Gender-neutral Joan of Arc at Globe Theatre Will Use Pronouns “They/Them”

Aug 12

According to the Times of London, Joan of Arc will be portrayed as gender-neutral and will use the pronouns “they/them” in a new play at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, a radical departure from the usual depiction of the historic leader, who was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church some 500 years after leading the French to victory in a near-impossible series of military victories during the Hundred Years’ War. Joan was captured and burned as a heretic in part for being a woman who wore clothing typical of a man.

Shakespeare's Globe @The_Globe

Our new play I, Joan shows Joan as a legendary leader who uses the pronouns ‘they/them’. We are not the first to present Joan in this way, and we will not be the last. We can't wait to share this production with everyone and discover this cultural icon. bit.ly/GlobeIdentityI…

A graphic of a person who is covered in dirt and grime, their chest is bound and they wring their hands. A chainmail helmet covers their eyes. They stand in front of a purple background with text above their head reading I, JOAN in large white letters.

Reactions to the Globe’s decision were mixed.

Titania McGrath @TitaniaMcGrath

Joan of Arc was strong, courageous and independent, and so was clearly non-binary or trans. A female Joan of Arc would have been too busy knitting, gossiping and shopping for shoes to fight the English. #Feminism

Shakespeare's Globe @The_Globe

Sarah Ditum @sarahditum

Ahhh yes, the real violence was that Joan was taken to be female, not the whole burning at the stake business

Shakespeare's Globe @The_Globe

ripx4nutmeg @ripx4nutmeg

@The_Globe Fun fact: Joan of Arc was born 570 years before a university launched the world's first gender studies degree

Billy Bragg’s Womb-Carrier 🙏🌧🌍 @godblesstoby

Yeah let's take one of the strongest women in history and say that because she did stuff normally associated with being male, she can't have been a woman. That's progressive af. Boudica will be next. I'd bet my cats on it.

Shakespeare's Globe @The_Globe

For Women Scotland @ForWomenScot

Shakespeare's women were often fierce & independent (even if they had to be played by boys). Now the theatre that bears his name decides that a strong female can't really have been a woman. A new play that is more sexist than those written in the C16th

Shakespeare's Globe @The_Globe

Michael P Senger is an attorney and author of Snake Oil: How Xi Jinping Shut Down the World. Want to support my work? Get the book. Already got the book? Leave a quick review.

41 Comments

ejsmith

Aug 12Liked by Michael P Senger

Definitely a must-see. I'm anxiously awaiting the more politically-correct version of 'Basic Instinct' with Sharon Stone's character played by Lia Thomas. The cognitive dissonance resulting from the crotch shot scene alone will be worth the price of admission.

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Gender-neutral Joan of Arc at Globe Theatre Will Use Pronouns “They/Them”

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