Anne Shakespeare and Toxic Masculinity
Was toxic masculinity evident in Anne Shakespeare’s time? And if so, how did feminism attempt to counter it? It is now generally agreed that in Anne Shakespeare’s time the patriarchy was a dominant force. It would not be too long a bow to draw that embedded in this patriarchal social and cultural historical period that there would have been evidence for a toxic masculinity to exist. However, this has to be tempered with understanding that this toxic masculinity was not the province of every male, just as today we cannot say that it applies to every male either. My interest is in how this toxic masculinity may manifest itself in the plays, poems and Sonnets of Anne Shakespeare. Especially now as I am researching and writing on Anne’s so-called “problem plays” (Troilus and Cressida, All’s Well, and Measure for Measure).
If we take a look, firstly, at what is currently viewed as hallmarks of toxic masculinity we can identify a number of character traits that comprise its expression in the male population. Which, in turn, has huge ramifications for the rest of society and in particular women, who bear the brunt of the expression of this type of masculinity such as domestic and family violence, coercive control, career choices and limitations, wage and pay discrepancies, and on and on the inequality goes (and generally falling to our most vulnerable female populations such as First Nations, gender fluid, lower classes, single and older women, as just a few of the those most affected by this toxicity).
Some of the defining features of a toxic male culture include the male has to exhibit and “be” tough, including stronger, both physically, mentally and emotionally (those who show any “weakness” in any of these areas are considered to be “soft”, usually drawing comparisons to females as “wussy”). Toxic masculinity also favours power relations such that men are in control of financial as well as personal power structures; and this power differential (which occurs not only between men and women but also extends to men having this power over other men) is sought after because it is believed to confer respect on those who wield it (and this occurs across the social spectrum from politics, corporate, sporting, and community settings).Toxic males are more likely to avoid close relationships for fear of exposing their emotions (and being “humiliated” as being weak), they are more likely to engage in risky behaviours (such as alcohol abuse, fighting, high risk sporting activities and so on, and be less likely to seek medical advice), and they are more likely to be sexually aggressive (in both the “chase” and the deed).
However, this is not a recent phenomenon; we need only look at Anne’s plays, poems and Sonnets to see how she clearly identified such toxic masculinity through her writing over 400 years ago. One only has to look at her tragedies, for example to see instances of toxic male culture and behaviours in such characters as Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, and even Hamlet. But these toxic males pop up throughout her plays (and especially in her great poem The Rape of Lucrece), whether it be a comedy or a history (or even what has been termed her romance comedies such A Winter’s Tale).
As I am interested currently in researching and analysing her problem plays, it is clear that within these plays Anne has identified and portrays a number of male characters exhibiting toxic behaviours, attitudes, values and beliefs. In such characters as Angelo in Measure for Measure, Bertram in All’s Well, and in Troilus and Cressida one is spoilt for choice as to which of her male characters is the most toxic (choose from Troilus, Ajax, Achilles, Ulysses, or any of the other “warriors”)! However, it is perhaps easy to identify Anne’s male characters exhibiting toxic behaviours, the greater question is in how this toxicity affects her female characters and how it is driven through plot and action (as well as theatrical structure such as defining a play as a comedy, history or tragedy and how these genres deal with this relationship between the genders).
More to come.
