Queer Elements in Renaissance English Poetry

Homoeroticism and homosexuality have always existed and have always been present in human beings, despite the different opinions expressed about them and the changes they underwent over time. By first introducing the historical, social, and psychological situation lived by homosexuals during the English Renaissance, influenced by the theological discourse, and how it translated into early modern science, my thesis focuses on discerning the homoerotic elements of English Renaissance poetry. Specifically, I am going to deal with two authors: Richard Barnfield and William Shakespeare. The main purpose is to give space to a part of literature that was unfairly received, analyzed, and criticized to fit a univocal world and a binary thought. Finally, I would like to show how the presence of same-sex love and affection led to the neglect and misreading of specific texts, and how heteronormativity prevailed among literary critics and in modern culture.