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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: ATHEIST OR BELIEVER IN GOD? The American philosopher, George Santayana, concluded that Shakespeare was an atheist by simply analyzing Macbeth's statements in Act 5, Scene 5. According to Santayana, Macbeth's words were reflective of Shakespeare's hopelessness and lack of belief in God. Rather than wasting his time extracting non-existent meaning from a depressed, "fictional," evil character, Santayana could have uncovered Shakespeare's views on God by simply reading his Last Will and Testament. "In the name of God, I William Shakespeare...God be praised, do make and ordain this, my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say, first I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my saviour, to be made partaker of eternal life, and my body to the earth whereof it is made." _____________________________________________ Rowe, A. L., Shakespeare’s Self Portrait. University Press of America, 1985, 182.
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