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What was Shakespeare's religion?
Since we do not know much about the personal life of William Shakespeare, we cannot say for sure what religion he practiced in private. We do know that he was born under the rule of Elizabeth I, who was Protestant and outlawed Catholicism. Thus, Shakespeare's public faith would have been Protestant.
Shakespeare's parents, however, were very likely covert Catholics and Shakespeare's father, John, was close friends with William Catesby, the father of the head conspirator in the plot to blow the Protestant monarchy to smithereens.
For an in-depth exploration of religion during the reign of Elizabeth I, please see Religion in Shakespeare's England.
How to cite this article:
Mabillard, Amanda. Shakespeare's Religion. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2003. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/shakespearereligion.html >.
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