Ghazala Noor Hist 117A U.S. History: 1600-1877 Monday 6:00 – 9:10 Was the Salem Witchcraft Hysteria a Product of Women's Search for Power? The two articles in this Issue seek to answer whether the witchcraft hysteria was a product which helped women get power or not. Lyle Koehler is the more persuasive author arguing: yes it was a product of women search for power. In the past, at sixteen to seventeenth century, women had no rights like men, they fought for their rights; however, they didn't get freedoms till the nineteenth century. The most plausible reasoning for the Salem witch trials was that the women were trying to show social equality and they wanted to seek attention.
Whether it has to do with religion, social, or cultural status, there will be historians to either promote a new theory, or defend a more known one. So, what did cause the Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692? There were many factors, really. It had to do with religion, social, and cultural status, but also had other themes and factors involved. It is something that broods in many peoples’ minds, and will surely continue to do
Summary “The Devil in Massachusetts: A Modern Enquiry Into the Salem Witch Trial” by Marion L. Starkey is a historical novel based upon facts of people and events surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. The format of the book is a narrative, with dialogue from actual trial records. The trial records are applied with a modern psychiatric knowledge, surrounding the witchcraft hysteria. Starkey recreates the sense of pity and terror that surrounded Salem and the suffering that many innocent people endured during the time. “The Devil in Massachusetts” presents an account of the accusers, accused, prosecutors and defenders surrounding the trials at Salem.
Taking Sides The Salem witch trials were studied on different levels. It was studied from a religious stand point and a medical and an economic standing. The focus of my paper will be on the roles of women during this time and how it affected women and also, what the puritans thought about this hysteria. In my opinion the Salem witch trials were a way for men to demonize, humiliate and to strip women of any sense of power they could obtain. During this era women were considered subornments to men.
The European Witch Craze started roughly during conclusion of the 15th century and peaked during the first half of the seventeenth century. When it came down to it women were accused as being witches in Salem more than men and a lot of women confessed. Maybe women were being accused because of the Puritans attitudes towards women, sin, and the devil. There could be many reasons why women were accused of being witches than men. It could have been their appearance, the time, or the gender roles.
These ideas were then widely supported and imposed upon people by theologians and lawyers[7] making diabolic interference central to the idea of witchcraft. By the end of the sixteenth century the demonic conception of witchcraft has been defused into popular culture and most popular denunciations for witchcraft in most parts of Europe involved the devil. The spread of diabolism “led inevitably to a great feminization of witchcraft”[8]. Ankarloo argues that only after these learned ideas were injected into the lower level of society could the persecution of witches on a large scale begin during the 16th and up to the 17th
A mixture of diverse events and factors assisted the commencement of the trials. There was a quantity of religious factors that contributed to the Salem witch trials. Among these factors is the guidance of the strict Puritan lifestyle along with the believed presence of the Devil in the community (Document 7). The Puritan way of life was subjective heavily by the church and Christian beliefs. Church was fundamentally the base of the Puritan society for the duration of this time period.
Carley Chandler Mr. Wright AP English 12 20 September, 2013 Feminism in Hamlet Two critics are illustrated and criticized themselves in this paper on Feminism in Hamlet. Lisa Jardine's paper talks about history and ideas of return, as Elaine Showalter writes about how Ophelia should be represented by feminists critics. Both of these topics tie into the story, and even tie in to each other! In the critical essay 'No Offence i'th' : Hamlet and Unlawful Marriage : written by Lisa Jardine, ideas that so-called historicist critics are overusing the word “history”, are being illuminated. Some of these critics are using “history” as an idea of return.
The Power of Suggestion The Salem witch trials, now that’s a curiosity of mine. Was it true? Did witches really take over Salem for one season creating havoc throughout the village? Or is there a logical explanation to why all of this occurred? These are all questions running through people’s heads; but in reality, can we really know for sure?
Author Millers, The Crucible, is a play about the fear, of witchcraft in the sixteenth century, and what fear does to people in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts. During the colonial time period, witchcraft was punishable by death. In Salem the idea of witchcraft not only feared the people, but also the community as a whole. The community of Salem was split into two demographics by poor farmers, and wealthy merchants, becomes a scared fearful town during the accusations, not knowing if your neighbor was or was not a witch. The church of Salem plays an important role in the outcome of the town; the church has immense power and control of the town.