An interesting article about a forthcoming book on Shakespeare can be found here. It says that Shakespeare’s text is full of biblical references, and the historian A. L. Rowse wrote: “Of all Shakespeare’s sources the Bible and the Prayer Book come first and are the most constant. Altogether there are definite allusions to 42 books of the Bible.” For instance, Shakespeare quotes the story of Cain no fewer than 25 times, Jeptha at least 7, Samson 9, David 6, Goliath 3, Judas 23, and the Whore of Babylon makes 7 appearances.
Paul Edmondson, head of learning at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, editor of the New Penguin Shakespeare ... says that Shakespeare’s biblical references are almost too numerous to count. Although there are no overtly religious Shakespeare plays, religious themes permeate, Dr Edmondson says. “The Tempest (1611) is the most obvious, being about the creation of a new Heaven and Earth, but there are other religious themes. For instance, there are at least four resurrection narratives with Hero in Much Ado about Nothing (1598), Claudio in Measure for Measure (1604), Pericles’s wife, and Hermione in A Winter’s Tale (1610).” (I would add Macbeth, which is about predestination and Hamlet, which is full of moral themes).
The article concludes
At the time of Shakespeare’s death Puritanism was getting an increasingly firm grip. Shakespeare’s own memorial was installed in the church in 1623 and his company, the King’s Men (by now patronised by royalty) came to Stratford to pay their respects and to stage one or two of his plays. The town council paid them to leave quietly, without performing.
6 comments:
IDE Thomas wrote an interesting book on Shakespeare and the Bible back at the time of the minellyum
Did you ever come across the idea that the translators of the AV honoured Shakespeare - that 1611 was the year of his 46th birthday, that the 46th word of Psalm 46 (from the beginning) is 'shake' in the AV, and the 46th word from the end is 'spear'? I remember seeing it in The Times, no less...
Bit slow getting back on these but thanks both. I'd forgotten the Shakespeare AV thing. What amazes me with these things is not that they are there but that someone finds them. As for IDE Thomas I have read his book. I think the problem is that the age was steeped in Protestant doctrine (among other things) and at this distance it is difficult to discern what attachment people really had to it (hence the stuff on Lady Jane Grey, Anne Boleyn and now Katherine Parr I see that Christians publish). Analogous would be some one 300 years hence analysing certain Hollywood films and assuming a genuine Christianity in the producers just becasue they reflect cetain Christian world views.
I'm not sure this is entirely relevant here, as I haven't read the work referred to. But I would like to suggest that many of the base story-lines and themes Shakespeare uses may arise out of early morality plays; designed for the very purpose of projecting in Christian terms, both the strength and folly known of the human condition. I take this point to be more than merely incidental to Shakespeare's craft, but rather that it comes to him as a personal conviction, to bring about a better world, by means of entertainment, through appeal to heart, mind and conscience of the individual viewer. Given that he clearly does not advocate any notion of humanistic--or Utopian--idealism, this indicates to me that he may well have comprehended the Bible as a Divinely-inspired work relating the state of Man, as it is there revealed, fallen from an original perfect state of grace, rendered of the Divine Creator.
Mark I understand your point but it is more likely that WS's aim was to put on a good play that people would want to come and see. Using morality play material would help there as those plays had been popular in their day. I think it far more likely that WS was shaped by his age and what it wanted than that that he himself set out to be a good influence on them. Motive is always hard to pinpoint, never more so than in works of fiction.
Yes, Gary, I take your point, and that view seems to falls in line with others I've talked to.
By the way a good friend and neighbour of mine--and my pastor-- who says he knows you, Bob Davey, sends greetings.
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