Servants of God and Slaves of the Devil? Witchcraft, Rulership, and Skepticism on the Early Modern Stage - Sharon Vogel

Year
2025
Organisation
University of Dalhousie
Tags
witch trials
early modern literature
Shakespeare
Macbeth
witchcraft
political power
tyranny
King James VI and I
cultural history
literary analysis
blame and authority
historical drama
witch hunt narrative
early modern theatre
Summary

This thesis reinterprets early modern English drama to argue that witchcraft plays critique political power rather than reinforce royal authority. By overturning the binary between kings and witches, these works portray rulers as tyrannical and question accusations of witchcraft, revealing how stories of witches shape ideas of power, blame, and misfortune.