Was Shakespeare Protestant, Catholic, or something else?
In "The Case for Catholic Shakespeare," Kenneth Colston argued in 2016 that Shakespeare was Catholic. Colston's position is similar to that of Joseph Pearce (cited in Colston's biographical bibliography). Colston mentions that the ghost in Hamlet seems to come from purgatory, but that proves little: in fact the ghost seems superficial in his embrace of Catholic and Christian ideas, seeking revenge through his son. The ghost sounds a bit like Lorenzo de' Medici, seeking revenge for the death of his brother. Maybe some things are better left to die with the old king? [Lorenzo de Medici, image public domain via Wikipedia .] There is a tendency to pigeonhole Shakespeare as either one thing or another in his religious allegiances. Perhaps people belonging to a group wish to claim him as part of their group: Atheist, Catholic, Protestant, Puritan, or a professing member of the Church of Theater Enthusiasts? - Some have proposed that as a dramatist with dive...