This literary scholar specialized in the Renaissance period, extensively researching religious controversies in England. His work provided fundamental resources for understanding the era's intellectual and spiritual landscape. He was known for his unique perspective on significant literary figures, offering fresh interpretations of their works and contexts. His dedication to scholarship illuminated the complexities of early modern English thought.
The local tradition in Stratford is that Shakespeare "died a Papist," having sent for a Catholic priest to give him the last rites. It is clear from his plays that he was against the strictures of Puritanism, but in The Catholicism of Shakespeare's Plays, Professor Peter Milward argues that the whole of Shakespeare's work reveals a common thread of sympathy with the plight of the suffering persecuted Catholics under Queen Elizabeth and King James I.
In recent years, thanks largely to the work of Peter Milward, close study of
Shakespeare's plays has raised the question: Was Shakespeare in fact a
believing Catholic? To this question, which radically changes the way that
Shakespeare's plays should be read, Milward here offers, in his definitive
study of the topic, a resounding Yes.
The book presents a compelling argument for integrating biblical wisdom with insights from Western literature and personal experiences of nature. Fr. Milward emphasizes the beauty of God's creation, encouraging readers to rediscover a childlike sense of wonder often lost in modern life. Each chapter serves as a dialogue with spiritual masters, illuminating the divine presence in the intricate details of the world. This work invites a contemplative appreciation of ecology, urging a deeper connection to the environment beyond traditional environmentalist perspectives.
The Reformation marked a pivotal moment in English history, significantly altering intellectual, artistic, and everyday life. Henry VII's break from Rome and the adoption of Protestant ideas created a profound shift in perspectives for both Protestants and opposing Catholics. This historical rupture reshaped societal views, leading to lasting changes that continue to influence England today. Understanding this event is crucial for grasping the complexities of modern English identity.
Peter Milward, an esteemed Shakespeare scholar, offers an insightful analysis of Shakespeare's late plays, making complex themes and interpretations approachable for novices while still enriching for experienced academics. His work bridges the gap between casual readers and scholarly discourse, providing a comprehensive exploration of the nuances in these final works.
Following his recent study, The Catholicism of Shakespeare's Plays, Fr. Peter Milward examines more closely the themes of doomsday and judgement in the great dramas. As recent research establishes ever more securely Shakespeare's own Catholic background, we are invited to consider the symbolism of the plays from the perspective of the Elizabethan and Jacobean recusant community of which the poet was a member.Fr. Milward draws attention to the profound feeling manifest in the treatment of the desolation of England following the destruction of her Catholic culture, and the persecution of the Church by the new Establishment -- long missed in critical studies. At the end of the second Christian millennium, when the popular mind has been preoccupied with strange predictions of doom, we follow Shakespeare's reflections on the real judgement then being visited upon an apostate nation, and see how England's real and only hope lies in a return to her first allegiance to a greater Royal supremacy than that of the Tudors, under a loftier Queen -- not Elizabeth, but Mary who reigns in Heaven.
