Was William Shakespeare gay?

Answer 1

No one really knows. One of his contemporaries, Christopher Marlowe, most likely was gay and has also been cited as a possible ghost-writer of some of Shakespeare's plays.

Answer 2

pls give a look about william shakespeare and what me was...................Then u come to know about.................... William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, a successful glover and alderman originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer.[5] He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptised on 26 April 1564. His unknown birthday is traditionally observed on 23 April, St George's Day.[6] This date, which can be traced back to an eighteenth-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing because Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616.[7] He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son Authorship Around 150 years after Shakespeare's death, doubts began to emerge about the authorship of Shakespeare's works.[171] Alternative candidates proposed include Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe, and Edward de Vere, the Earl of Oxford.[172] Although all alternative candidates are almost universally rejected in academic circles, popular interest in the subject, particularly the Oxfordian theory, has continued into the 21st century.[173] Religion Some scholars claim that members of Shakespeare's family were Catholics, at a time when Catholic practice was against the law,[174] Shakespeare's mother, Mary Arden, certainly came from a pious Catholic family. The strongest evidence might be a Catholic statement of faith signed by John Shakespeare, found in 1757 in the rafters of his former house in Henley Street. The document is now lost, however, and scholars differ on its authenticity.[175] In 1591, the authorities reported that John had missed church "for fear of process for debt", a common Catholic excuse.[176] In 1606, William's daughter Susanna was listed among those who failed to attend Easter communion in Stratford.[176] Scholars find evidence both for and against Shakespeare's Catholicism in his plays, but the truth may be impossible to prove either way.[177] Sexuality Few details of Shakespeare's sexuality are known. At 18, he married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant. Susanna, the first of their three children, was born six months later on 26 May 1583. However, over the centuries readers have pointed to Shakespeare's sonnets as evidence of his love for a young man. Others read the same passages as the expression of intense friendship rather than sexual love.[178] At the same time, the twenty-six so-called "Dark Lady" sonnets, addressed to a married woman, are taken as evidence of heterosexual liaisons.[179]

Answer 3

No one will ever really know, though if one were to ask me, I'd say no. Yes, he did have a wife, Anne Hathaway, as well as children. Becuase Shakespeare spent so much time working in London, away from his family which remained in Stratford-upon-Avon, some scholars believe that he began to worry about her fidelity, as it emerged as a common theme in his later plays, such as Othello, Winter's Tale, Cymbeline, etc. I buy this theory after reading most of his work myself, the man seems a little obsessed. I don't see how a gay man could be so jealous/paranoid, so I'll say that Shakespeare was straight.

Answer 4

Okay, two things. One, nobody wrote about homosexual couples/affairs/love in the 16th and 17th centuries, whether they were gay or not. And second, Shakespeare did marry, an older woman named Anne Hathaway. They had three children, a daughter, Susanna, and fraternal twins, Hamnet and Judith. As for whether or not Shakespeare himself was gay, so little is known about his personal life, it's entirely possible he was, although it would be difficult to prove. The links below provide some interesting info on the topic.

Answer 5

Yes, although debates about it still rage on including whether he wrote the classics himself as an individual or group. Y'know about the Fair Youth of the sonnets! That was he. . . .! I once met a foremost authority on the sonnets, Harvard's own great, HV at the WBYeats fest. and asked her same talked about dedication and earl of southampton kinda stuff. Well, such debates r 'xpected esp. about life that expired ages ago in 1616. Was he or was he not. Thats the questn. but what do we do with the answer?

Answer 6

I don't think so. He had 3 children a girl Susanna. And twins. The boy was named Hamnet (kind of like Hamlet the play he wrote) and another girl. I forgot her name. sorry. He did not live with his wife most of the time. I think he travelled alot.

Answer 7

William Shakespeare could be gay. but it is most unlikely. i believe he dated a women when he was just starting his playwriting. but it could be a possibility because he never was married and he wrote plays.

Answer 8

His plays that had love themes all had heterosexual couples so I would think not. However I do agree with what difference does it make.

Answer 9

I don't think so. He writes about normal loves, so maybe he dreamed of having a normal love life, but no one would have him. Like Romeo and Juliet and stuff. They were all normal, so I'd think his mind was on straight and he was straight.
=D

Answer 10

What difference does it make?