In Shakespeare's time, 1564-1616, practicing Catholicism was illegal in England. Some historians have claimed that William Shakespeare was Catholic and have hidden this fact for fear of persecution. Others even go so far as to say that Shakespeare shaped parts of his plays after his Catholic beliefs. Between Shakespeare's youthful upbringing, education, and the availability of Catholic literature, William Shakespeare had a basis if not a belief in the Catholic faith. There are many Shakespearean experts who remain faithful to the belief that Shakespeare was a Protestant as was the custom of the time. time in England. Those who think so point out the one thing that can be universally agreed upon in the debate, the fact that there is no concrete evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism. There is, however, a great deal of potential and speculative evidence to support the idea that William Shakespeare was Catholic. Although it was illegal to practice Catholicism during Shakespeare's youth, this was a fairly new practice, less than fifty years old, meaning that Shakespeare's older relatives could easily have been Catholic earlier. This possibility is accepted by many, including David Beauregard who writes: "It has long been known, of course, that Shakespeare's family background was strongly Catholic." (15) In George Seibel's book, Shakespeare's Religion, Shakespeare's youth and in particular that of his father are mentioned; "He [Shakespeare] passed among Catholic influences, for there seems to be no room for reasonable doubt that his father was 'a papist recusant' and suffered many things as such." (6) This is by no means definitive proof that Shakespeare or his father, John, were Catholic. If John Shakespeare was Catholic... half of the paper... the evidence to support the idea that he was Catholic or sympathized with Catholics, whether it be his youth, family, education, environment or also his works for adults. Works Cited Beauregard, David N.. "Shakespeare's Catholic Background." Catholic theology in Shakespeare's works. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 2008. 13-20. Print.Collinson, Patrick. Elizabethans. London: Hambledon and London, 2003. Print.Pinciss, Gerald M.. Forbidden Matter: Religion in the Drama of Shakespeare and His Contemporaries. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 2000. Print. Seibel, George. Shakespeare's religion. London: Watts, 1924. Print.Shakespeare, William. "All's well that ends well." The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. MIT and Web. April 17, 2011. .The New English Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 1972. Print.