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Straight Acting: The Many Queer Lives of William Shakespeare by Will Tosh
Winner of the Theatre Book Prize 2025.
Was Shakespeare gay? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think...
Shakespeare's work was profoundly influenced by the queer culture of his time - much of it totally integrated into mainstream society. From a relentless schooling in Latin and Greek homoeroticism, to a less formal education on the streets and in smoky taverns, from the gender-bending of the early comedies to the astonishingly queer literary scene that nurtured Shakespeare's sonnets, this is a story of artistic development and of personal crisis.
Straight Acting is a surprising portrait of Shakespeare's queer lives - his own and those in his plays and poems. It is a journey back in time and through Shakespeare's England, revealing a culture that both endorsed and supressed same-sex desire. It is a call to stop making Shakespeare act straight and to recognise how queerness powerfully shaped the life and career of the world's most famous playwright.
'Magisterial and saucy . . . This fresh account kickstarts the queer canon of English literature: Shakespeare won't go back in the closet again'
EMMA SMITH, author of This Is Shakespeare
Every purchase you make supports the work of Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you!
Detail
Author: Will Tosh
Format: Paperback
Size: 126 x 196 x 22cm
Pages: 304
We offer free UK delivery on orders over £30.
- Royal Mail – untracked
- DHL Next Day Delivery at checkout
International shipping options:
- Global Mail - Tracked standard service
- Express Worldwide – faster delivery with tracking
Please note: Global Mail shipping is currently unavailable for US orders due to new US tariff regulations.
Made-to-order items
Some products are shipped directly from our suppliers. If your order includes both made-to-order and stocked items, they may arrive in separate parcels. For more details, visit our Delivery & Returns page.
Winner of the Theatre Book Prize 2025.
Was Shakespeare gay? The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think...
Shakespeare's work was profoundly influenced by the queer culture of his time - much of it totally integrated into mainstream society. From a relentless schooling in Latin and Greek homoeroticism, to a less formal education on the streets and in smoky taverns, from the gender-bending of the early comedies to the astonishingly queer literary scene that nurtured Shakespeare's sonnets, this is a story of artistic development and of personal crisis.
Straight Acting is a surprising portrait of Shakespeare's queer lives - his own and those in his plays and poems. It is a journey back in time and through Shakespeare's England, revealing a culture that both endorsed and supressed same-sex desire. It is a call to stop making Shakespeare act straight and to recognise how queerness powerfully shaped the life and career of the world's most famous playwright.
'Magisterial and saucy . . . This fresh account kickstarts the queer canon of English literature: Shakespeare won't go back in the closet again'
EMMA SMITH, author of This Is Shakespeare
Every purchase you make supports the work of Shakespeare's Globe. Thank you!
Detail
Author: Will Tosh
Format: Paperback
Size: 126 x 196 x 22cm
Pages: 304
We offer free UK delivery on orders over £30.
- Royal Mail – untracked
- DHL Next Day Delivery at checkout
International shipping options:
- Global Mail - Tracked standard service
- Express Worldwide – faster delivery with tracking
Please note: Global Mail shipping is currently unavailable for US orders due to new US tariff regulations.
Made-to-order items
Some products are shipped directly from our suppliers. If your order includes both made-to-order and stocked items, they may arrive in separate parcels. For more details, visit our Delivery & Returns page.
