Hamlet is a misogynist like Andrew Tate and both display ‘toxic masculinity’, Oxford professor will claim in new BBC series
- Professor Emma Smith reexamines works of Shakespeare through a modern lens
Hamlet is a misogynist with ‘chilling’ similarities to disgraced influencer Andrew Tate, an Oxford professor is set to argue in a new BBC Radio 4 series.
Taking Issue With Shakespeare, airing from Monday, will see Professor Emma Smith reexamine the works of the Bard through a modern lens.
The Shakespeare studies lecturer is set to say that Hamlet displays ‘toxic masculinity’ like ‘alpha male’ influencer Andrew Tate, who is reportedly being sued by three women in the UK for rape and sexual assault.
In the series, the host will challenge celebrity guests to look at the playwright’s work differently, speaking to the likes of Gordon Brown about Julius Caesar and Michael Gove on King Lear.
In the third episode, according to the show’s notes, ‘Emma sets out to persuade Will Self that the kind of toxic masculinity expressed by the self-professed misogynist Andrew Tate finds a chilling counterpart in the misogynist play and character, Hamlet.’
Shakespeare’s character, who has been portrayed by the likes of David Tennant and Sir Patrick Stewart, famously descends into madness as he works to exact revenge on his uncle
Hamlet is a misogynist with ‘chilling’ similarities to disgraced influencer Andrew Tate, an Oxford professor is set to argue
Ex-Big Brother contestant Tate is currently under house arrest in Romania after being detained in December on suspicion of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group to exploit women, allegations he denies.
Shakespeare’s character, who has been portrayed by the likes of David Tennant and Sir Patrick Stewart, famously descends into madness as he works to exact revenge on his murderous uncle.
Feminist scholars have long pointed out that the protagonist blames his faults and misfortunes on the play’s female characters.
But Self, a novelist and journalist, is said to not initially be convinced by Professor Smith’s argument equating him to modern-day misogynist Tate.
The blurb for the show says the two engage in a ‘lively discussion’ before agreeing on one point.
While the blurb gives little other detail, the pair share common ground over the ‘profound impact in Shakespeare’s era of non-gendered child-rearing until the age of seven followed by the ‘breeching’ of boys, which separated them from women and children into their adult lives.’
Taking Issue With Shakespeare, airing from Monday, will see Professor Emma Smith reexamine the works of the Bard through a modern lens
Professor Smith, author of This Is Shakespeare, previously argued that Hamlet’s misogyny could be compared to that of a school shooter, saying that interrogating Shakespeare’s works can be ‘revealing’.
She told the Radio Times: ‘Talking about toxic masculinity and Hamlet, we can see him as a young man radicalised, on a mission to clear things up, and turning against women’s sexuality in a very violent way, maybe like the guy who takes a gun to school… That was revelatory for me.’
She has also previously blasted overlong adaptations of the Bard’s works and said readers can skip over the ‘boring’ parts to more fully enjoy his plays.
Her new BBC show has been commissioned to mark 400 years since the publication of the Bard’s First Folio.
The episode on Hamlet, the second of the series, will air on April 18 on Radio 2.
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