The Role of Religion in Hamlet It is known that William Shakespeare did not follow or support any religion. However, he evidently had a great religious education. In his play Hamlet, Shakespeare uses his knowledge of religion and culture to manipulate the reactions of the audience it was originally intended for. This is evident by looking at the way he exploits Elizabethan confusion regarding religion, his use of contrasting cultures to evoke responses in the audience, and the significance of Hamlet's Christian knowledge. The period in which Shakespeare's Hamlet was performed was one of the greatest religious confusions for the Elizabethans. They had only recently come under Protestant rule, but were all familiar with Catholic beliefs. Shakespeare used this knowledge to his advantage. Hamlet's Ghost is an example of this. According to the Catholic belief system, the spirit of Hamlet's father is in purgatory. This means that he is not harmful but simply does penance "until the disgusting crimes committed in [his] nature days are burned and eliminated." (I. v. 12-13) This is necessary because he was 'cut off even in the flower of [his] sin.' (I. v. 76) This attitude was not unknown to the Elizabethans. However, according to Protestant beliefs, purgatory did not exist and every ghost was evil. This is reflected in Horace's scholarly concern that the ghost "foreshadows a strange explosion in our state." (I. i. 69) Because of this confusion, not knowing whether old Hamlet's ghost was "a spirit of health or a damned goblin", (I. iv. 40) the Elizabethan audience would support Hamlet in his choice of be sure before killing Claudius, his father's murderer. This shows how Shakespeare uses the audience's uncertainty to manipulate their response to the play. Shakespeare also uses contrasting cultures to control audience reactions. Hamlet is set in Denmark, but written for an English audience. According to Danish feud tradition, the king's murder demands revenge, and filial duty dictates that Hamlet "was born to make things right." (I. v. 189) However, to the Christian public, murder, for whatever reason, violated the highest Christian ethic: love. This includes love for one's enemies. Therefore the feud conflicted with the public's Christian views. By juxtaposing Danish culture with Christian morality, Shakespeare once again persuades the Elizabethan audience to have a certain reaction to the play..