewish money lender called Shylock and offers his property as guarantee for the loan. Shylock has been spurned by the Venetian citizens on numerous occasions and quite
Bibliography: The Merchant of Venice –William Shakespeare the Cambridge university printing press published 1953 The Shakespearian Stage 1574-1642 3rd edition Andrew Gurr Twelfth Night the Macmillan Shakespeare 1972 Such Is My Love: A Study of Shakespeare*s Sonnets. By Joseph. Pequigney. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1985 The sexual aberrations S Freud - The Material Queer: A Lesbigay Cultural Studies …, 1996 - West view Press The New International Version The Holy Bible Homoerotic space: the poetics of loss in Renaissance literature By Stephen Guy-Bray 1982 University of Toronto press http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodomy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_LGBT_history