Filling in the Holes in the Biography of William Shakespeare

 The next part of Shakespeare’s life is one that many of the scholars call the ‘lost years.’  The lost years are roughly framed by his marriage to his wife in late 1582 and the production of Venus and Adonis in 1593.  One of the most intriguing theories is that he spent this time in Lancashire staying with the Catholic Hoghton family.  French critic Jean-Christophe Mayer, as well as others, writes of the possibility that Shakespeare may have been the “William Shakeshafte” whose name is recorded as staying with the Hoghton family.9 

"Young William may have been the [Shakeshafte] who was a tutor in the household of aristocratic Catholic families […] in Lancashire.  Presumably, these connections could have facilitated his move to London and his rapid rise in the world of London theater."

He goes on to say that this whole theory is “highly seductive” and that the Catholic spin on the Lancashire connection could explain how a man like Shakespeare who had no college education could get his foot in the London theater circles.10

With all of these connections to Catholicism in his early life it is easy to see why many would argue that Shakespeare was a Catholic, or had strong Catholic sympathies.  With the early years aside readers of Shakespeare’s life might find some interesting Catholic connections in the late, in fact the latest possible, years of the Bard’s life.

Shakespeare purchased a couple of properties in the later years of his life.  This normally would not be an issue worth examining in regards to a man like Shakespeare who had enjoyed some wonderful success in the London stage world; however, these purchases are highly significant when one is taking a view of the Bard as a Catholic.  Dickson describe the purchases in his article,

"Not long before his death, William Shakespeare purchased the labyrinthian London tenement known as the Blackfriars Gatehouse, notorious for decades as a secret hideaway for crypto-Catholics […] The bottom line is that the two most important real estate acquisitions of Shakespeare’s life, New Place and the Blackfriars Gatehouse, were both properties long-known to have strong historical associations with Catholics."

Dickson goes on and describes some research that shows the purchase price of the Blackfriars Gatehouse at twice the price of the New Place.  This demonstrates that the acquisition was not just a simple investment and that he had some other motives. 11

Catholicism can be easily spotted in the Bard’s own family.  His marriage was presided over by John Frith, a minister who was an ‘ex-Catholic Priest.’  He was even suspected as “unsound on religion” by the Protestant authorities.12 

Hamnet and Judith were two of Shakespeare’s children.  He named them after his neighbors Hamnet and Judith Sadler who were well known for their attachment to the old religion.  This is significant because, apparently, the Sadler’s were named as the Godparents of the children.  Godparents, even today, are supposedly responsible for the well-being of the children; physical, mental, and – most importantly – spiritual.13  If one takes the common conception that the Bard was a Protestant then it is curious that he would leave the spiritual fate of his children in the hands of some papists.

His Work

Once one is convinced that the Bard was Catholic then it becomes easier to see the way that this religion crept into Shakespeare’s theatrical writings and performances that were delivered in, as Christian literary critic Tiffany Grace writes in her agreeing paraphrase of critic David Daniell, a “nation that was officially, aggressively, and massively Protestant.”14  This is important to establish because it demonstrates his bravery.  The nation was Protestant with the treat of fines, torture, and even execution if one was found to be out of line with the official stance religious of the country and crown.

The premise that there may be hidden Catholic text in the Bard’s work was been criticized by some but there is some well argued and circumstantial evidence that the premise might just be true.  First, is that there are already a number of different interpretations of the same Shakespearian texts that often have less proof and validity than the Catholic views.  Also, that just because a piece has not seen before does not mean that it is untrue. Many of the issues that modern forms of criticism see and raise have not been seen before yet one would have a hard time trying to say that the issues are not present.

Author Clare Asquith, who has recently published a book about the hidden Catholic subtexts of Shakespeare, Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare, addresses the issue of a ‘shadow’ language in the texts, she writes, “Instead of diminishing Shakespeare’s work, awareness of the shadowed language deepens it, adding a cutting edge of contemporary reference to the famously universal plays and giving them an often acutely poignant hidden context.”15

Why would the Bard have included these things in his work?  A better question is why wouldn’t he?  Asquith, Greenblatt, and other all agree that it would have been almost impossible for Shakespeare to keep his life out of his works.  Even many who argue that the Bard was Protestant admit and cite instances when biographical issues arise in his texts. 

Some may ask about weather he was afraid that he would get caught.  This is a good question and Asquith has a very good response to it.  She writes about how the allusions and references to things Catholic are visible to the knowing eye and that they are at the same time “perfectly clear, perfectly deniable.”16  Shakespeare knew that if he included things about his Catholic beliefs that he would have to be able to deny them to the authorities while convincing his target audience that they are present.

Nearly all of his works contain Catholic issues.  Some naturally have more Catholic substance and subtexts then others.  Asquith goes through a number of times in the various historical, comedic, and tragic plays when the Bard seems to give signs of Catholic ideas.  She discusses Julius Caesar and how the figure of Caesar represents the central Roman Authority (the Catholic Church) and how the separation from that authority sends the whole empire into chaos and conflict.  Asquith argues convincingly, that this is representative of the situation that is occurring in England with the separation from the Roman Catholic Church and authority of the Pope.17