During William Shakespeare's lifetime, the Roman Catholic Church was still going through a difficult period of change in England due to an act committed approximately thirty years previously by King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII pleaded with the Pope for an annulment because he believed that with a new wife he would be able to have a son since he had not been successful with his current wife. The Pope denied its annulment, and King Henry VIII was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. He decided to create his own religion called the Church of England. The English people quickly converted to their faith because the remaining Catholics were being persecuted. Shakespeare's parents were Catholic and Shakespeare himself was also considered Catholic since he grew up in a practicing Catholic family. His knowledge of the diverse beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith comes through most blatantly when read with “fresh eyes.” Shakespeare's plays take on new meanings when examined for their allegorical significance. Religion is expressed in all of Shakespeare's plays, including Hamlet. Ex...