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The attitudes of people of Shakespeare's day toward witches were inconsistent. The fundamentalist Puritans believed very strongly in the existence and power of witches (hence what happened at Salem) but many people if not most did not believe in them at all, and considered them to be a bit of a joke. As a result, in plays like Thomas Middleton's The Witch, they are portrayed as silly and funny. Two songs from this play were incorporated into Shakespeare's play, showing that the witches were not shown as powerful or dangerous at all when the play was first performed.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
During Shakespeare's time, belief in witches was influenced by societal fears, religious teachings, and superstitions. People believed that witches had supernatural powers to harm others and were in league with the devil. The fear of witchcraft was heightened by events like the witch trials in England and Scotland.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoPeople believed in witches because the Church said they existed so everyone believed it.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoIT says there are very suspicious about it
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Why did they believe in witches in Medieval times?
Mostly because of their religion
How did suspicion make people believe in witches?
The belief in witches dated back to ancient times. Saint Augustine had stated that these creatures gain their power from Satan. Various portions of the scriptures refer to witches. As a result, fear of witches was common in previous centuries.
What did people in medieval times reacted to witches?
they loved witches. Just accepted them for who the areee they loved witches. Just accepted them for who the areee
What makes us believe that God is real?
A:People are herd animals. Most of us like to belong to the group and follow the common position on things beyond our knowledge. And it takes courage not to believe in something that others seem to believe in strongly. In earlier times, people believed in witches because everyone believed in witches. They believed in ghosts or possession by demons because everyone else believed in them. People still believe God is real because the people around us believe this.
Are witches friendly?
There are so many types of Witches, they believe and practice different paths. Most of the people who practice Witchcraft are friendly and accepting other people of different paths, religions and races than other people. Yes, most of the witches are friendly... Witches are people, they can be friendly, loving, out-going and fun to be around. They can also be serious, dedicated, distracted and very studious. Myself, I can be grouchy before my first coffee, withdrawn when I'm ill, and all of the above in the appropriate times, and as with any human being, the inappropriate times too.
Why did people in older times believe in witches?
Well, in past there were some things that people would consider witchcraft(some of the older or more foreign religions would be seen as witchcraft,) and "witches" made a convenient scapegoat, so belief in them was encouraged so there was someone to blame when things went wrong.
What was Queen Elizabeth's interest in Shakespeare?
Shakespeare and his fellow actors appeared before the Queen and performed many times. There is no reason to believe that the Queen paid particular attention to Shakespeare.
Why did people in Shakespearean times believe in fairies?
Belief in fairies and other supernatural events was quite widespread in Shakespeare's time. Shakespeare, however, added a lot to the mythos of fairies; he was, for example, the first person to imagine them as tiny creatures.
How bad was Shakespeare's handwriting?
We don't have many samples of Shakespeare's handwriting. What we have is his signature a number of times on legal documents. It's awful. Google Image "Shakespeare Signature" if you don't believe me.
How many people did the average family have in Shakespeare's times?
5
What changes happened in Salem in the 17th century during the Witch hunts?
People who were pagans, wiccans or did witchcraft went underground, and that's why now days you come across people who don't even know what paganism or wicca is and also believe witches and witchcraft is not real. Whereas paganism was there in the VERY beginning so then shouldn't it be more out there? it isn't because of the burning times. Although now Salem is a place where a lot of wiccans, witches and pagans live, they've made it their home, since the burning times died out and more open minded, reasonable people came around.
Why do witches have such a bad rap?
It is mainly because of the Catholic Church. They oppose witchcraft and witches, as they believe it to be "the work of Satan". Since the burning times, witchcraft is looked upon with the stereotype of something that is not right or taboo.
