# The Puritans vs. William Shakespeare



## Puritan Sailor

Looking for quotes and specific references of Puritans commenting on Shakespeare. They were contemporaries after all. Any one know of any references? Or even references of Shakespeare commenting on Puritans?


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## bookslover

Puritan Sailor said:


> Looking for quotes and specific references of Puritans commenting on Shakespeare. They were contemporaries after all. Any one know of any references? Or even references of Shakespeare commenting on Puritans?



Well, Shakespeare died in 1616, around the time when many, if not most, of the main Puritan biggies were being born (John Owen was born the year Shakespeare died, for example). So, there might not be too many references to the Puritans in his works. As for Puritan references to Bill, not sure about that.

I'm sure I was a lot of help here...


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## panta dokimazete

Try these:

http://ise.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/history/attacks.html

http://www.leithart.com/archives/001825.php


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## py3ak

Maria calls Malvolio a Puritan in Twelfth Night.

Available here.


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## No Longer A Libertine

Shakespeare observed a noteworthy theological point in his comedy "As You Like It" when he penned the monologue "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, and each man in his time plays many parts." 

This monologue can be found in Act II spoken by the melancholy Jacques at the dinner feast with Orlando and the Banished Duke and his men in the Forest of Arden.

It is thoughtful to the degree that God truly is a divine playwright who has effortlessly cast His characters and events of history upon the page.


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## satz

http://www.covenanter.org/Practical/Theatre/newhallontheatre.htm

I have no idea who the writer is or if he was a puritan, but I found this linked at what appears to be a reformed page. The writer condemns theatre going, yet has some fairly positive things to say about Shakespeare.


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## Puritan Sailor

bookslover said:


> Well, Shakespeare died in 1616, around the time when many, if not most, of the main Puritan biggies were being born (John Owen was born the year Shakespeare died, for example). So, there might not be too many references to the Puritans in his works. As for Puritan references to Bill, not sure about that.
> 
> I'm sure I was a lot of help here...



Well, he would have lived with some earlier Puritans like Perkins. I'm guessing his plays continued to be known in the following generations, if not for their influence in theater, then at least as influential literature. I've just never come across a reference to it in the Puritans I've read which seems odd.


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## turmeric

The Puritans didn't go for that sort of thing, I don't think.


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## bwsmith

A recent PBS documentary, _In Search of Shakespeare_ was quite illuminating about WS' religious views in the context of English history


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## weinhold

How about the Puritans closing down the theatres? Thanks for complicating Shakespeare criticism, jerks!


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## Jerusalem Blade

Patrick,

Check out this book: _William Shakespeare and His Bible_, by I. D. E. Thomas (ISBN: 1575580586). At Amazon one can even look inside it a little. I have a copy, but haven't read it yet. Dr. Thomas deals quite a bit with WS and the Puritans.

Amazon.com: William Shakespeare and His Bible: Books: I. D. E. Thomas


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## weinhold

Jerusalem Blade said:


> Patrick,
> 
> Check out this book: _William Shakespeare and His Bible_, by I. D. E. Thomas (ISBN: 1575580586). At Amazon one can even look inside it a little. I have a copy, but haven't read it yet. Dr. Thomas deals quite a bit with WS and the Puritans.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/William-Shake...251847-0120422?ie=UTF8&qid=1181559762&sr=11-1



Or Steven Marx's _Shakespeare and the Bible_, one of the many excellent volumes in the Oxford Shakespeare Topics series.


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