What you missed when you first learned about Shakespeare | Mary-Catherine Berger | TEDxUNCCharlotte

Key Concepts

Shakespeare, English literary canon, British Renaissance/Early Modern Period, sex and gender fluidity, performativity of gender, race as a social construct, development of the market economy, enclosure, class conflict, relevance of Shakespeare today.

Sex and Gender in the Early Modern Period

The speaker challenges the notion that the early modern period was intensely conservative regarding sex and gender. The term "vagina" wasn't in common use until 1612. The prevailing understanding was that all fetuses began as female, and under the right conditions, a penis would descend, making a male child. Gender was seen as performative, and inadequate performance could theoretically lead to a change in genitalia.

Example: Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is used as an example. Viola disguises herself as Cesario, a eunuch, and Orsino falls in love with "him." When Viola reveals her true identity, Orsino immediately proposes, but only after she performs "womanness." The speaker highlights the homoerotic undertones, noting Orsino's initial attraction to Cesario.

Argument: The concept of "being gay" didn't exist in the same way it does today. Sodomy was illegal, but it had a broad definition and was often associated with other crimes. The speaker emphasizes that the modern understanding of homosexuality and its persecution is a relatively recent invention.

Technical Detail: The speaker notes that women were not allowed to perform on the English stage, so female characters were played by adolescent boys, further complicating the performance of gender.

Race in the Early Modern Period

The speaker argues that race, like sex and gender, was a fluid and developing concept. While racist actions and statements occurred, religion was a more significant point of contention.

Examples:

• Jewish people faced discrimination and were portrayed negatively in English dramas.
• The Irish were subjected to ethnic cleansing.
• Black people were seen as curiosities, and theories about their skin color included heliotropism (sun exposure), a curse from God (Ham's curse), or disease.

Argument: England's involvement in international expeditions and overseas settlements led to the development of a more modern conception of race. The focus shifted from questioning the existence of blackness to constructing blackness as inferior, ideologies that persist in racist rhetoric today.

Counter-Example: Othello, a well-regarded military leader, and Iago, a villain, demonstrate that skin color did not always determine social standing. Shylock, the Jewish moneylender in The Merchant of Venice, is presented as a ruthless villain.

The Development of the Market Economy

The speaker discusses the transition from common lands to a market economy in England.

Process: Enclosure, where wealthy landowners enclosed common lands for commercial farming, led to increased poverty among subsistence farmers and an influx of people into London. This also resulted in a concentration of wealth among landowners and the middle class.

Example: The speaker references a 1607 uprising mentioned in the introductory scenes of Coriolanus, where citizens complain about the patricians hoarding resources. The first citizen says, "we are accounted poor citizens the patricians good what authority surfits on would relieve us if they would yield us but the superfluity while it were wholesome we might guess they relieved us humanely but they think we are too dear."

Argument: By 1600, the English economy was largely commercialized, leading to the dissociation between worker and labor characteristic of capitalism.

Relevance of Shakespeare Today

The speaker concludes that Shakespeare endures because his works are complex and adaptable.

Actionable Insights:

• Go beyond the text and explore the historical context.
• Find the jokes, innuendos, and idioms that have survived.
• Seek out adaptations of Shakespeare.
• Use Shakespeare to complicate and dismantle hegemonic power structures.

Notable Quote: "Shakespeare endures because his works are complex enough to be endlessly adapted to suit any time place or alternate reading."

Synthesis/Conclusion

Shakespeare's works are relevant today because they reflect the complex social, political, and economic transitions of the early modern period. Understanding the historical context of Shakespeare's plays allows us to see how issues of sex, gender, race, and class continue to shape our world. By engaging with Shakespeare critically and exploring his historical context, we can gain valuable insights into our own time and challenge existing power structures. The speaker encourages further exploration of these topics.