Queer Creatures: The Intersection between Queerness and Early Modern Magic in the Works of Shakespeare and Beyond

酷儿生物：莎士比亚及其他作品中酷儿与早期现代魔法的交集

• 批准号: 2726605
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Birmingham
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2726605
• 关键词: Queer; Creatures; Intersection; between; Queerness

Magic references using 'ritual activities' to 'manipulate the natural world', while queerness is that deemed 'strange, odd, peculiar' (OED). Both are considered a departure from nature. Queer theory explores anti-normativity, and while it does encompass deviance from heteronormativity, it also encompasses '"otherness" beyond the gender divide' (Morland and Willox, 2005). Queerness 'can never define an identity; it can only ever disturb one' (Edelman, 2004). This 'systematic disturbing of the familiar' (Giffney and Hird, 2008) recalls the belief that magic unsettles the normative, posing a threat to the ordered world. Hence, both magic and queerness are known for transgressing into anti-normative territory.While a number of scholars have discussed intersections between gender and magic in the Renaissance, nothing has been written on intersections between queerness and magic. This is surprising, given that gender is an integral part of queer theory. In Ahmed's Magic and Gender in Early Modern England, for example, there is no mention of queerness or queer theory. When Ahmed writes that witches were perceived as 'not entirely human' and able to 'turn into an animal' (2014), her argument fits seamlessly into queer theory, which pushes 'the boundaries of the possible' (Giffney, 2009) and goes 'beyond the parameters of the human' (Shannon, 2011). Yet she neglects to connect witches' perceivedtransgressions to queerness.My project explores "queer creatures", arguing that those suspected of magic in the Renaissance were inherently queer, and through this, that magic itself is inherently queer. I am doing so by exploring how queerness and magic intersect in plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as in Renaissance culture. Historically, scholars have omitted queerness from the Renaissance, arguably due to living in a queerphobic cultural climate. My research aims to fill in gaps and correct warped heteronormative narratives left by such scholars. I intend to create both a more inclusive space for LGBT+ individuals within early modern studies and to showcase how those accused of magic were discriminated against for their queerness. Thus far in my PhD I have been focusing on The Witch of Edmonton, looking at how Elizabeth Sawyer is accused of witchcraft because of her queerness. For my research I have been using the Shakespeare Institute library, the Birmingham Main Campus library and Early English Books Online.

魔法指的是使用“仪式活动”来“操纵自然世界”，而酷儿则被认为是“奇怪的、古怪的、奇特的”（《牛津英语词典》）。两者都被认为是背离自然的。酷儿理论探索反规范性，虽然它确实包含对异性规范的偏离，但它也包含“超越性别鸿沟的“差异性””（Morland 和 Willox，2005）。酷儿“永远无法定义身份；它只能打扰一个人”（Edelman，2004）。这种“对熟悉事物的系统性干扰”（Giffney 和 Hird，2008）让人回想起魔法扰乱规范、对有序世界构成威胁的信念。因此，魔法和酷儿都以违反反规范领域而闻名。虽然许多学者讨论了文艺复兴时期性别和魔法之间的交叉点，但没有任何关于酷儿和魔法之间交叉的文章。鉴于性别是酷儿理论不可或缺的一部分，这令人惊讶。例如，在艾哈迈德的《早期现代英国的魔法与性别》中，没有提到酷儿或酷儿理论。当艾哈迈德写道，女巫被认为“不完全是人类”并且能够“变成动物”（2014）时，她的论点与酷儿理论完美契合，该理论推动了“可能性的界限”（Giffney，2009）并继续“超越人类的参数”（Shannon，2011）。然而她却忽略了将女巫的违法行为与酷儿联系起来。我的项目探索“酷儿生物”，认为那些在文艺复兴时期怀疑魔法的人本质上是酷儿，通过这一点，魔法本身本质上是酷儿。我通过探索莎士比亚及其同时代人的戏剧以及文艺复兴文化中的酷儿和魔法如何交叉来做到这一点。从历史上看，学者们在文艺复兴时期忽略了酷儿，这可能是由于生活在一种恐酷的文化氛围中。我的研究旨在填补空白并纠正这些学者留下的扭曲的异性恋叙事。我打算在早期现代研究中为 LGBT+ 个体创造一个更具包容性的空间，并展示那些被指控使用魔法的人如何因其酷儿身份而受到歧视。到目前为止，在我的博士学位中，我一直专注于《埃德蒙顿女巫》，研究伊丽莎白·索耶如何因为她的酷儿身份而被指控为巫术。为了进行研究，我一直使用莎士比亚学院图书馆、伯明翰主校区图书馆和早期英语在线图书。