Queen Elizabeth I reigned in the late sixteenth century during a period when Catholicism was outlawed, and Protestantism was enforced. Today’s modern perception of and academic teachings about Elizabeth I’s reign promote the stereotype that the commoners in Elizabethan Protestant society shunned people who adhered to the Catholic religion. Scholars like Hervé Picton write that England had successfully stamped out religious minorities and become a Protestant nation by the end of the century; 250 Catholics were executed during Elizabeth I’s reign. Despite these perceptions, teachings, and executions, my research suggests that Elizabethan society did not necessarily adhere to the religious laws of the monarchy or agree with the monarchy’s actions. This paper explores historical accounts of Elizabethan London society, specifically applying these studies to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It argues that despite the monarchy’s influence, Protestant society did not necessarily shun people who adhered to the Catholic religion. 

Hamlet was considered one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays despite several Catholic remnants, such as Hamlet’s father appearing as a ghost. This presentation draws upon scholars such as Isabelle Gatt and Peter Zhang who discuss the kind of community that theatre creates where audiences believe the actors, formulating a theatrical agreement, a point of connection grounded in a mutual understanding of societal truths. Even though Catholicism was outlawed, even though Protestants were told by their monarchy to despise Catholics, and even though Protestants denounced ghosts and other Catholic beliefs, they had no issue accepting the Catholic representation within the theatrical performances of their beloved Hamlet. For common Elizabethan Protestant society to love Hamlet as much as they did, they had to go against the monarchy’s influence and be at least civil with the Catholics in their midst.