关键词: 莎士比亚, 基督教信仰, 亨利六世, 理查三世, 路德宗教义—加尔文主义, 英国国教

Abstract: As the heroes of Henry VI and Richard III of Shakespeares first tetralogy, both kings are selfclaimed Christians who are heard calling upon God frequently. However, there exists a striking contrast in essence between their Christian beliefs in that Henry VI often shows up as a saintly fool while Richard III is portrayed as a total tyrant with a fake faith. Based on an interpretation of the spiritual world of two characters, the paper carries out an indepth analysis of the nature of their faith, namely, the firmness and hypocrisy, and disillusionment and hesitation revealed respectively. Therefore, the playwrights own Christian inclination, especially that which he adhered to at the beginning of his dramatic career, is summarized to suggest its possible disagreement with the doctrines of the Church of England under the influence of LutheranismCalvinism.

Key words: Shakespeare, Christian faith, Henry VI, Richard III, LutheranismCalvinism, the Church of England