How would have Christians viewed the play Macbeth differently from Protestants at the time?

Question

Would they have had different views on the same things? if they were to have a conversation about the play what would it consist of- agree on things or disagree, lead to an argument etc?

Answer 1

So religion is confusing, especially when you're talking about one that isn't your own. However, so much of history has been influenced by religion that you'll need a basic understanding.

First, Protestants are Christians! Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is a Christian. Christians who are not Catholic are considered Protestants. Protestants are then divided into many denominations, including Anglican (English), Presbyterian, Lutheran, Unitarian, Baptist and many more. Basically, all these denominations are off-shoots of Catholicism that originated when people decided they disagreed with the Catholic Church's rules or practices.

Shakespeare lived during a time of religious upheaval, called the reformation. This is when many Christians (one of the most famous was Martin Luther) decided that they no longer wanted to follow the pope. They felt he had too much power, and that Catholicism had become superficial in some ways. (Look at how grand some old Catholic Cathedrals are compared to say, a charming, white-steepled Protestant Church.)

Depending on the religion of the current king or queen, people of other religions were persecuted. In England, the infamous King Henry VIII (whom Shakespeare wrote a play about) wanted to divorce one of his of wives (he had many). But the Catholic Church did not (and still doesn't) allow divorce. So, he created a new version, the Anglican Church, made himself the leader, and granted himself a divorce. Easy, right? Can you imagine someone doing this now? Who gets to make the rules, and who can change them?

To this day, the royal family in Great Britain is Anglican. While many English are Anglican as well, of course people in Great Britain practice many religions, as we do in the U.S.

This is just a quick overview. Just remember, Shakespeare liked to make fun of ridiculous people and society.

As far as how modern Protestants view Shakespeare's work ... well I'm not one so I can't speak to that. But I imagine that most people feel that their religion is sensible and don't appreciate it when someone makes fun of it but saying that it was founded on a whim.