Shakespearean Women Get Their Own Story
Shakespeare has his reputation as a master of the English language for a reason. You don’t have your plays put on for centuries without due talent. But that’s not to say some of the plays don’t have their problems. Shakespeare was writing in the 1600s when Elizabeth I was queen of England and foul humours were thought to cause sickness. What I’m saying is, they didn’t exactly have everything figured out. Some of the plays hold up quite well, but others are rife with racism, antisemitism, and sexism that is decidedly unappealing to modern readers.
Fortunately, one of the beautiful things about literature is that it’s always being retold. Shakespeare himself was often retelling tales from history, mythology, and literature, so why shouldn’t his plays get the retelling treatment as well? It only seems fair. From Sapphic Shakespeare retellings to contemporary takes on the Bard, retellings can refresh Shakespeare’s stories in any number of ways. Especially for the characters who were, shall we say, done a bit dirty by the Bard, getting a fresh take is the least we could offer. They’re not substitutes for the originals but rather offer an enhanced reading experience for those who have already read Shakespeare and want to explore nuances and different takes. Retellings couldn’t exist without the originals.
So for the women who, particularly in Shakespeare’s tragedies, didn’t always get a chance to tell their own perspectives, these retellings about Shakespearean women set the story straight.
Bookish Goods
Toil and Trouble Mug from Gmdice
Who wouldn’t want to drink their morning coffee from a Shakespearean cauldron? $20
New Releases
Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid
Release date: September 24, 2024
Unveiling the harsh realities of Medieval Scotland, Val McDermid reimagines a tale we think we know well. The first queen of Scotland, married to a man named Macbeth, is on the run, trying to outwit the endless plotting of power-hungry men. Her own cunning helped her win a crown, but now that crown might cost her her life. It’s a tale of Queen Macbeth as you’ve never seen her before.
Murder in Berkeley Square by Vanessa Riley
Release date: September 24, 2024
Acclaimed historical fiction author Vanessa Riley pens a historical mystery about a woman who’s helped solve a number of criminal cases—but is barred from a dinner discussing such matters with men. When a blizzard strands all of the dinner guests together at the home of Lord Charles Duncan, Lady Abigail’s skills are put to the test. Two guests are soon found murdered. A killer is on the loose, quite possibly in this very house. If Abigail can’t get to the bottom of this mystery, and quick, the lives of those she cares about may also soon be forfeit.
Riot Recommendations
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
Before there was Romeo and Juliet, there was Rosaline. Grieving the recent loss of her mother to the plague and the news that she’s to be sent to a convent, Rosaline vows to pack as much life as she can into her last weeks of freedom. Falling for Romeo at a forbidden Montague party seems the perfect way to do so. But Romeo’s pretty words and promises to save her hide a darker truth: she’s not the first girl he’s led astray. Now, aware of his true nature, Rosaline is determined to save her young cousin from Romeo’s machinations before it’s too late.
Queen Hereafter by Isabelle Schuler
Determined to fulfill an ancient prophecy to reclaim the lands of her Pictish kin as queen, Gruoch leaves behind everything she knows, including her friend MacBethad, to marry Duncan. But the royal court is full of conniving forces and false friends. When a deadly turn forces her away, she’ll have to decide whether to fade into the shadows or take back her throne—and her vengeance—by any means necessary.
Desdemona by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison’s play about Othello‘s love, Desdemona, is an intimate affair, featuring a conversation between Desdemona and her African nurse Barbary. Though doomed, in Morrison’s play, Desdemona is given a voice again to speak on the injustices rife in the original telling. Speaking not only on race and gender, but class and war, Desdemona gives new life to an old story for a modern audience.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on most social media, including Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy.
Right now I’m reading The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho.
