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In two ways. Some people were afraid of them and believed that they had made pacts with the devil which gave them supernatural and frightening powers. King James I was one such person, and his influence certainly increased the violence against those accused of witchcraft. But at the same time, there were many people that thought that they were not to be taken seriously and were the subject of comedy. Such was the case with Thomas Middleton's play The Witch, parts of which were imported into Shakespeare's Macbeth. These portrayals showed the witches as silly fairy-like beings who liked to sing and dance and talk in jingling rhymes.
Many Puritans were witch-obsessed, being religious fanatics with no common sense and certainly no sense of humour. It was under the Commonwealth that witch-paranoia reached its height in 1645 under the mass-murdering psychotic witch-finder Matthew Hopkins. The settlement at Salem where more witch-mania occurred fifty years later was made up of the same kind of people.
But all this took place long after Shakespeare's death. During Shakespeare's time, there was very little witch-obsession.
What else can I help you with?
What was the patronage of the monarch at shakespeares time?
Rich people would pay the expenses of writers or artists. They were the patrons of the arts.
The cultural influences in William Shakespeares time?
what was the culture of the people in shakespeare time
What was Shakespeares attitude to witches and the supernatural?
In Shakespeare's time, certain people were really frightened of witches and believed that they were a clear and present danger to their country. The history of the Salem Witch Trials is an example of this kind of fear, which was only starting in Shakespeare's day. Throughout the seventeenth century, fundamentalist religion became very powerful in England and even overthrew the monarchy, and it is religious fundamentalists who generally are frightened of witches.
How common were witches in shakespeares time?
There were no real witches in Shakespeare's time, because they don't exist! But, there is no exact figure as to how many women were thought to be witches. There were apparently thousands of them around! If a woman was seen to own a black cat, or if she made special herbal medicines, then she was seen as a witch. There were witch-hunts, and around 16000 (sixteen thousand) women were killed because they were thought to be witches. (They were burned at the stake, or drowned.) Hope I helped you! :)
How did people feel about witches when shakespeare was alive?
There were a lot of people who really believed in witches. However the witches in Macbeth are not to be taken seriously: they have silly songs and dances and speak in silly rhyming couplets. But they were inserted (probably by Thomas Middleton who wrote one of the songs) because that portrayal of witches was extremely popular and the audience wanted more.
How were witches kelled in Shakespeares time?
If they were ever told their real name, they would instantly die. btw, only docotor who could figure that 1 out!
What was the patronage of the monarch at shakespeares time?
Rich people would pay the expenses of writers or artists. They were the patrons of the arts.
The cultural influences in William Shakespeares time?
what was the culture of the people in shakespeare time
Did people burn witches during Rudolf Bruns time?
Witches are not real.
What was Shakespeares attitude to witches and the supernatural?
In Shakespeare's time, certain people were really frightened of witches and believed that they were a clear and present danger to their country. The history of the Salem Witch Trials is an example of this kind of fear, which was only starting in Shakespeare's day. Throughout the seventeenth century, fundamentalist religion became very powerful in England and even overthrew the monarchy, and it is religious fundamentalists who generally are frightened of witches.
Did people know what time it was in shakespeares age?
yes, you can look at the sun's location
Why did they kill people who were not witches?
Because at the time, the only explanation for extraordinary ideas and accomplishments was witchcraft. So people accused of witchcraft or knowing a witch would either be killed or forced to reveal the location of other witches (which they lied about because witches are fictional)
How common were witches in shakespeares time?
There were no real witches in Shakespeare's time, because they don't exist! But, there is no exact figure as to how many women were thought to be witches. There were apparently thousands of them around! If a woman was seen to own a black cat, or if she made special herbal medicines, then she was seen as a witch. There were witch-hunts, and around 16000 (sixteen thousand) women were killed because they were thought to be witches. (They were burned at the stake, or drowned.) Hope I helped you! :)
How did people feel about witches when shakespeare was alive?
There were a lot of people who really believed in witches. However the witches in Macbeth are not to be taken seriously: they have silly songs and dances and speak in silly rhyming couplets. But they were inserted (probably by Thomas Middleton who wrote one of the songs) because that portrayal of witches was extremely popular and the audience wanted more.
How many people lived in the country in Shakespeares time?
England may have had around five million in 1600.
How would Shakespeare's audiences have reacted to the witches?
They thought witches were real in his time, so they were a natural predictor for telling the future in his plays.
Did people in shakespeares time believe in supernatural being or forces?
Many people believed in the supernatural. Shakespeare reflects this in some of the scenes in his plays.
