Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that is some level of genius. It also helps that it's a long time ago, right?

It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream van plays music

when it's out of ice cream.

Listen to Evil Genius on BBC Sounds.

Hello. Hello. We have still known thee for a holy man. The word said to Friar Lawrence after he's told a surviving company about the horrific fate of Romeo and Juliet.

Lawrence is a man of the church and just one example of how Shakespeare portrayed religious figures and how he portrayed religion, which is our topic for tonight. Faith is always

there in Shakespeare. He was hugely influenced by the language of the Bible, but it always seems

to be off at an angle, off stage. Very few of his key characters are clergymen,

and that's not surprising considering the civil war between Catholics and Protestants that

marked the era that he lived through. One of the most intriguing questions about Shakespeare

has always been whether he was in fact a closet Catholic. But that doesn't mean that the church is absent

from his work. And to illuminate where scripture helps us to understand Shakespeare, I'm joined

by two guests with the highest possible qualifications. The right reverend, right honourable

Richard Charters, has spent over 20 years as the Bishop of London. He's well known for his theological depth

and for his commitment to green issues. And Ewan Fernie is professor at Birmingham University's

Shakespeare Institute. So Bishop Richard, I'm going to start with you because earlier this year

you preached a sermon at Southwark Cathedral on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's

death. And you said that the

theatre in Shakespeare's Day was regarded by the church and the state as, and I quote,

a dangerous competitor and a threat to their attempt to monopolise the means of shaping public

opinion. What made you say that? Well, I think in an age with no newspapers, the pulpit and the stage were, in fact, the major

means of diffusing opinion.

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