The Witchcraft Act Of 1604 - 1319 Words

In 1692, the paranoia of witchcraft being amongst them struck the puritan colony known as Salem Massachusetts with fear. More importantly, the belief in witchcraft was carried over from their home country, England. In England, an act of witchcraft was considered treason against the church, not to mention the king was the head of the church so turning your back on the church also meant going against the king. Many acts against witchcraft were passed, the one dated closest to the Salem witch trials was the Witchcraft Act of 1604 that moved trials of the supposed witches from churches to actual courts. The fact that they were once held in churches rather than courts seems like a biased situation to me. The puritans were afraid of witchcraft so having the church conduct the trials of said witches could only mean that death was certain. The puritan faith to my understanding was a tough faith to follow, especially for women. Gender roles were heavily put upon puritan women, â€Å"women were seen as inferior beings that needed to be dominated by a male figure, and those who broke the mold were viewed as dangerous.† When speaking of puritan women and church, women were not allowed to pray with the congregation or lead a prayer. The fact that women were viewed as â€Å"dangerous† should they not conform to their gender roles should really show just how ridiculous their belief system was. One can only imagine that the paranoia of women being witches derived from the belief that all womenShow MoreRelatedThe Truth Of Witchcraft And Witchcraft1519 Words   |  7 PagesMany question as to why so many women would eventually admit to witchcraft. However, it is quite understandable why these women accepted the guilt when analyzing the process of proving witchcraft and what these women had to endure. Not only would these women continue to be rejected from their community, even more than before, they would be subject harsh sociological and psychological procedures. Those accused would often have to go through harsh psychosomatic dealings, such as a process know as â€Å"watchingRead MoreThe Tragedy of Macbeth Essay542 Words   |  3 PagesThe Tragedy of Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare in 1604, portrays women in a variety of strengths. In Elizabethan society, women were considered the ‘weaker sex’ but in many of his plays Shakespeare appears to question this patriarchal society. Shakespeare wrote ‘ Macbeth’ intending to flatter King James I, the ruler in this era. James I had very strong opinions regarding women and, particularly, witches. He saw Women as inferior and expected them to be housewives and mothers. ShakespeareRead MoreThe Witchcraft Hysteria Of 16921367 Words   |  6 PagesThe witchcraft hysteria of 1692 happened within the Puritan colony known as Salem Massachusetts. It’s important to know that the belief in witchcraft w as carried over from their home country, England. In England, an act of witchcraft was considered treason against the Church of England, not to mention the king, who was the head of the church, so if one was to turn their back on the church also meant going against the king. Many acts against witchcraft were passed, the one dated closest to the SalemRead MoreEssay on The History of Wicca1234 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Anglo-Saxon kings in England, the king would never think of acting on any important matter without consulting the Witan. In 2000 B.C. Babylons Code of Hammurabi instructs people, If a man has laid a charge of witchcraft and has not justified it, he upon whom the witchcraft is laid shall go to the holy river; he shall plunge into the holy river and if the holy river overcome him, he who accused him shall take to himself his house. 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Iago is the ambitious but scheming villain of the play. When Othello promotes a man called Michael Cassio over Iago, he is furious and launches a malicious campaign against Othello. Meanwhile, Othello has marriedRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials : A Series Of Events That Killed Innocent People 1881 Words   |  8 PagesSpring of 1692, located in Salem Village, Massachusetts. The people of Salem wanted to purge against anything that was considered remotely unholy. A group of young girls claimed that they were possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. A special court was made due to this wave of hysteria that spreaded through colonial Massachusetts. The first convicted witch, Bridget Bishop, was hung in June of 1692. More than 150 men, women, and children were accused of being witches and eighteenRead MoreThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play1972 Words   |  8 PagesThe Development of Othellos Character in William Shakespeares Play Othello was first performed by the King’s Men at the court of King James I on November 1, 1604. Written during Shakespeare’s great tragic period, which also included the composition of Hamlet (1600), King Lear (1604–5), and Macbeth (1606), Othello is set against the backdrop of the wars between Venice and Turkey that raged in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Cyprus, which is the setting for mostRead MoreIs â€Å"Othello† Best Regarded as a Domestic Tragedy or as a Tragedy of State Where the Fate of the Central Protagonist Has Significant Impact on Society? Consider in Your Answer the Ways in Which the Central Relationship1553 Words   |  7 PagesWritten in 1604, during Shakespeare’s great tragic period, â€Å"Othello† is one of his most highly concentrated, tightly constructed tragedies, with no subplots and little humour to relieve the tension. Although he adapted the plot of his play from the sixteenth-century Italian dramatist and novelist Giraldi Cinthios Gli Hecatommithi, Shakespeare related almost every incident directly to the development of Iagos schemes and Othellos escalating fears. This structure heightens the tragedys ominousRead MoreThe Persicution of Witches in History3282 Words   |  13 Pagescertain groups can be victimised like in wars, famine, disease outbreaks and chan ges in society structure. James I ascended to the throne in 1603 and had a massive influence on the hunts. This is because he was a strong believer in witchcraft as shown in his law of 1604 that made it illegal and punishable by death, although this was a re-working of an older law so he was not the first ruler to start the persecution of witches. During this period of 1603-1712 there was an on-going debate between science