A new book claims Shakespeare’s plays were authored by Emilia Bassano, a black Jewish woman, arguing his identity was falsely credited and raising questions about historical erasure.
A controversial new book claims William Shakespeare was actually a “black Jewish woman,” asserting that Tudor poet Emilia Bassano wrote the plays attributed to the Bard. Feminist historian Irene Coslet argues that Shakespeare, a “semi-literate businessman,” took credit for Bassano’s work, while Elizabethan society preferred the narrative of a white male genius. Coslet writes, “Historians have not managed to explain how the Stratford man, a semi-illiterate moneylender, managed to gain such a level of erudition.”
According to the book, Bassano’s diverse identity, Venetian family ties, and connections to Elizabethan theatre provided the cultural knowledge behind the plays. Coslet suggests her fair-skinned portraits were deliberately lightened to fit period beauty ideals. Speaking to The Telegraph, she said, “If Shakespeare was a female of colour, this would draw attention to issues of peace and justice in society,” highlighting the potential erasure of women from historical narratives.