Posted on 12/22/2009 5:56:33 PM PST by Steelfish
Was Shakespeare A Secret Catholic? The Evidence Is Mounting…
By Oliver Marre December 22nd, 2009
The Venerable English College in Rome has found documents which may suggest that Shakespeare was a secret Catholic who spent some years in the city. It’s only conjecture – but the news will certainly excite the large number of people who believe that the Bard was a Papist.
Clare Asquith has written a compelling and brilliantly researched book which argues the same point from textual and historical analysis of the plays. Shadowplay is a great read for anyone interested in Shakespeare, in the religious wars of his time or, for that matter, in codes and the hidden meanings within texts.
It’s not fair on the book to suggest it is a Da Vinci Code for thinking people – but it’s every bit as exciting. Today’s announcemnt from Rome that the College’s recorded visit from one “Shfordus Cestriensis” in 1587 implies “Sh(akespeare from Strat)ford (in the diocese) of Chester” is not exactly what would be regarded as a conclusive argument; and I wasn’t wholly convinced by Asquith’s study, either.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
There’s a book....”Shadow Play” that makes this case....it’s very interesting how he CODED his plays.
From www.shakespeare-oxford.com :
“Although raised as a Protestant, de Vere was rumored to have Catholic sympathies, and in 1580 admitted to the Queen close associations with a group of prominent Catholics. He revealed a plot among them to overthrow her and form a government friendly to the Catholic King Philip of Spain. Although the Queen forgave de Vere this transgression, the resulting uproar led to the arrest of several of the aristocratic conspirators. Those charged then accused Oxford of similar crimes, adding accusations of lechery, drunkenness, and homosexuality. De Vere, though also briefly imprisoned, was not charged with any crime.”
It could very well be that Shakespeare was Roman Catholic. Many people in England were, at the time, closet Catholics. Of course, he might not have been. The Anglican church was different in name only from the Catholics for the most part at the time, and really until fairly recently. So the frame of reference in his writings was the same, nonetheless. It is interesting to ponder, however!
records state that Shakespeare’s father was accused of being a Papist once. And there is a story he was baptized on his deaath bed by a mysterious Jesuit Priest. Hamlet has many Roman Catholic elements about it.
Oh, so that is why Shakespeare wrote 126 love sonnets to a man--he was a Roman Catholic. The mystery is finally solved.
I’m Roman Catholic.
What’s your point?
The 126 love sonnets that Shakespeare addressed to a man. Is that one of the features of his poetry by which you claim he is a Roman Catholic?
I didn’t claim he was Roman Catholic.
You brought up the 126 sonnets to a man issue.
SO, again, what’s your point?
And who would these fardles bear?
You seem to be, in a behind the back kind of way, inferring that Roman Catholics are homosexuals, or some element of Roman Catholicism is homosexual.
So I ask you, is this the point you were trying to make? Is that clear enough?
I have read the book. It is a good read. It doesn’t necessarily prove anything (and I’m a pretty serious Catholic) but it’s interesting, nonetheless.
A) I didn’t say he definitively WAS a Roman Catholic. I said he very well could have been. Big difference. B) I never heard the love sonnets were written to a man - what is your source for this information? (I have a degree in English Lit, by the way - so this better be a good, scholarly source....not some flamer...) And like Irish Catholic, I am also Roman Catholic, having left the Episcopal Church years ago. I also ask, what’s your point? Yes, we all know there have been gays and pedophiles in the priesthood. Doesn’t make the whole institution bad or evil - just those individuals who commit evil. Including the bishops who shielded the pedophiles.
Get a good annotated edition of Shakespeare's love sonnets. Then read them in order. I suggest the Folger Shakespeare Library edition. (The Folger Shakespeare library in Washington, D.C., is probably the world's leading center for Shakespeare studies.) If you read an isolated sonnet here and there as I did in college, you would assume the sonnet was addressed to a woman. When you read them in order, it is quite clear that the first 126 are addressed to a man.
I also ask, what’s your point?
I would think my point should have been obvious from the first post (and that anyone reading it would see the intended humor.) The argument that Shakespeare was a Roman Catholic is specious.
Yes, we all know there have been gays and pedophiles in the priesthood.
I wasn't alluding to that at all. But on the one hand there are Catholics claiming the greatest English playwright as their own, and on the other there are gay groups claiming Shakespeare as their own. Both arguments are laughable. What is certain about Shakespeare is that he was not a prig.
I have the Pelican. I’ll take a look at it and Folger. It’s been a long time since I read the sonnets. My professors hardly would have hesitated to point it out had they believed he was writing to a man. You didn’t really come across as joking but this is not a great venue particularly since so many groups attempt to claim so many people despite the historical facts. “The Bard” certainly did have a bawdy sense of humor! Anyway - sadly, there is a certain amount of Catholic bashing that goes on even on Freep. So I got uppity. The claim Shakespeare was Catholic is especially silly since the differences at the time with the Anglican church were in name only.
Having recently moved to the DC area, I have been hoping to get into the Folger Library relatively soon. Maybe after the snow and ice clears up.
Thanks for the enlightenment, and have a great holiday!
Indeed. But then people didn't go the theater back then for a "message". They went to laugh and get drunk.
sadly, there is a certain amount of Catholic bashing that goes on even on Freep.
That's true. But then Catholics did a lot of Catholic bashing in the Middle Ages. It was very common to tell satirical stories about priests, bishops, monks, and nuns. A good late example is Boccaccio's Decameron. Many of the 100 stories are very bawdy.
By the way, if you look at my tag line, it's a quote from Chaucer. Of course during his day, England was still Catholic. The gold that rusts is a corrupt priest. The iron is the laity, so it's a reminder to be prudent. It can happen to you too, probably more easily.
The claim Shakespeare was Catholic is especially silly since the differences at the time with the Anglican church were in name only.
We are in agreement here.
have a great holiday!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too!
The Catholics DID do a lot of Catholic bashing in the Middle Ages.....and probably with good reason. Monks were particularly known for behaving badly and let’s not forget all the Popes who had children!
A lot of the problems in the world, I think IMHO stem from people taking themselves far too seriously....... so thank you for your reminder!
Wouldn’t it be fun to have Shakespeare write a play about this administration?
By the way - I think going to the theater to laugh and get drunk is far more fun than looking for a “message”. We’ve all forgotten how to have fun.
I have wondered about the sonnet thing. Do we know as a fact that they were TO a man and not FOR a man?
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