What influence did religion have on Shakespears writings?

Question

What influence did religion have on Shakespears writings?

Answer 1

I would say a lot since Shakespeare's Family was Catholic and he saw all of he horrible events that transpired between the Catholic and Protestants.

Answer 2

Shakespeare's plays and poems are rich with the religious thought and imagery. _Hamlet_ takes place in Catholic Denmark, for instance, and Claudius is beset by guilt; Hamlet himself is less so. _King Lear_ has a pagan, pre-Christian context. _Romeo and Juliet_ uses religion to sanctify the idea of human love.

No play by Shakepseare, however, endorses religion or insists upon its ultimate importance. Some of the characters--and not always the good ones, e. g., Claudius--may feel so, but although many of Shakespeare's plays use religion, they themselves do not advocate.

Answer 3

They are chocker with religious (mostly Christian) ideas but you can't translate that into an advocacy of any religious position.  So much the better for Shakes.