Shakespeare and the Bible
From Conservapedia - Reading time: 2 min
Shakespeare and the Bible is nearly the null set. A search on the word "Bible" or ("biblical") in the complete works of Shakespeare reveals a grand total of zero (0) references.[1] Likewise, none of Shakespeare's works ever refer to the "New Testament," the Gospels, the authors of the Gospels, or the "Old Testament". Other great literature typically contains far more of the Bible.
That said, Shakespeare did borrow immensely from the Bible without giving it credit. Historians feel that Shakespeare personally learned from and relied heavily on the Geneva Bible, yet never quoted it. For example, scholars trace Shakespeare's invocation for marriage of the metaphors “fountain” and “cistern” to the Geneva Bible's unique translation of Proverbs 5:15-18 (GNV).[2] Some feel that Shakespeare drew on many additional biblical themes without quoting it.
The most likely reason for this omission of reference to the Bible in Shakespeare's plays is that theater was like taverns, and many churchgoers shunned theater as inherently immoral. Theater is not where people went to hear about the Bible, any more than taverns are. That changed in the United States, but not until 1899 with the spectacular success of the stage production of Ben-Hur.
Another possible reason for this omission by Shakespeare is that England had a vague, arbitrarily enforced laws against blasphemy. There was no freedom of speech in England during Shakespeare's time. Many English authors, not just Shakespeare, avoiding biblical references and the long-term effect of this was to produce a nation of atheists. For example, Jane Austen never referred to Bible verses in her many works either. Charles Dickens, 250 years later, felt he had to keep his book The Life of our Lord a secret from the British public.
A third possible reason is that England's history of religious conflict discouraged people from invoking Scriptures outside of church, particularly in an entertainment venue. The divisive topic was no laughing matter, and hardly lent itself to comedy, romance, and sarcasm, as much of Shakespeare's works were.
A third possible reason is that Shakespeare's focus was on the flaws in human nature, not on overcoming them, and on themes of romance about which the Bible says little.
Several additional possible explanations for this omission are:
- as sometimes-bawdy entertainment of its time, biblical references would not have fit;
- Shakespeare himself was a Catholic with little knowledge about the Bible;
- Shakespeare aspired for his work to be great on its own, separate and independent from the greatness of the Bible, sometimes ostensibly suggesting his own verses (see 2 Henry VI);
- Most of Shakespeare's characters are entertainingly selfish scoundrels unlikely to quote from the Bible;
- Perhaps Shakespeare, a commoner, did not know how to read, or did not read much if he did know; and
- the King James Version was being written in the middle of the period of Shakespeare's work, and perhaps uncertainty about its wording led Shakespeare to wait and see.
That said, Hamlet as Shakespeare's greatest work is considered by some to draw heavily from the Bible, but not expressly. [3]
Bible References[edit]
Scholars estimate that "there are roughly 1,350 total identifiable instances where Shakespeare references or quotes directly from the Bible found throughout his plays."[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
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