As an English major, I went through a Shakespeare phase. Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew are two of my favorite productions, and his strong women were amazing for the time they were written in. I took voluntary professional development classes on how to teach Shakespeare, and I have shared the stories with my own students. And never once did the theory he never wrote his plays ever come up. So when I found out Jodi Picoult wrote a book that claimed otherwise, I thought it was a cool concept and a great way to talk about the gender issues of the Renaissance Era.
I never once thought the evidence would very much be on her side.
It takes a lot for a fictional book to convince me of a conspiracy theory - especially one that will force us to not only look at history differently but the entirety of a famous author's work. Some of his plays hit differently if you imagine them written by a woman, and there are some questions about how Shakespeare was able to write things that are perfectly explained by one of the major characters of the novel: Emilia Bassano. One of the many, Picoult believes, took on the pen name of "William Shakespeare" to have their work published at a time when it would have been illegal.
The character of Emilia reminded me exactly how horrible it had to have been centuries ago when women were considered possessions. She was sold off as a courtesan, forced into an abusive marriage, and unable to have her writing under her name because of the societal norms of the time. And this book does not pull any punches in explaining how terrible any of this was, and how strong Emilia was to get through it. In addition, I loved how Emilia didn't want to be strong all the time - she wanted to be happy without anything she did for herself being a trap. I still know so many women who understand this feeling entirely too well.
The setting of England during the Elizabethan era, was also amazing to see laid out. This is where Jodi Picoult's worldbuilding truly shone because she had to make sure readers fully felt immersed in a world so unlike the one we knew. Her descriptions, imagery, and characterization of the social norms felt like a full-fledged world, and I could imagine what it would be like to walk through her version of Renaissance London. Though I will admit, I don't think I would want to go with how terrible the times were back then.
However, this book wasn't only historical fiction - it also had a modern storyline. Emilia's descendant Melina Green is also a playwright, one who is having a hard time breaking into the still sexist theater industry. It was truly disappointing to compare how things were four hundred years ago and see so many of the exact same excuses are used to gatekeep who is allowed to write a play - and why they shouldn't be women. Watching Melina have to use a man's name to get anywhere within the industry just like her ancestor was heartbreaking.
Melina was clearly a character Jodi Picoult based on herself. And where self-insert characters sometimes have a bad reputation, I felt like this one was essential to the story. It was through Melina we got to learn how to solve the puzzles of Emilia Bassano's life, where we could see the depths of the research she had done for this book and her struggles as she transitioned into working in the theater industry. Without this commentary, the novel's message would not have been as noticeable. And we would not be able to look at our current world and see where we like to talk about how far women have come - there is still so much that hasn't changed.
This book was everything I had hoped it would be and more, and I cannot recommend it enough. But as I close, I would like to ask you a question. When Shakespeare's First Folio was published, many of his plays went through significant edits - most with the addition of new material. One of the most significant changes came in Othello, where a character named Emilia gave what is considered one of the first feminist monologues in existance. However, William Shakespeare had been dead for years at this point. So if he didn't write it, who did?
My answer: I believe Emilia put herself in the play, to ensure she wouldn't be forgotten. And thanks to Jodi Picoult, she never will be.
By Any Other Name is available through Penguin Random House