5. Discuss the significance, in the context of the story, of the student production of Hamlet.

[John]

5. Discuss the significance, in the context of the story, of the student production of Hamlet.

[Manuel]

I think Beckett is following here the theory that Shakespeare was a hidden Catholic. There are many such theories about Shakespeare, such as those that say that he was not the author of his works, naming as real authors Marlowe, Bacon or who knows who. Or the theory that he was homosexual. As most of them have no actual evidence or proof, I tend to mistrust all those theories.

[Fonch]

Manuel wrote: "I think Beckett is following here the theory that Shakespeare was a hidden Catholic. There are many such theories about Shakespeare, such as those that say that he was not the author of his works, ..."

About the catholicism of William Shakespeare it was supported by Belloc, Chesterton, Ross Williamson, Burgess, Joseph Pearce, Ackroyd, the recently died Peter Milward :-( (i am writing a review soon i am going to dedicate to the Father Peter Milward somebody knew to Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis and he was priest in Japan) the previous archbishop of Canterbory Rowan considered catholic to William Shakespeare, although he said that he was not a saint. Pearce wrote a book telling Hamlet in catholic keys, explaining why Hamlet was a catholic play the book is entitled Through Shakespeare's Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays. He defended that Polonius was inspired in the evil Lord Burleigh the first minister of the Queen Elisabeth I.

[John]

Manuel wrote: "I think Beckett is following here the theory that Shakespeare was a hidden Catholic. There are many such theories about Shakespeare, such as those that say that he was not the author of his works, ..."

I tend to agree. I think most of those theories are more reflective of the theorist than of Shakespeare. There does seem to be more evidence for the idea Shakespeare was a hidden Catholic, though that still seems quite thin - let's just say you would have a hard time convicting Shakespeare of being Catholic in a court of law.

It seems to me not at all surprising that Shakespeare, whose work endures because of his ability to see and portray truth about the human condition, resonates with Catholic teaching, which after all also reflects Truth. There is bound to be overlap. To one, such as Adam, raised in the Catholic faith, the truth of Shakespeare expressed in Hamlet is an antidote for the lies of Nietzsche, and sets him up for the impact of the church art in Venice.

[Fonch]

John wrote: "Manuel wrote: "I think Beckett is following here the theory that Shakespeare was a hidden Catholic. There are many such theories about Shakespeare, such as those that say that he was not the author..."

I agree with John about Shakespeare. Te majority of the play writers had an anticatholic register Johnson, Heywood, but not Shakespeare. About Nietszche i totally agree Cardinal Midtzesny from Hungary thought the same as John, that behind of the Nazi ideology hid the Nietszche theories, although in Nietszche there was not anything about the ratial.