Hamlet Homosexuality Essay

1280 Words6 Pages
Chelsea Schmidt CP English IV Mr. Preston 28 November 2012 Hamlet :Homosexuality, Hamlets Downfall? Homosexuality, was it more common in Shakespeare’s plays than we think, specifically Hamlet? A lot has been said about William Shakespeare including cross dressing and homosexuality in his plays/sonnets. There are obvious hints in plays like Twelfth Night, Othello and The Merchant of Venice. I bet if you read through Hamlet once, you would have looked over these homosexual ways. I can provide you with evidence that in fact Hamlet was homosexual. Do you believe that William Shakespeare was homosexual himself? Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets have been discussed about being written about a man. An example from Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 20” follows: A woman's face with nature's own hand painted, Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion; A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted With shifting change, as is false women's fashion: An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling, Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth; A man in hue all hues in his controlling, Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth. And for a woman wert thou first created; Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting, And by addition me of thee defeated, By adding one thing to my purpose nothing. But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure, Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure. (1-14) In this sonnet Shakespeare is referring to a man, having characteristics of a woman. He is describing how the man appears to him, physically and emotionally. In the sentences “But since she prick’d thee out for women’s pleasure/ Mine be thy love and thy love’s use their treasure” (13-14). Shakespeare is saying that since nature made the man to pleasure women, let him pleasure them, but let Shakespeare have his love. This is just one of many sonnets/plays of William
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