The Religious Orientation Of William Shakespeare

William Shakspere was born in Stratford-upon Avon in 1564 and died in 1616 at the age of 52. In the mid-19th century, questions had arisen about the Shakespeare authorship controversy, and many scholars wondered whether Shakspere, the man from Stratford, wrote the plays. Ralph W. Emerson once said, ?I can not ?marry? Shakspere?s life to Shakespeare?s work? (qtd. in Bethell 48). In many ways, he was right, some things just did not link up. Many people started noticing this thus two opposing sides were formed. Those who believed

The large body of work attributed to William Shakespeare shows education, experience, creativity, and wisdom far beyond what many people are willing to accept came from a single author. Due to the scarcity of facts surrounding Shakespeare’s life, speculation arouse about whether or not he actually wrote his works became more common. In the mid-1800s ideas about other authors were brought forward. However, these theories have little sustenance, and it is likely that the entire body of work attributed to Shakespeare in fact belonged to Shakespeare himself.

      Abstract:  The debate over the legitimacy of the authorship of Shakespearean works has been disputed for centuries. While many scholars have held beliefs that Shakespeare's works have been written by figures such as Christopher Marlowe, Francis Bacon, William Stanley, and others, the most heated debate today is between William Shakespeare and Edward DeVere, the Earl of Oxford. Each side of this debate has many followers, the Stratfordians, or those who claim Shakespeare to be the true author, and the Oxfordians who believe that true credit should go to DeVere. My paper, far from being a complete analysis of the possibilities of Shakespearean authorship, attempts to summarize and rationalize the

William Shakespeare, a glove-maker’s son, was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire on April 23rd, 1564. Despite the criminality placed on Catholicism in the 16th and 17th centuries in England, Warwickshire “remained defiantly Catholic until the [mid-1600s]”; growing up, Shakespeare would have had Catholics on both sides of his family, if he was not discreetly a Catholic

William Shakespeare has immortalized himself through the timeless themes found in his works. This fame has encouraged the continuous and customary study of Shakespearean literature, often over that of his contemporaries. In an effort to analyze Shakespeare's works, scholars have tried to connect his personal life with the stories and characters he created. However, there is hardly any information to base this analysis on. With much ambiguity surrounding Shakespeare's educational and personal background, many scholars have been persuaded to ask the question: who wrote Shakespeare? The Shakespearean Authorship debate has long been studied by experts, and both the Stratfordian and Anti-Stratfordian positions have been taken; however, only the Stratfordian stance can provide sufficient literary and historical evidence.

They started them off easy with Shakespearian sonnets, but by Middle School, the students tackled his lighter material, the comedies. But, by ninth grade, it became time for these young minds to tackle the histories and, most importantly, the tragedies. In fact, their senior year centered on a research paper, while citing MacBeth, King Lear, Hamlet, and Othello, they were to craft their own definition of tragedy for Mr. Naething’s English class. Lawrence Levine’s chapter “William Shakespeare in America” addresses why this private school focused not only its curriculum on Shakespeare but centered it’s advertising literature to prospective parents about that fact. He argues the performance of William Shakespeare’s works, whether rote or adapted, did not belong to any one cultural group or classification in the early to middle nineteenth century. Additionally, no one claimed cultural authority over its presentation, as Shakespearian works were presented equally amongst other entertainment of all varieties. It was neither fine art nor was it middle of the road entertainment, it belonged to the cultural commons. Levine observes, “But it was a Shakespeare presented as part of the culture they enjoyed, a Shakespeare rendered familiar and intimate by virtue of his context.” So, how and why did the works of William

For many centuries, there has been a controversy over whether or not Shakespeare wrote his plays himself or whether another author wrote the works and gave him the credit. Shakespeare (1564-1616) is recorded to have written 37 plays and 154 sonnets, but the authorship of Shakespeare’s work has been disputed. There is valid reason to believe that Francis Bacon is the genuine author behind Shakespeare’s name. Bacon’s similar high status, numerous travels, and the Baconian theory are valuable reasons that give evidence to Bacon possibly being the author.

Religion was a major factor in a number of Shakespeare’s plays. Religion motivated action and reasoning. In Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” religion was more than a belief in a higher being; it reflected moral standards and ways of living. In the “Merchant of Venice,” “a Christian ethic of generosity, love, and risk-taking friendship is set in pointed contrast with a non-Christian ethic that is seen, from a Christian point of view, as grudging, resentful, and self-calculating.” (Bevington, pg. 74) Although Shakespeare writes this drama from a Christian point of view he illustrates religion by conflicts of the Old Testament and the New Testament in Venetian society and its court of law. These Testaments are tested through the

The struggle of religion was real during Shakespeare’s time. The constant back and forth of the protestant and catholic views stemmed straight from the top. The monarch of England was calling the shots of which religion was best for England based on the monarch’s own advantages or disadvantages of each religion. Queen Mary I (1553) believed in Catholicism and

The different theories people have fabricated has caused a major controversy over the authorship of William Shakespeare's famous plays. With the few surviving documents we have, we can see small glimpses into the life of William Shakspeare. All that we know about Shakespeare's

The religion of William Shakespeare is a subject about which very few people have a complete understanding. His plays and poems contain an almost overwhelming number of biblical references and allusions to biblical thinking, which can be seen as either Protestant or Catholic in understanding. His concealment of various understandings and interpretations of religious ideology make it difficult to ascertain his own religious beliefs, however, through further analysis of [insert names of plays], once can begin to understand the socioeconomic issues he sought to raise through his biblical allusions.

Since the 18th century, there has been doubts regarding whether William Shakespeare really is the author of the works of literature that he has been credited for. The debate has been going on for years and a few candidates, like Edward De Vere and Christopher Marlowe, have been brought up to the spotlight of the argument. However, the research that has been done so far demonstrates that Edward De Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, is the top contender. There is a fair amount of evidence that supports the theory that this man is the real ‘‘Shakespeare’’. Because he was a nobleman, he had the opportunity to obtain a high education and travel. Only someone with such education could write about the complex and detailed topics of these works. Another very

Most biographies written about William Shakespeare attempt to explain his life chronologically from birth to death. These accounts aim to describe his life through discussing his works and accomplishments. The problem with this pattern is that there are only so many ways humans can rewrite the same facts about the same person. Contrary to most papers about Shakespeare, the essay titled “What Was He Really Like?”, written by Stanley Wells, focuses internally on who Shakespeare was as an ordinary person. Instead of discussing when Shakespeare got married or explaining his life in relation to his works, Wells delves into the personality of the famous playwright. Stanley Wells encourages the reader of “What Was He Really Like?” to look at

By researching the life and writings of William Shakespeare, it can be shown that many Christian values and beliefs are displayed through his literary works. In order to understand the religious content in Shakespeare's work it is helpful to first understand what the religious environment in England was like around Shakespeare's time. England, ever since it was ruled by the Romans, had been a Catholic nation. Before Shakespeare's lifetime, a drastic change occurred that completely upended the existing Catholicism of the English people. During King Henry VIII's reign, the English people were, for the most part, content with Catholicism. Through a series of very complex political maneuvers, Henry eventually seized power of the English

thinking. “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in