Shakespeare, a Closet Catholic?

For many years now there has been a controversy of sorts regarding William Shakespeare, and it's not the one you're probably thinking of, the question of authorship. I think we can put aside that long-running controversy and agree with most Shakespearean scholars that Shakespeare's plays weren't written by Christopher Marlowe, or Francis Bacon, or William Stanley, or Edward de Vere, or anyone else whose name wasn't William Shakespeare. No, the controversy I'm referring to relates to Shakespeare's religion and, unlike the authorship controversy,  it's a controversy that seems to be growing rather than diminishing.

The first inkling I had that such a controversy existed was about 25 years ago when I read Peter Milward's 1973 book, Shakespeare's Religious Background, in which the author (a Jesuit and Professor of English Literature) examined the place of religion in the bard's works and highlighted his apparent Catholic sympathies. And then more recently I read Clare Asquith's book, Shadowplay (2005), in which she describes Shakespeare's use in his works of the same "code" used by the Jesuit underground during the time of Elizabeth's persecution of Catholics. Interesting stuff if you like literary detective work. Finally, I read Joseph Pearce's 2008 book, The Quest for Shakespeare, in which Pearce makes a reasonably good case that Shakespeare was a believing Catholic in England during a time of strong anti-Catholicism. As I said, interesting stuff.

Of course, as you might imagine, these books and those by other authors who have come to similar conclusions were not received particularly well by the Shakespearean scholarly establishment. After all, if these conclusions proved to be true, much of the existing critical literature wouldn't hold up too well. And as for the deconstructionists of the academic left who pretty much rule most university English departments...well, they don't particularly like Shakespeare anyway. But if one absolutely must read him, then they prefer to make him a closet homosexual, or a proto-feminist, or an early Marxist, even an atheist...anything, but certainly not one of those dreaded Catholics!

And then today I came across an article in the online site of The Times that indicates Shakespeare spent some time in Rome doing very Catholic things and provides cryptic signatures that apparently prove it, thus supporting those who claim Shakespeare was indeed a closet Catholic. Here's the link so you can read the article for yourself: Cryptic signatures that ‘prove Shakespeare was a secret Catholic’

Personally, I find it all very interesting because I've always enjoyed digging into controversial issues -- makes for great cocktail party conversation. And the thought of a Catholic, as opposed to an Anglican, Shakespeare throws a whole new light on some of his works. But it really doesn't change my opinion of the man or the poet or the playwright.Whatever his religious beliefs, William Shakespeare is without equal in English literature.