It was the “Church of England “ in England at the time of Shakespeare . Not the Cathlics
Not quite. There were quite a few “recusants” ie Catholics who refused to turn Anglican. Large swathes of rural areas were Catholic, but even a few city folk in London.
The Earls of Arundell for example are a family of nobility that has remained Catholic for centuries
I would suggest reading the book “The stripping of the altars” by a noted historian.
Even though it is a book on history and very detailed and cross referenced, it is still accessible to ordinary readers
There were a lot of closet Catholics at the time.
Papist as they were known.