[EH13]

Hi there,

I've been set an essay entitled Why did the persecution of witches increase in the 1500 and 1600s and then decrease by the 1700s?

I've been told to cover 4 reasons why the persecution increased: 1) Political Reasons 2)Religious Reasons 3)Economic Reasons 4) Social Reasons

I'm really struggling to put down on paper how things such as religious turmoil in the country at the time led to an increase in fear of the witches and therefore and increase in the persecution. Also, I don't understand how the Tudors working hard to restore order after the War of the Roses led to an increase in the persecution.

I really appreciate any help you could give.

Thanks.

[MrJohnDClare]

Try reading this review of a wonderful book which you ought to look at if you get it at your local library: Keith Thomas, religion and the delcine of magic. Thomas's point was that the Catholic Church taught religion as a 'mystery', so it was almost 'magical' in its approach itself (when you said or did certain things, you pleased God and good things happened in your life - almost like magic).
To the Protestants, this was wicked. For them, reigion was about the love a person had for God, and the mercy that God showed to that individual. For them, all the ceremonies of the Catholic church were devilish superstition, and needed casting out and destroying.
And of course the sam thing went for witches., and the increase in persecution corresponds with the Puritan explosion.
(The only problem with this interpretation, however, is that the BIGGEST hunter-out of witches was James I, who was neither a Tudor, and was not very fiercely Protestant.)

As for Tudor government, I've never come across this before, but:
1. The Tudors after H VIII increasingly made their state a Protestant state, so it would be natural that they would adopt the Protestant revulsion at witches.
2. Many wirches were old people using their 'frighteningness' to get favours from gullible people, so I can imagine that a strong government with increasing control over law and order would see that as petty criminals to be eradicated (this does not, however, explain the persecution and witch-'craze'. A government policy of preventing small-sclae crime does not result in a frenzy of prsection.)

Try looking at this post on the forum.

[EH13]

Thanks very much


I have handed in my essay and should get it back next week. Would you like me to let you know how I got on?

[MrJohnDClare]

EH13, on Oct 18 2008, 02:03 PM, said:

Would you like me to let you know how I got on?

Yes please!

[EH13]

I got 11 out of 15, a grade B.

My teacher said it was " a super first essay, well organised and logical....could have inculded more factual information".

Thanks again for your help!

[MrJohnDClare]

Well done.

Thanks for letting us know.

There are two ways you can use facts:
1. the easy way - just telling the story.
2. as evidence to prove the points you are arguing.
Try to develop skill 2.