Religious Relics
Historical Context
Act 3,
Scene 2
Lines 130-137
Antony
In this anachronism, Antony is referring to a practice in medieval England—not ancient Rome. When a Catholic priest was executed for heresy (nonconformance with the official Protestant religion) some of the catholics in the crowd would dip their handkerchiefs in the priest’s blood, or snip a locket of his hair to keep as a relic.