Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time

This article focuses on the connection between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the famous English witch trial which took place in Lancashire in 1612. The judicial proceeding was recorded by a clerk of the court, who went by the name of Thomas Potts, whose reportage of the events was inconsistent and unsta...

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Main Author: Luca Baratta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Firenze University Press 2013-03-01
Series:Journal of Early Modern Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-jems/article/view/7003
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author Luca Baratta
author_facet Luca Baratta
author_sort Luca Baratta
collection DOAJ
description This article focuses on the connection between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the famous English witch trial which took place in Lancashire in 1612. The judicial proceeding was recorded by a clerk of the court, who went by the name of Thomas Potts, whose reportage of the events was inconsistent and unstable, as I attempt to point out. In so doing, I underline the reasons – political, religious and opportunistic – that possibly motivated his behaviour, highly criticisable by modern standards.
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spelling doaj.art-e25e0cb938ed441ba418f144e66b999d2022-12-21T19:14:54ZengFirenze University PressJournal of Early Modern Studies2279-71492013-03-01210.13128/JEMS-2279-7149-1263511066Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s TimeLuca BarattaThis article focuses on the connection between Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the famous English witch trial which took place in Lancashire in 1612. The judicial proceeding was recorded by a clerk of the court, who went by the name of Thomas Potts, whose reportage of the events was inconsistent and unstable, as I attempt to point out. In so doing, I underline the reasons – political, religious and opportunistic – that possibly motivated his behaviour, highly criticisable by modern standards.https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-jems/article/view/7003Authorial Intervention; Lancashire Witches
spellingShingle Luca Baratta
Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
Journal of Early Modern Studies
Authorial Intervention; Lancashire Witches
title Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
title_full Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
title_fullStr Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
title_full_unstemmed Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
title_short Lancashire: a Land of Witches in Shakespeare’s Time
title_sort lancashire a land of witches in shakespeare s time
topic Authorial Intervention; Lancashire Witches
url https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-jems/article/view/7003
work_keys_str_mv AT lucabaratta lancashirealandofwitchesinshakespearestime