A feminist historian claims that the world-famous playwright and poet William Shakespeare was actually a woman of African descent, according to the Daily Express.
A sensational new book has caused controversy claiming that Shakespeare was a “black Jewish woman” whose real identity has been shrouded in “Western-centric ideology”.
Feminist historian Irene Coslet argues that the writer of Shakespeare’s famous plays was in fact Emilia Bassano, a Tudor poet with a “multicultural” background. In her new book «The Real Shakespeare: Emilia Bassano Willoughby», Coslet suggests that Bassano used the pseudonym “Shakespeare” and wrote the basic English texts before her work was stolen and her identity overshadowed by an uneducated stranger from Stratford-upon-Avon – whom we know today as William Shakespeare.
Her suggestion that the thief’s alleged legitimacy has never been properly investigated due to a historical favouritism of “white” male geniuses, however, has been met with criticism, with commenters on social media condemning the idea as “ridiculous” and “madness”. Others called it an attempt to “rewrite the nation’s history”.
“This is [one of] the most ridiculous theories yet,” wrote host Alex Phillips on X.
Although the artwork by Bassano depicts her with pale skin, Coslet has suggested that the painters would likely have lightened her facial features in accordance with the beauty ideals of the time. In the book, it is claimed that she was actually of African origin.
In Coslet’s thesis for the book, she writes: “Historians have failed to explain how the Stratford man, a semi-illiterate moneylender, managed to achieve such a level of erudition”.
The Chandos portrait, likely depicting Shakespeare, c. 1611 (Photo: Wikipedia)
She argues instead that Bassano, who was the mistress of Henry Carey, Elizabeth I’s Lord Chamberlain and patron of Shakespeare’s theatre company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, must have had the literary skills and “multiple identities” necessary to incorporate a variety of cultural influences into her work.
Coslet told The Telegraph: “If Shakespeare was a woman of colour, it would have highlighted issues of peace and justice in society. What if women have played a central role and had a civilising impact on history, but have been silenced, devalued and erased from the dominant narrative?
“What would a paradigm shift reveal about ourselves?”
Coslet also argues that there are hidden messages in Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets that parallel Bassano’s life, as well as supposed jabs at her husband, Alfonso Lanier.
«Attributing Western cultural heritage solely to white men is not only unrealistic, but it also helps to perpetuate inequality and injustice in society. The development of the Western cultural and historical tradition is more complex and multicultural than is commonly realised. Depriving subcultures of proper authorship and representation means perpetuating white supremacy and the patriarchal model, while reclaiming voices and identities is crucial to building a truly equal society.