THE public are more likely to recognise “Give us this day our daily bread” as being from the Lord’s Prayer than “To be, or not to be” as being from Hamlet, a new poll suggests.

The online survey of 2035 UK adults, conducted by Savanta between 23 and 26 May, was commissioned by the Church of England to mark the Pentecost prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come, which has been running for ten years (News, 30 May).

Respondents were asked to match seven famous lines with their source, from a list of correct answers.

From literature, the lines were “To be or not to be” from Shakespeare’s play, and the opening of Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” From British history, “Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few” was selected from one of Churchill’s Commons speeches in 1940 during the Battle of Britain.

From music, the questions concerned the Gerry and the Pacemakers lyrics “You’ll never walk alone”— also the anthem of Liverpool FC — and “Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us” from the National Anthem; and from film, “May the force be with you” from Star Wars.

Last was “Give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer, which overall was recognised correctly by the largest number of people (80.3 per cent), marginally more than the quotation from Star Wars (79.9 per cent).

This was followed by Hamlet’s soliloquy (73 per cent); Churchill’s speech (61 per cent); and “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (58 per cent). A minority (38 per cent) correctly identified the Dickens quotation.

Of all surveyed, 89 per cent said that they had previously heard of the Lord’s Prayer, and the same percentage had said the words at some point. This was highest among those who described themselves as Christian (95 per cent) and those who identified as having no religion (88 per cent).

The Archbishop of York is leading a “Lord’s Prayer Tour” of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England as part of his Faith in the North initiative. He said: “In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord’s Prayer remains a steady guide — perhaps never more so than now. Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none.”