The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 13.1921  Thursday, 19 September 2002

[1]     From:   Annalisa Castaldo <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
        Date:   Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 09:06:10 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters

[2]     From:   John W. Kennedy <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
        Date:   Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 14:17:20 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters

[3]     From:   Andrew Cooley <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
        Date:   Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 20:20:46 +0100
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters

[4]     From:   Peter Groves <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
        Date:   Thursday, 19 Sep 2002 11:04:58 +1000
        Subj:   Re: SHK 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Annalisa Castaldo <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 09:06:10 -0400
Subject: 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters

>"This question occurred to me: Are there any MAJOR clerical characters in
>Shakespeare? There are minor ones."

I suppose it depends on the definition of "major," but Cardinal Wolsey
certainly is important to Henry VIII (although he's not portrayed in the
most positive light, is he?). In a slightly different vein, the Duke in
Measure for Measure spends most of the play disguised as a friar and
even confesses both Claudio and Maria. He might not be an actual cleric,
but he fulfills that role.

Annalisa Castaldo

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           John W. Kennedy <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 14:17:20 -0400
Subject: 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters

From:           R. A. Cantrell <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >

>Does the Church of England have friars?

Yes, though the word "friar" itself is not customarily used nowadays --
for that matter, I don't recall seeing it used in the RCC.  However,
there were no religious orders in the Church of England from the
Dissolution (1536-40) to the mid-19th century.

>The
>Roman Church had been out of England for sixty years or more when
>Shakespeare was inkiest.

I cannot find, at the moment, definite information as to whether Mary
Tudor (1553-8) made any attempt at reinstituting religious during her
reign.

>Whence all the friars, Chaucer?

None of Shakespeare's plays are set in present-day England (except for
the problematic MWW), or in any other Protestant place and time.

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Andrew Cooley <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Wednesday, 18 Sep 2002 20:20:46 +0100
Subject: 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.1907 Major Clerical Characters

I'm sure I won't be the only one to mention Friar Lawrence, but I
mention him anyway...

Andrew Cooley

[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Peter Groves <
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 >
Date:           Thursday, 19 Sep 2002 11:04:58 +1000
Subject: 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters
Comment:        Re: SHK 13.1912 Re: Major Clerical Characters

>It's interesting how often he
>chooses pre-Xtian settings in which to work out the questions of what
>Antony call

Sorry--this was inexplicably truncated: I meant to say "what Antony
calls 'the nobleness of life'".

Peter G.

_______________________________________________________________
S H A K S P E R: The Global Shakespeare Discussion List
Hardy M. Cook, 
 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 
The S H A K S P E R Web Site <http://www.shaksper.net>

DISCLAIMER: Although SHAKSPER is a moderated discussion list, the
opinions expressed on it are the sole property of the poster, and the
editor assumes no responsibility for them.