Chastity and Measure for Measure
Taylor Swift and Anne Shakespeare are both concerned in their poetry with the nature of chastity. Why? Because in a patriarchal society where the power lies with men to define woman, the virtue of chastity becomes one of the defining features for what constitutes, in the male view, a “good” woman.
Anne Shakespeare’s Sonnet 129 and free will
This is a draft excerpt from my forthcoming book “Shakespeare is a Woman (Anne Shakespeare’s feminism and her Sonnets).” An example, in what I think is a pivotal sonnet, number 129, can illustrate Anne’s belief in free will.
Anne Shakespeare and I can’t believe it’s been 400 years!
On the 400 year anniversary of Anne Shakespeare’s death (6/8/1623) I can’t believe that she is still not being given the recognition she deserves as the true author of the Shakespeare canon.
Anne Shakespeare’s feminine voice, again (Part 2)
In this post I want to expand a little more on what I consider to be Anne Shakespeare’s feminine voice.
Anne Shakespeare’s feminine voice (Part 1)
While it is difficult to pin Anne Shakespeare down to a specific (20th-21st century) feminine movement, what is obvious is that Anne is a humanist.
Anne Shakespeare’s problem play Troilus and Cressida and war
In Anne Shakespeare's problem play, Troilus and Cressida, Anne explores what is war. It is timely to think about war, especially with the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
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.
Anne Shakespeare and why it is difficult
This is the rabbit hole of trying to understand why Anne wrote what she did. A woman living in a time of change but still not being able to fully express a feminine view, being constrained by the patriarchal dominance of the society and culture.
Anne Shakespeare and what is philosophy?
The type of philosophy I am interested in exploring is that philosophy which defines a person's worldview and for Anne Shakespeare, her philosophy of life is very complex (just as our very own).
Anne Shakespeare and what it takes
Was Anne Shakespeare political? One must conclude that she was. Especially when looking across all of her plays; and most obvious in her histories but also in her tragedies. If so, what form of politics was she most interested in?
Oops, Anne Shakespeare and the death of Hamnet
Now, further to those doubts I would like to return to perhaps some more relevant information that Anne (as the real author) had to say about Hamnet's death.
Anne Shakespeare and the Turning Point
The death of Hamnet (Anne Shakespeare's son) must have affected Anne perhaps more than it did William, because it was Anne who had been at home during his lifetime while William had spent most of it in London.
Anne Shakespeare's Feminism is humanism
Anne Shakespeare's feminism has its roots in Renaissance humanism, that was at its most fundamental level, concerned with what it means to be human.
Anne Shakespeare and the Fourth Wave
The emerging fourth wave of feminism has deep roots stretching back to Anne Shakespeare's plays and poems. When we talk of intersectionality (gender, race, colour), of social media (think theatre) and rape culture and violence against women then no-one should be surprised that Anne covered all of these in her plays and poems.
Anne Shakespeare and her feminine voice
Every poem, sonnet and play Anne Shakespeare wrote has one purpose, it is Anne searching for (and finding) her own voice - a female voice in a male dominated world.
Anne Shakespeare in love
Love is one of Anne Shakespeare's core beliefs, but wasn't it a nice little film? Unfortunately, it had the wrong Shakespeare in the lead. If we were to do a true to life film of William Shakespeare in love it would look completely different.
Was Anne Shakespeare a feminist?
If we are speaking of Anne Shakespeare, the real author of the works, the answer is: Yes. On the other hand, the short answer is: No. That is a no if we are speaking of William Shakespeare (the assumed author of the works).
Anne Shakespeare and the Question: Was William Shakespeare Gay?
Was Anne Shakespeare’s husband, William, gay? There is certainly a number of Shakespearean scholars who hold to this belief based on seeing the Sonnets as an autobiographical account of William as author.
Anne Shakespeare: Another Digression
Last blog I started to talk about my next book which is going to look at Anne Shakespeare's core beliefs (as I see them) of love, nature, free will, and humanism (and religious beliefs). These are all filtered through Anne's feminine voice. And why not? Here we have the (possibly) greatest female writer of all time writing under the guise of her husband, William Shakespeare in order to immortalise him.
Anne Shakespeare: A digression
I have no doubt that Anne Shakespeare is the real author of the works attributed to her husband, William. Neither do I doubt that it was a conscious decision by Anne that William should be accorded all of the honours that went with (and continue to go with) this recognition…