795 Will Tosh and Queer Shakespeare (Revisited)

This episode of The History of Literature revisits the legacy of Ray Bradbury through his iconic origin story involving a mysterious carnival performer named Mr. Electrico, a figure who allegedly inspired Bradbury to 'live forever' and begin his writing career. The narrative then transitions into a deep exploration of William Shakespeare's queer sensibilities, featuring a conversation with Will Tosh, head of research at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Tosh argues that while we may never definitively know whether Shakespeare was gay in a modern sense, his work unmistakably reflects a profound engagement with queer desire, intimacy, and same-sex relationships—particularly evident in the sonnets and plays like As You Like It and Twelfth Night. He challenges the notion that discussing Shakespeare's queerness is anachronistic, emphasizing that early modern culture allowed for expressive forms of male friendship, theatrical cross-dressing, and classical literary influences that normalized queer emotional and erotic experiences. The episode critiques historical censorship of Shakespeare's sonnets and celebrates the growing scholarly consensus that queer desire was both present and artistically vital in Shakespeare’s world. Tosh’s new book, Straight Acting, aims to bring this rich academic discourse to a general audience without jargon, framing Shakespeare as a queer artist whose work continues to resonate across time and identity. Key takeaways include: 1) Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays contain unmistakable queer themes that were actively suppressed or edited by later editors; 2) Queer desire in the Elizabethan era was not monolithic—there were spaces of expression in friendship, theatre, and classical literature; 3) The fear of prosecution for sodomy was real but rarely enforced, allowing room for cultural and artistic exploration; 4) Modern interpretations of Shakespeare should not be seen as imposing new ideas, but as uncovering long-suppressed truths; 5) The Globe Theatre and its research team are actively working to make Shakespeare’s work inclusive and relevant to contemporary audiences. The episode ends with a hopeful note about the future of the podcast, returning to a bi-weekly release schedule after a break.