There are many mysteries surrounding the Bard of Avon. What did he really look like? Did he really write the plays attributed to him? Was he gay? In his will, why did he leave his wife only the "second best bed and the furniture"?
Another is the subject of this research guide: Was Shakespeare a Roman Catholic? Through the years scholars have differed, with a number of contemporary scholars again making the case that he was. This guide will connect you to sources available through the Gumberg Library to help you answer this question for yourself.
Catholic Theology in Shakespeare's Plays by 
The Quest for Shakespeare: The Bard of Avon and the Church of Rome by 
Secret Shakespeare: Studies in Theatre, Religion and Resistance by 
Shadowplay: The Hidden Beliefs and Coded Politics of William Shakespeare by 
Through Shakespeare's Eyes: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays by 
Click a link below to see all articles in a databases on the subject of "Shakespeare and Catholicism"
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Click on a link below to search for all books on a topic available through the Gumberg Library
The bronze sculpture of Shakespeare is by John Quincy Adams Ward, created 1870, cast after 1910. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
