Homoscocial and Homoeroticism in Shakespeare - Essay Example

? Homoscocial and Homoerotiscism in Shakespeare Homoscocial and Homoerotiscism in Shakespeare To talk about a person in this age as being or not being a homosexual is ruinously misleading and an anachronism (Pequigney, 1992). Before a concrete argument can start, a reader has to first differentiate a couple of key view points or opinions, and more over comprehend them. The trouble with such debates is obviously the obstacle between renaissance beliefs and contemporary opinions. A majority of contemporary audiences/readers have some knowledge regarding homosexuality, or homosexuality has been visible to them in some way or another. This, hence, leads to the crisis of a contemporary audience guessing a person is a homosexual derived from modern assumptions (Catherine, 2001). Nevertheless, what would be considered as homosexuality in today’s culture might not have during the age of renaissance. Another concern that should be raised when discussing the topic this article is the distinction between ‘homoerotic’ and ‘homosocial’. Homosocial refers to or is a relationship between two or more members of the same sex that is of romantic nature or non-sexual (Indheim, 2007). Homoerotic, on the other hand, refers to a sexual attraction between people of the same gender/sex. Hence, it is necessary that a reader or audience stay objective when thinking about the notions of homoerotic and homosocial behaviour. The reader should also strive to remember the background factors in which it was composed and the readers/audience estimations (Catherine, 2001). The first association this paper will center on is the relationship between Bassanio and Antonio from The Merchant of Venice by the renowned novelist and playwright, William Shakespeare. It will also center on the relationship between the same Antonio and his relationship to Sebastian in the novel Twelfth Night by Shakespeare. Antonio refers to the title character in The Merchant of Venice. He is a grown-up bachelor, as well as a merchant by trade, who has his monetary interests occupied in overseas transit when the play begins. He is generous, kind, confident and honest. He is also loved and honoured by the Christians who recognize him (Indheim, 2007). Bassanio and Antonio in The Merchant of Venice share an extremely strong friendship, so large that Antonio can afford to lend Bassanio an extremely large sum of money. However, being a rich merchant, Antonio does not have the money upfront as it is otherwise engaged in his goods off shore (Indheim, 2007). He, therefore, opts to go to a Jewish cash lender referred to as Shylock and offers his assets as assurance for the credit. The shylock had been rejected by the Venetian citizens on a couple of occasions so he had no option, but to take Antonio’s offer. Bassanio, however, failed to come up with the money that Antonio has loaned him, but they still continued to be friends (Sinfield, 1996). Antonio's deep amity and trust on Bassanio, his readiness to risk his hard-earned assets on Bassanio, and the exhausting of his own assets to sustain Bassanio has been considering as supporting the assumption that Antonio is a homosexual. Some readers believe that Antonio was simply a good friend of Bassanio, and that the latter was like a son to the first character. The audience began to consider Antonio as a homosexual in the 1950s (Pequigney, 1992). However, there are numerous objections. During that era, the language or verbal communication was much more open than in the past. Therefore, readers in the present day culture consider Antonio as a homosexual. Contemporary productions use the assumption that Antonio is anguishing from his love and affection for Bassanio to clarify his sorrowful actions, but it is yet not proven (Catherine, 2001). Many researchers, such as O'Rourke, argue that Antonio is a homosexual, and is in a relationship with his supposed friend Bassanio. O'Rourke gives his arguments basing of the facts from Shakespeare’s novel. According to O'Rourke (2003), a phrase such as my friend lays ajar to all your occasions appears to allude to a sexual element in Antonio's relation with Bassanio. Nevertheless, there is also proof that the two friends shared a firmly fraternal, familial link, as signified by the statement that Antonio about Bassanio being his most noble kinsman (Indheim, 2007). Other scholars such as Joseph Pequigney and Alan Sinfield maintain that all efforts to read Shakespeare's characters as straight or gay in terms of the modern understanding of the word are historically and culturally flawed. A person has to be really committed to understanding the historical backgrounds of Shakespeare’s work in order to understand homoscocial and homoerotiscism in his work (Catherine, 2001). Antonio, in the Twelfth Night, is the person who saves Sebastian following his shipwreck. Antonio becomes extremely fond of Sebastian, compassionate for him, taking him to Illyria, and endowing him with cash. Critics argue that Antonio did this because of a feeling so strong that it appears to be romantics or passionate in nature (Shapiro, 1994). Modern readers regard this as homosexuality as only people from the same family ties and same sex can have such affection to one another. Antonio’s desirability to Sebastian, nevertheless, never bears fruit (O’Rourke, 2003). In spite of the unclear and uneven gender roles in the novel, the book remains a romantic humour in which the characters are intended for matrimony. In such a planet, homoerotic appeal cannot be rewarded (Sinfield, 1996). Men are not the only characters caught up in this dilemma of the uncertainty of gender in Shakespeare’s novel, Twelfth Night, but also females. Viola thinks of herself as a male (Pequigney, 1992). This condition creates a sexual chaos whereby she falls in love with Orsino yet she cannot inform him, because Orsino thinks Viola is a man, whereas Olivia, the subject of Orsino’s love, becomes attracted to Viola in her disguise as Cesario. There is an obvious homoerotic nuance here (Shapiro, 1994). Olivia has deep feelings towards a female, even though she thinks he is a male, and Orsino frequently remarks on Cesario’s gorgeousness, signifying that he is engrossed to Viola even before her manly disguise is omitted. This dormant homoeroticism finds an open resonance in the minor character of Antonio, who evidently has feelings of attraction towards his male pal, Sebastian. However, Antonio’s needs cannot be fulfilled, while Olivia and Orsino both find neat heterosexual satisfaction once the sexual deceptions and ambiguities are straightened out (O’Rourke, 2003). Shakespeare along with many of his contemporaries recognized well enough the strength of fancy in the sexual part of anybody’s life (O’Rourke, 2003). Viola, in the Twelfth Night was tricked into believing that Orsino loved her as a homosexual. She has to face Orsino when he is an extremely dark mood, saying things that do not make sense to indicate any interest or affection in him of any kind, but the facts of the issue have little to do with what she hears or sees. Orsino’s affirmation of love to Viola confirms that he enjoys protracting the pretense of Viola’s manliness. Even after he realizes that Viola is a female, he still manages to refer to her as a boy and himself as the female in the relationship (Catherine, 2001). Such an act creates fantasies in the audience and also makes confusion to the role of gender in the society. Back in the days, women were expected to be followers of men and not the other way round. This is why the contemporary audiences regard Viola and Orsino as both homosexuals as they had lost their gender course, the man pretending to be the women and vice versa. Likewise, in the last lines of the play, Orsino tells Cesario – Olivia – to come with him for she is a man (Shapiro, 1994). Orsino somehow declares himself as Cesario mistress, as well as his fancy queen, who they can enjoy time together while Viola is not around. Even after everything is exposed, Orsino continues to refer to Viola by her guy name. The reader can, hence, speculate whether Orsino is in reality in love with Viola, or if Orsino is just enamoured of her male qualities (Indheim, 2007). Joseph Pequigney’s book, The Two Antonios and Same-Sex Love in Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice, quarrels that in the time period of two book’s composition, "homosexuality" was not a person’s sexual character, but only an explicit sexual act any person might employ. As Joseph writes, to talk about a person in this age as being or not being a homosexual is ruinously misleading and an anachronism. The enticement to wickedness, from which gayness was not evidently distinguished, was acknowledged as part of the widespread lot as recognized in the 15th century Britain (Pequigney, 1992). Homosexuality was a sin whereby a man's natural viciousness and corruption was prone. According to this quarrel, even though there might have been physical association between Bassanio and Antonio, to classify Antonio as a gay person is outdated (O’Rourke, 2003). This is because any such recognition draws on contemporary beliefs regarding sexual actions as a correlative of sexual individuality instead of accounting for the manner male-male sexual relations were recognized in the historical-cultural background of the play. This two plays fit well with contemporary knowledge, even though Shakespeare’s plays are unlikely to have understood as fully as people do precisely how such sexual fantasies might be awakened and a reader be enticed to indulge them. People realize that whereas the new media might manipulate powerful pictures, which blatantly and directly assaults the plays, they continue to use suggestion as the main tool for sexual stimulation (Indheim, 2007). Whereas unambiguous and outright sexual statements are widespread today, a type of sneakiness is employed when playing on desires, as well as fears. Images are created so that they can stay understated, incomplete or unbalanced. This will, therefore, create in the mind of the reader not contentment, but instead an urge to complete the feeling and so reflect on control of some yet unobtained item, to daydream with some optimism of fun or enjoyment (Pequigney, 1992). Finally, owing to the recurrent power plays and the topic of sex on William Shakespeare’s works, two rules should be formulated for actors, readers, directors along with the audience to follow. The first rule is that words should not always be depended on and can hardly ever be pinned down to a precise of single meaning. The second rule is that the whole truths of words are hardly ever presented on the stage. What is placed on the stage is meant to arouse a creative response, not to set up moments of actuality (Catherine, 2001). Characters in the play are not only offered speeches that evade or cover, but a full understanding of what is taking place has been left to the hands of the audience to imagine what it happening, especially when they play is dealing with sexuality matters. Shakespeare’s plays, The Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night had to be this way, which was extremely effective, as well as compelling. References Catherine, M 2001, Shakespeare and sexuality, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Indheim, N 2007, Rethinking sexuality and class in Twelfth Night, University Of Toronto Quarterly, Vol. 76, No. 2, pp 1-36. O’Rourke, J 2003, ‘Racism and homophobia in The Merchant of Venice’, Journal of English Literary History, Vol. 70, pp. 375-97. Pequigney, J 1992, The two Antonios and same-sex love in Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice’ in Shakespeare and gender: A History, ed. by Deborah Barker and Ivo Kamps, Verso Publishing, London. Shapiro, M 1994, Gender in play on the Shakespearean stage, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. Sinfield, A 1996, ‘How to read The Merchant of Venice without being heterosexist’ In Alternative Shakespeares, Vol. 2, pp. 39-122. Read More