William Shakespeare The Bible
In Shakespeare’s day, the common people did not have access to the Bible in their spoken language. The people remained largely ignorant, and they could not look to the clergy for sound, spiritual direction. However, God inspired a special man with a desire to communicate biblical truth by using plays that the people could enjoy and learn from. That man was William Shakespeare, the Bard of the Bible. Why is he referred to as the Bard of the Bible? Well, some call Shakespeare the Bard of the Bible because he advanced biblical ethics, alluded to the Scriptures, and magnified the Christian God.
Many call Shakespeare the Bard of the Bible because he advanced biblical ethics. In Shakespeare’s plays, he often integrates biblical morality within his storyline. For example, in the famous play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, decidedly turns from rectitude by participating in witchcraft, thus leading him farther away from virtue. Similarly, in the Bible, God granted Adam and Eve the liberty to follow his commands or deny them, and with vanity in their hearts, they both refused God’s commands and broke His rules. Moreover, Shakespeare depicts biblical principles in his play, King Lear. In this play, the king’s fool delivers wisdom during a time of suffering. This idea agrees with 1 …show more content…
Some say that he referred to parts of the Old Testament so frequently, that he had likely committed them to memory. For example, in his play Macbeth, Lady Macduff says, “All is the fear and nothing is the love”. Her statement reflects the Bible verse in 1 Corinthians 13, which teaches that true, pure love contains no fear. Furthermore, in the same play, Lady Macbeth declares, “Nought's had, all's spent, where our desire…got without content”. This parallels Solomon’s teachings in Ecclesiastes, which convey the emptiness that the pursuit of worldly possessions
Many call Shakespeare the Bard of the Bible because he advanced biblical ethics. In Shakespeare’s plays, he often integrates biblical morality within his storyline. For example, in the famous play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, decidedly turns from rectitude by participating in witchcraft, thus leading him farther away from virtue. Similarly, in the Bible, God granted Adam and Eve the liberty to follow his commands or deny them, and with vanity in their hearts, they both refused God’s commands and broke His rules. Moreover, Shakespeare depicts biblical principles in his play, King Lear. In this play, the king’s fool delivers wisdom during a time of suffering. This idea agrees with 1 …show more content…
Some say that he referred to parts of the Old Testament so frequently, that he had likely committed them to memory. For example, in his play Macbeth, Lady Macduff says, “All is the fear and nothing is the love”. Her statement reflects the Bible verse in 1 Corinthians 13, which teaches that true, pure love contains no fear. Furthermore, in the same play, Lady Macbeth declares, “Nought's had, all's spent, where our desire…got without content”. This parallels Solomon’s teachings in Ecclesiastes, which convey the emptiness that the pursuit of worldly possessions