Religion in Shakespeare's Time
Catholicism- The faith, practice, and church order of the Roman Catholic Church.
Protestantism- A member or follower of any of the Western Christian Churches.
During Shakespeare's time, the two major religions were Catholicism and Protestantism. It was these two religions that skyrocketed throughout England with the accession of Queen Elizabeth I. Protestantism was common and very strong throughout most of the large towns and seaports in England. In the North, Catholicism was practiced by nearly every family. But because Queen Elizabeth I was Protestant, she loathed the idea of anyone who was Catholic or practiced Catholicism. So she quickly banished Catholicism and ruled with the religion of Protestant. As fate would have it, Protestantism was made as the national religion a year before Shakespeare was born. The rites, culture, and ceremonies that are associated with Protestantism would become everyday life for young Shakespeare. Thank you for taking the time to look at my page.