John Dover Wilson puzzles over Hamlet, Act 3, where Claudius is apparently unaffected by the dumb show that re-enacts his murder of Hamlet, Sr. Dover Wilson concludes that Claudius must have been distracted during the dumb show, and missed it. Dramatically, that may work. Thematically, the inefficacy of the dumb show prepares for the efficacy of the spoken speeches that follow.
In the Elizabethan world: Dumb show = late medieval Mass, performed as a spectacle with mumble-jumbled Latin. Speeches = Protestant preaching. And the latter catches the conscience of a king.
Ergo, Shakespeare was a Protestant.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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