Shakespeare’s “Black” Sonnets

Project title:

Shakespeare’s “Black” Sonnets

“This project has been reconsidering the ‘blackness’ of Shakespeare’s sonnets, examining the real-life Black woman who might have inspired [the ‘Dark Lady’], but also analysing racial tropes.”

Researcher:

Output:

Find out about the dance film ‘Blak Mistrys’, created by Candace Scarborough in response to this project.

Project proposal:

The figure of the ‘Dark Lady’ in Shakespeare’s Sonnets (1609) has long been a cause of discomfort and anxiety for white readers and scholars, and has often seemed to inhibit engagement with the Sonnets by readers of colour. This project has been reconsidering the ‘blackness’ of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, examining the real-life Black woman who might have inspired this figure, but also analysing the racial tropes which construct blackness and whiteness in the Sonnets, and their part in the historical construction of racism or racecraft later in the 17th century. Researchers have worked to highlight the racialised language used in Shakespeare’s sonnets and have produced A-level materials for students to enable them to consider questions of race. In addition, a dance film has been made, which supports the other materials, and an event was held in Clerkenwell presenting findings and promoting discussion.

Still from the film ‘Blak Mistrys’, part of this project

Themes: