Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
The Theme of Witchcraft in Macbeth (Witch hunts (A witch was believed to…
The Theme of Witchcraft in Macbeth
King James I
King James first became interested in Witches when he was on ship to Denmark. A storm had occurred and many people blamed witchcraft.
He spent 6 months in Denmark to learn about witches and witch hunting.
When he returned to England, he accused a coven of witches which led to the North Berwick Witch Trials. They lasted 3 years and up to 100 people had been killed.
He took this Witch hunt personally and interrogated several suspects.
Gowrie Plot 1600- King James was taken to a small castle where some treasure had been uncovered. However, an assassin was lying in wait and attacked James once he had arrived.
James killed the assassin and found demonic cyphers and magic formulas on him.
Witch hunts
A witch was believed to be someone who followed the Devil and in return were given magic powers
Witch Hunts occured in Europe and American colonies from 1400-1800
Many innocent people accused of witchcraft falsely confessed of being a witch under long periods of torture and were killed after being burned at the stake.
During the 1400s, the Pope had given permission to a priest called Heinrich Kramer to investigate witches.
Many people did not believe Kramer at first so he wrote a book called Malleus Maleficarum ot Hammer of Witches which suggested ruthless tactics for hunting and prosecuting witches
After Kramer published his book, many others decided to write their own books about witches.
These books said that witches practiced Rituals such as cursing people the devil had chosen
Many witch hunts had started after events of misfortune such as infested crops and sick animals. People would jump to witchcraft and blamed each other.
Witches and Society
People accused of witchcraft were scapegoats for the bad things that happened.
This was due to a number of reasons such as social and religious change; lack of food and class tension
Due to the monarchy, many people were changing from Catholic to Protestant and back again which affected their belief
There was tension between the classes as the rich would accuse the lower classes of witchcraft because of their power