Women in the text
A theme in some of the plays like The Herbal Bed is the relationship between Shakespeare and his family, particularly his wife and daughters.
In initial drafts a great deal of attention was paid to research into the family and his wife. I attended a lecture by Germaine Greer on Shakespare’s wife Anne, and it occurred to me that Anne may have gained some autonomy and agency by being married. But with the patriarchal head of her household away in London, I hinted at some possible connection between her and Will’s brother in the play. This was pure invention, but spoke to many of the passages about jealousy in his plays.
In order to give her more agency and presence within the piece, she is in the next room, but also begins to appear as one of his audience members. This offers him a chance as he recalls his life to come clean and to work out his relation to her.
Although I didn’t give her credit as at least one play does for writing his plays, I did see her as a discerning listener, particularly when younger. I feel also that as his sophistication grew he might turn to a more educated listener or lover as poetess Aemilia Bassano Lanyer.
Much of the play is about Shakespeare’s feelings for and about women though he inhabits a very masculine world. Richard Chandler offers poet Aemilia Bassano Lanyer as Shakeapeare’s lover and I used this to account for his descriptions of Venice and other Italian cities. Duncan Salkeld, a Shakespearean scholar from the University of Chichester, established a Clerkenwell brothel-owner known as 'Black Luce' had multiple connections to London's theatrical scene. Some claim her as the dark lady and I gave Shakespeare both of them as lovers. Along with, in a controversial move, the Earl of Southampton.
A summer’s meadow under the willow
That delicate stooped to the river
I 18, you 26,
I wrap words around you:
“Those lips that Love’s own hand did make” hmm
A woman’s heart …
Read aright will arouse to heat,
But is quickly closed, should be studied daily and nightly.
Though, to keep new interest in an old book is hard.
-1616
Aemelia poet,
Riggish, untameable
Playing sweet music
I envy those jacks that nimble leap,
To kiss the tender inward of thy hand,
Give them thy fingers,
Me, thy lips to kiss
From Italy, my soul’s treasure house,
Your fingers little songs in loves language,
Walk me through Venice and Padua!
OLD WILL
I love you
.…
Mad in pursuit and possession
Dark skin, cloves, Musk,
Your husband
A waste of shame.
We ruined all!
….