However, the most important factor for the intense persecution of witches at this time was the socio-economic situation across Europe in the form of plague, widespread poverty and the growing suspicion of women. Furthermore it was apparent that in the places of more extreme amounts of witch persecutions, there was a weak central government, harsh legal system and therefore radical amounts of witch hunts. Moreover, the high amounts of religious change, as a result of the reformation and counter-reformation, at these times caused conflict and disruption which added to the growing socio-economic stress and fuelled the amount of witch hunts. It is accurate to say that in the years 1580 to 1650 the role of influential people and the impact that their literature had, was an important cause of intensifying the persecution of witches. The concentration of Scottish witch hunts were attributed to the determination of King James I and his endorsement of the use of torture to increase confessions.
(Witch Hunts) Witches were thought to be consults of the devil who gave up their bodies and led others away from the church for the devil in exchange for otherworldly power. In addition to this women were marked as being sexually voracious, the origin of this mindset being the Garden of Eden. (Witchcraft and Midwifery) It was also believed that because women were weaker than men and had fewer rights, they were more likely to succumb to the devil in order to obtain their wishes. (Witch Hunts) In this respect they were “...by nature instruments of Satan -- they [were] by nature carnal, a structural defect rooted in the original creation.” (Steven Katz, Gendercide Watch: European Witch-Hunts) Because of the influential role religion held in European communities, these associations women held were powerful instruments in their accusations. Still tying into religious influences, the very physical appearance of a woman could lead to the belief that she is a witch.
In order for suggestion to cause hysteria, it needs to be viewed as valid. Often this is a fear or worry held in common by members of the society. In The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, this fear is witchcraft. The Salem witch trials occurred because the whole community feared witchcraft. Had the adults of Salem not believed the girls who were accusing social outcasts of witchcraft, no mass hysteria would have occurred.
Due to various motives, she ended up spending millions of dollars on herself instead of paying off France’s debt. Her impulsive buying lead to a more extensive deficit on the country. People began to circulate scurrilous stories about the Queen and her private life. As the situation got worse, mobs were organized and riots were out breaking across the nation. Also, Marie Antoinette’s Diamond Necklace affair was a sensation that took hold of the nation by storm.
Grace Marks, in Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace, is a young woman accused of murdering her master and his mistress, and is based on a true case. Grace Marks is a complex woman, as most of her personal traits are distorted because they are recorded by unreliable sources. These sources are mainly found in the media, such as newspapers, that tend to include inaccurate information rather than facts. Although the novel seems to be about the question of whether or not Grace Marks was guilty or innocent, it is truly about the Victorian notions of femininity. Women were seen as mortal, yet at the same time they were seducers and manipulators.
Black witchcraft was believed to be inherited from the female side as women were seen as inferior to men and more likely to fall to temptation to the devil, for example 90% of those charged were women. A common charge for black witches was for bringing harm to people or property that they made possible by making a pact with Satan and having access to his invisible power. Those who were charged with witchcraft were often not random accusations but more an excuse to victimise women who were seen as "different" within that community, and over 50% of those charged were acquitted. However witches could be acquitted alive or dead as many tests
Debt in England was greatly increased after the war, and British capital poured into the colonies. Heavy taxes were required during the war, and the human cost of war was high. Overall the debt created due to the war, altered relations between the British and the colonies because now money issues created less dominance for the British in the colonies which the
Response Paper #1 September 23, 2010 Female Sexuality Sexuality is often a word that when heard people often feel uncomfortable talking about, or believe it should just be kept to yourself. However, female sexuality has been a huge theme in history, women have battled discrimination, sexual tourcher, been labeled with derogatory names and have been seen as objects rather then people. In the novel Dracula, female sexuality is a major reoccurring theme. Taking place in Victorian England women were given two options set by societies firm expectations, she was either an innocent virgin or a marred mother, anyone who didn’t follow these guidelines was labeled a whore. In the novel we are presented with very different examples of female sexual expression and are brought with the idea of the “new woman”.
The Salem Witch Trials brought fear of being a witch in Puritan community whereas McCarthyism brought fear of being communist in US politics and society. It is difficult to believe that so much pain and fear can be spread by one person. However, that is the case with both the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism. While Abigail Williams used the strict Puritan values as her reign of terror, Senator Joseph McCarthy chose the growing fear of communism. In both situations, it has been stated that the possible motive behind both “Witch Hunts” was the personal gain of their originators.
The fact that these executions and the accompanying demonological theories were accepted and popular amongst society can be further explained through the lack of social and ethical standards of people, which spread throughout society at that time. Although these certain conditions provided the foundation for the witch-hunts, demographic and economic changes explain further reasons why witch-hunts were geared towards women. The witch-hunts fluctuated for nearly three centuries, with great variations in time and space. Despite the involvement of church authorities, “the vast majority of witches were condemned by secular courts,” with local courts closely noted for their abusive ways (Gibbons, Recent Developments). This across the board procedure in most countries was for accused witched to be brought before investigating court of law and were interrogated.