 |
|
     |
|
|
|
Jeffrey Knapp suggests that, though Shakespeare was probably raised a Catholic, he chose to conform to the established religion but without taking a high profile at church. In a comment that rings true, Knapp suggests that above all Shakespeare "deplored sectarianism. Shakespeare's puritanical characters are typically divisive figures, longing for a separation from their moral inferiors." Still, his critique of Puritanism was muted, and he even hedges on calling them Puritans outright. Malvolio is only a "kind of puritan, and after initially provoking opposition by naming one of his characters after a Protestant hero, John Oldcastle, Shakespeare changed his name to Falstaff.
Knapp suggests that he is "reluctant to preach Christian doctrine seems a mark not of his secularism, as most scholars have claimed, but rather of his fears regarding the potential divisiveness of his religious beliefs." Knapp finds support for Shakespeare's stance in, interestingly, the Puritan Richard Sibbes, who argued that keeping faith to ourselves "is of more consequence, than the open discovery of some things we take to be true, considering the weakness of man's nature is such that there can hardly be a discovery of any difference in opinion, without some estrangement of affection."
Shakespeare's comparatively mild opposition to puritanism should be taken together with his portrayal of Catholics, especially Catholic clergy: "Shakespeare's Catholic bishops and cardinals are more divisive still, sponsoring factiousness on a national and even international scale: the most dangerous of them, the papal legate Pandulph, causes a truce between France and England to be broken and promises sainthood to anyone who assassinates King John."
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, February 11, 2006 at 03:05 PM
Permission is given to use material on this site, provided the source is cited, blog entries are republished in full, and the author is notified in advance.
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
