Essays on Witchcraft

Introduction

The Salem Witch Trials is a broad name that describes a series of trials and persecutions of people accused of practicing witchcraft during British colonial rule of what is the United States today. These trials occurred between February 1692 and May 1693 in colonial Massachusetts. Prior to 1692, there had been rumors that some villages surrounding Salem. This created a level of suspicion. However in February 1692, the daughter and niece of a priest began to experience unusual situations and feelings in Salem. They complained about coming under some fits and confessed to being bewitched. Thus, three accused women ...

Introduction

In the 1996 movie entitled, The Craft, it portrays four troubled high school women who holds the power to control their own realities and the people around them by the practice of black magic. Each woman is having some negative issue within their own life, including low self-esteem, trouble fitting in with other classmates, lack of family dynamics and poor relationships. These problems temporarily go away when the teenagers all come together to call the four corners of East, West, South and North to their deity that will grant them unlimited power and control. Although the magic ritual worked ...

[Class Title]

Introduction Vampires are mythical creatures that appear in ancient folklores. Most cultures have their own version of the vampire although they share a common characteristic; that is, the lust for human blood. There is no particular gender to the vampire character. Male and female vampires do exists even in ancient literatures, making the vampire one of the most gender neutral characters. The depiction of the female vampire in human culture, however, is an interesting way of looking into the development of women, particularly on how society views women and their social status over the course of time. ...

An analysis of the problems associated with the word "Troll" require a study of the words etymology in relation to its origin and the way in which it has evolved and developed throughout the years. An analysis of the research available on the etymology of the word suggests Scandinavian origins that can be traced deep into the Scandinavian folklores. The word "troll" is, therefore, quite ancient as well as complex and contradictory in nature. The various Scandinavian countries identify trolls as mythological creatures in their literary cultures. However, trolls do differ in their nature from the various countries, meaning ...

Identifying the main problematics of the word "troll requires recalling its etymology, i.e. the very first time when it was used and its transformation over the centuries. An accurate analysis of the specific sources suggests that this word is quite ancient, multi-valued, and most notably, very contradictory. The word has Scandinavian roots and its etymology goes deep into folklore. The word "troll" has a direct relationship with nature because trolls, as mythological creatures, represent nature. On this basis, one can say that trolls from Denmark differ from trolls in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland. Despite the fact that the geographical ...

Introduction

Throughout my nursing school years, I have become more passionate about evidence-based nursing practices. These years have been an amazing journey that has imparted knowledge to me necessary for the starting of my nursing career. My experiences in nursing school over the years have enabled me to develop skills and assets that every potential nursing professional needs to become a success in this field. Upon my graduation, I hope to immediately join a workplace that will enable me to work closely with medical doctors and other supporting professionals to help varied patients recuperate well and resume their daily lives ...

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is one of the most famous novels by the American romantic writer. While the novel is well-known for its depiction of the relationships between the characters, and the romantic plots and subplots, the novel also has great value as a historical study of the Puritan period. Puritan society was a highly gendered society, with strict gender roles for men and women, and a well-established patriarchal society. Explorations of the novel, and of the depiction of Hester’s character, her punishment, and her actions in the novel can help reveal whether Hawthorne was realistically ...

The man cannot be separated from many things. He cannot live without food, air and water. However, it’s not the complete list of items that are necessary for human existence. Humanity is also obsessed with the violence. Throughout the whole history, people invented a lot of different methods of punishment, murder and torture. So, the human history is full of cruelty and violence. Consequently, it’s possible to talk an infinitely long time about how some representatives of humanity have punished, tortured, and killed others more unfortunate representatives of mankind. However, we’d remember only the most noteworthy ...

The Salem Witch Hunts resulted from many instabilities that faced the new colonists. The religious beliefs held by the new colonists were strict and biased. The lack of structure in society and government created rivals in the community. The community had just endured a massive drought and disease outbreak, and they lived on the edge daily worrying about possible raids by the Indians or the French. Under all this pressure, the citizens threw away all sense of equality, diversity and democracy and gave in to their fears, and as a result, the witch hunts transpired. Witch hunts were already ...

Witchcraft can be defined as the use and application of magical powers typically obtained from sorcery or evil spirits in performing unbelievable things. Or it can as well be defined as the invocation and exercise of alleged powers which are supernatural in nature in controlling events or people with the involvement of magic or sorcery. Therefore, a witch can be described as an individual who performs these supernatural scenes. In most cases, the unavoidable element of witchcraft is the infliction of painful feeling to one party in efforts of satisfying the wants of the other party. These painful inflictions ...

The concept of self has been viewed differently throughout the periods of cultural development. People always were trying to focus or omit the concept of their self personality and relationship with their self-esteem. The concept of self representation has been quite researching by the literary critiques. Many of them have addressed the issue. Eurocentricity is a part of Renaissance and its development, at least in the literary world. Eurocentrism is the practice, cognizant or something else, of putting accentuation on European (and, for the most part, Western) concerns, culture and values to the detriment of those of different societies. ...

Many authors regard their work as being a single standalone piece of art. By this logic, it can be safe to assume that the authors work their literary pieces to stand out against similar genres of works. However, in some cases many different stories end up sharing the same motif and theme. In many cases like this, it is not because of two authors collaborating to come up with a theme, or lesson, to teach society but a stroke of luck. When forming their stories, authors use society around them to develop their characters, settings, and such so in ...

The book “Democratic Insecurities: Violence Trauma And Intervention In Haiti” by Erica James examines the connection between the problems that Haiti has with democracy and security and the level of humanitarian and military involvement that has occurred within the country. The author examines the effect that the recent history of political strife has resulted in changes in the way that the citizens identified with themselves and with their government. These changes, the author contends are rooted in the violence and repression that these individuals have been subjected to. As these groups continue to intervene in the lives of the ...

Introduction

Mental illnesses across cultures is an issue that has had many debates and research over the years. The reason for this is stemmed from the fact that people from various cultural background react differently from others. The conflicting reactions have led to the development of this research. A researcher wants to find the connection between the arguments in order to find the right answers. Culture cannot be stated to belong to one person. This fact is because it involves sharing of values, traditions and beliefs. According to WHO, there are millions of people across the world who have a ...

Witchcraft has always been a popular topic of many countries’ folklore. People loved to write and read about what they feared, and throughout history, they mainly feared the unknown. Witches and wizards were people that didn’t fit social norms. They might have been lonely, antisocial, or they might not do things that were expected from them (single and childless women, unemployed men, people who didn’t go to church and/or believed in God). Sometimes women who were “too beautiful” were accused of witchcraft as well. Witches were sometimes people (usually women) with a strong intuition, those who could ...

A witch in the European community was regarded as someone who had the power to harm both humans and the animals. In the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries, there were many cases of witch hunts. The primary factor that contributed to the large witch hunt was a puzzle to the majority. Many factors contributed to witch hunt, including economic downturns, and the growth of religion among other factors. In the nineteenth century, many historians ignored the issue of the witch hunt, as they believed that it was not an important subject and instead saw it as a beginning of ...

Analysis of the Character of Shakespeare's Macbeth in the Social and Historical Contexts

The play "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare, which is based on the Scottish history, appears to be not so much a work of art as a political response to the era in which it was necessary to develop a Scottish theme, emphasize the historical friendship of England and Scotland, and tell about the popular witches and witchcraft at the new royal court. Undoubtedly, tragedies are the creative heritage of William Shakespeare. They express the power of his brilliant mind and the essence of his era, precisely because the subsequent periods comprehended their conflicts through the prism of the Shakespearean works ...

In our modern, sophisticated and highly secular world, the concept of witchcraft might seem ridiculous and anachronistic. Yet, even today there are many people in the world who believe strongly in the supernatural, including the power of witchcraft to influence the world around them. Despite 19th century mysticism and Romantic period interest in the Druids, Europe has largely abandoned any such traditions. However, belief in witchcraft is still quite common in much of Africa. However, even in Africa witchcraft has changed significantly from what it was in the distant past. The following essay will examine both European and African ...

Introduction

The World Bewitched (1965) was written by Bekker to outline theological and philosophical viewpoints that challenged the notion that ghosts, devils, and angels had an influence on historical events, as well as nature.The story was written at a time when Christianity was being perfected in England and the rest of Europe. During this time, The World Bewitched (1965) was written, Bekker served as a minister in Amsterdam. Protestants needed a philosophical and theological approach to accentuate the assumption that God was the ruler of the world. The need to project God as the authority while discrediting the influence of ...

The connection between curanderismo and brujeria

Curanderismo is a form of magical healing. Curanderismo is associated with practices such as white magic, cleansings, rituals, divination, spirit contact, and prayers. According to the Catholic community in Mexico, curanderismo is a highly spiritual practice. Brujeria refers to witchcraft, and it focuses on earthier magic. Many individuals often perceive Brujeria negatively because it focuses on love, sex and money. However, both curanderismo and brujeria utilize white magic to provide luck or healing (Anderson 10). Furthermore, brujeria is associated with necromancy and spirit summoning. Brujeria has become part of Southwestern culture. People derive the connection between curanderismo and brujeria ...

Introduction

The paper will examine the differing of crime vs. sin in ancient and medieval times. The times where religion and law were not separated as today and where the religion played a major role in all areas also in the area of crime and punishment and where the sin and crimes were not strictly separated. The essay will find the examples in the history to try to prove that sins have been regarded as crimes and that they have a common history. The roots of today’s legal systems can be found in the history of ancient times and ...

The understanding of God among religious persons and even the non-believers revolves around a supernatural being with enough power to control the universe. The people who believe in such teachings pray for divine interventions while the atheists assume nonchalance on the grounds of science proving such a force cannot possibly exist. Still, the different arguments posed by both believers and skeptics raise two questions: where did the changes begin? Are they reversible? A reading of David J. Pleins published work The Evolving God: Charles Darwin on the Naturalness of Religion provides a possible solution through the experiences of its ...

During 1692 twenty people were executed in Salem Village on a charge of witchcraft. These trials became a history. Modern sources give different opinion about causes that led to people’s hysteria and unforgivable actions. However, most of them agree in one main event. Both Linder’s and Blumberg’s works say Salem Witchcraft Trials were provoked by strange disease and behavior of Betty Parris and her playmates of different age. Modern experts suggest girls’ condition was caused by ergot or combination of “stress, asthma, guilt, boredom, child abuse, epilepsy, and delusional psychosis” (Linder). But in the 17th century ...

The Salem Witch Trials were a strange and defining time in American history, as well as religious history. Formal education as we see it today was scarce. The primary means of education was given through bible school, church, and bible scripture itself. Therefore, anything seen as devil worship, or anything seen as impure was deemed as in league with the devil. That person was automatically considered a candidate for hell, by circumstance. As individuals were accused of being witches, paranoia spread and the villagers began to fear that witchcraft was real, but also that they would be accused and hanged if ...

In the year 1880, when Susan Coolidge published her book, A Short History of the City of Philadelphia, From Its Foundation to the Present Time, she observed the rapid growth of the city. She wrote, “It is difficult to realize, when studying any one of our large American towns, how short a time it is since the ground on which it stands was an unbroken wilderness, upon which eye of white man had never rested” (Coolidge, Chapter 1). Indeed, to stand in Philadelphia today, one absorbs a sense of great history, ideas, and progress, feelings that seem as if they should ...

“Macbeth” is one of the greatest literary works of William Shakespeare. This play proves why Shakespeare is still the most influential English author. Shakespeare has tried to portray mordant psychosomatic and political effects when people do not hesitate in taking help of evil for fulfilling their aspiration of power. The play is believed to be written in the beginning of the seventeenth century but it still pleases people who love English literature. This paper intends to discuss the “Macbeth” and presents a succinct analysis of the play along with discussing all other related aspects.

The play takes place ...

Informative Speech: Unearthing Voodoo’s True Relevance to Erase the Historic Misinformation

- Specific Purpose: To enlighten the audience specifically young White Americans regarding the true nature and relevance of Voodoo - Introduction: - Most people believe in religions. - The discrimination of dominant race and religion to other relatively minority religions like Voodoo. Transition: Ask the audience especially those from White race regarding their notions on Voodoo. Give examples of wrong notions. The speaker accepts having judged the Voodoo without gathering facts to support the judgement. - Body - Voodoo is a religion not only of African-Americans nowadays. It is already widely spread across the ...

Analysis of an American Trial: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

Today, the Salem village located in Massachusetts in the United States of America is notorious to the world for being the village, where unjustified witch prosecutions and trials took place. The Salem has fallen into such disrepute because of the sad historical events occurred there in 1692. Many women, including little girls aged 4 and 11, were accused of witchcraft without any valid evidentiary material. All of them were considered to be the Devil’s servants, who possessed supernatural powers for the purposes of harming people and pleasing the Devil by doing so. Such women were imprisoned, hanged on ...

In the play of Othello by William Shakespeare, the theme of uncertain vision clearly comes out in the story through the characters. Othello, who is the main character in the play, and his wife Desdemona bring out clearly the theme of uncertain vision in the story. On the other hand, in the play of Oedipus the king, the king is eager to get the truth about the murder of Laius. King Oedipus consults every available source in order to establish the truth about Laius’s murder. In Othello, a play by Shakespeare, Othello is a soldier; based on his introduction from ...

Modernity is closely linked to democratic models and ambitions. It reconfigures the connection of individuals to other persons as well as to their society through promotion of individualism. Enlightenment is among the turning points in the European’s history periodization. Human reason is an important tool in modernizing institutions and beliefs issue (Issue 18 v1 pp 315). The Isles of Britain had grown confidence in information on the basis of sensation. Britain received a head start on enlightenment due to the fact that they relied on contact with the world for information. Through this, they focused on intellectual thought. Achievement ...

Anthropology of Religion, Magic and Witchcraft;

Anthropologies speak of religion; they usually mean it as magic and witchcraft. Witchcraft involves things, events and processes that are held to unseen on the outside the real things of the ordinary working experience and also, the normal physical cause and the effects exerted by them. Hindu cosmologies, as well as a Shakta Tantric way of life adore Kali as the definitive authenticity or Brahman. Kali is also well-regarded as Bhavatarini literally savior of the world. Current devotional appointments fundamentally visualize Kali as a munificent mother goddess The mother Kali, despite her being so compassionate to the children, and ...

Scientific thinking can be defined as the process by which individuals extend their knowledge through the formation of theory on the basis of observations or epidemiological arrays. The theory is then put to trial by dividing the entire population and the outcome or results given a broad view to the correct population via the course of inductive common sense. Before the hypotheses are implemented, the results must undergo an examination by the research planned on the argument that the theory may have substantial backing or be denied. There are six principles of scientific thinking namely: falsifiability, extraordinary claims, replicability, and ...

History

Paper Due Date

Introduction

This paper discusses the historical topics of Bacon’s rebellion in Chesapeake and the practice of witchcraft in New England. Both these events were caused by social, economic or religious factors that affected the colonial America. In the middle of 17th century, around 80 New England colonies were indicted with the practice of witchcraft. New England colonists were known to have strong conservative convictions, witches and demons and other supernatural instances were common in daily life. Whereas, Bacon’s Rebellion was led by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676 was a popular revolt in the colonial state of Virginia. This ...

Religion is strict with its limitations; a matter often destroying the specific constructive liberal structures of the society. Although it is not considered detrimental, the extensive rules that religion often imposes create more harm than good to its members. With such strict commandments, the response of the people were rather common; to hide secrets, to deal with matters in a hypocritical manner, presenting themselves clean when they actually are doing something else behind the back of the church’s knowing. Among the primary characters who could be noted for such consideration of the church’s laws include John Proctor and Reverend ...

American Past

Bridget Bishop was the first woman to be hanged during the well-known Salem due to accusations that she practiced witchcraft. The case against Bridget Bishop includes deposition taken mainly from lay people who came forward to accuse the Bishop Bridget of witchcraft. She had some of classic attributes that made her New England neighbors to incline being associated with the witch. She was alienated from the religious faith of the community because she never attended worship services. Moreover, she ran a tavern where excessive drinking and game playing were common. She was seen as embodying relaxed sexual traits because deponents ...

Part A:

John Proctor was one of the most complex characters in Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. He has both positive and negative qualities to his personality. Primarily, Proctor is honest, dependable, and a man of solid moral. However, he is not always the pillar of morality. Perhaps most noticeably is the negative propensity he has for cheating on his wife. He is lustful after one of the young girls in the village: Abigail Williams. Eventually the two begin an affair. The affair ends before the play begins, igniting Abigail’s intense jealousy toward Proctor’s wife. It also ignites the audience’ ...

“Young Goodman Brown,” “The Birthmark” and “Ethan Brand” are all notably published works from the dark romanticism sub-genre era published by Nathaniel Hawthorne that have lead characters embracing the concepts of morality and isolation. Hawthorne is an American author well-known mostly for his writings in this particular classification of stories from 1839 to 1860. Hawthorne typically incorporates such topic as isolation, sin, and the devil in his writings. These topics can generate and fester sinister feelings and ideas of alienation, guilt, and gloom. Hawthorn draws influence from multiple aspects of his life, for example, incorporating the use of his ...

PHILOSOPHY, HEALTHCARE ETHICS, AND RELIGION: DECISION MAKING

- Introductory Summary There are a wide array of choices that individuals must make in their lives, and it is important to have guiding principles when it comes to making hard choices. The Bible and relevant philosophical texts give good guidance; even so, difficult decisions must be made frequently, especially in the medical profession. This discussion will focus on individual absolutes and the Biblical basis for those absolutes, especially in the context of difficult decisions that will be made daily. In addition, decision-making strategy will be introduced, including the question of what to do when one’s absolutes are ...

WitchCraft

Witch is considered as an individual who have inborn ability to do mischievous acts, so that they can harm others. Witches do not always harm other intentionally, most of the time, they themselves are not aware of the fact they witch, and they may harm others unintentionally, as they do not have any idea that other individual will suffer badly because of this act. Witchcraft in the traditional societies is different than the witchcraft in the modern popular culture. The traditional beliefs regarding witchcraft are different as compared to the contemporary beliefs regarding witchcraft. There are several traditional concepts ...

The task of this brief opinion essay determines both arguments, for and against, the guilt of Rebecca Nurse as pertains to the evidence and perspective concerning the Salem Witch Trials. First is my argument against the guilt of Rebecca Nurse. According to the document, Thomas Putnam’s wife Ann testified that Rebecca Nurse “appeared to me only in her shift,” and urged her to “write in her book,” which was a “hellish” temptation (“Testimony Rebecca Nurse,” 170). Ann further claims that Rebecca had threatened to tear out her soul said the Lord Jesus Christ could not save her. First of ...

1. Compare and contrast the British and Spanish imperial enterprises in the Americas up to the early 1700s. Please consider these nations’ goals, practices, and achievements in the New World. Useful readings would include the textbook, Gray’s documents, and the article by Hackel titled “Spaniards” on the course website. First of all, geographically the British and Spanish colonist journeyed from the similar location of Europe. However it is important to note that each country, Spain and England, had separate languages and cultures. These influences would permeate the new colonies, instilling the results of these differences to this ...

Religions in societies that are tribal are based on what is happening around them. There is no specific founder of religion as every tribe had their religion based on what was happening to them at the time. The beginning of religion is covered with many myths and folklore and of people who are claimed to have been close to God. Most anthropologists claim that Christianity is filled with animism where people believe in a supernatural being that takes care of their entire problem (Frykenberg 67). Additionally, the term animism became such a popular term that it was used in the British ...

It is important to observe the times when allegations of witchcraft happened to understand the stories of the Salem witch trials. In January of year 1692 in Salem Village, Reverend Samuel Parris’ daughter and niece became ill. When they did not get well, William Griggs, who is the village doctor, was called. Griggs’ findings of bewitchment caused the power that would eventually become grounds for death punishment by hanging of nineteen women and men. Aside from that, a man was then crushed to death, and seven other men died while in prison, and the lives of many people were ...

Salem Witch Trials

The events that transpired in Salem, Massachusetts occurred between the years of 1688 and 1693 constituted the most significant witchcraft outbreak in the history of the New England colonies. The entire event was quickly labeled as “colossal mistake” by the government after they had passed.(Ray, 2010) With this in mind the question remains; how did it get started and how did it get out of hand so quickly? Salem is a town in Massachusetts that has unfortunately earned its reputation from these trials. It was founded in 1626 when settlers led by Roger Conant settled in Naumkeag after a ...

Historical records indicate that the belief in the supernatural world emerged in Europe as early 13th century. These harsh realities were commonly experienced in the villages that later spread to the colonial New England rural lands. During this period, the witchcraft was often associated with the use of a certain spiritual and supernatural powers to harm others in return for their loyalty. In 1692, Salem Witch Trials in the United States represented a unique history of Witch hunts to the entire world. This society decided to carry out unjustified accusations in order to stabilize fear and prevent the further spread of ...

Human beings are social creatures who live in a society under different social regulations. There are many activities which take place in the society, some are acceptable while others are considered to be a threat and unacceptable to the society. Even with human freedoms, there are regulations on the extent of human freedom in a social society. The activities it is engaged in and the type of people who love in it identify a society. As much as there is social, diversity in the society in terms of religious, cultural, political and economic practices and believes, there are practices that the society ...

[Author’s Name] [Class Name]

One of the most prolific plays of the 1950’s was The Crucible. Arthur Miller’s play about the Salem Witch Trials is a book that not only transcends time but also speaks to a wide audience. In the play the protagonist John Proctor is portrayed as a tragic hero, he makes mistakes in his comfortable life but by the end of it realizes his mistakes and dies on his path to self worth. He is his own worst enemy and is torn apart by his own guilt from the acts of lechery and adultery that ...

Introduction:

Mary Conde’s book ‘I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem’ uses the Salem Witchcraft Trials as a background for the political implications of a post slavery scenario where the political implications are great. There are also some ironies which can be observed since the Puritans who ended up as abolitionists entertained the worst excesses as regards cleansing and purifying the nation of witches and Conde plays on that notion with subtle irony. The sense of catastrophe is also imminently felt especially in the analogous dynamics of the novel. Tituba is imbued with fantastic and wild notions of witchcraft which also impart ...

Demons co-exist among men on earth to tempt them to do evil. This is the central theme of the short stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer, particularly Alone and The Last Demon. Singer is an immigrant from Poland and he lived in New York City. He writes in Yiddish and his stories are translated into English. According to Singer himself, during an interview in 1968, he absolutely believes in the supernatural because he feels that “we are surrounded by powers, by mysterious powers, which play a great part in everything we are doing” (Flender n.p.). The succeeding sections discuss Alone and ...

Introduction

Cotton Mather was an influential Puritan minister of New England in USA. He was the son and grandson of two prominent Puritan ministers Increase Mather and Richard Mather. He was a prolific writer who had 468 publications to his credit. Some of the books written by him like 'Magnalia Christi Americana', 'Bonifacius' and 'The Angel of Bethesda' are very important for American history (GSU 2011). He completed his graduation at the age 16 from Harvard University, thereby becoming one of the youngest graduate ever from the institution. Mather like his father Increase Mather was a strong defender of Puritan orthodoxy and played ...

Introduction

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is widely acknowledged as the greatest English language playwright. He was born and raised to a middle-class glove-maker in Stratford-upon-Avon, England (Cohen, 6). He wrote masterpiece poems, plays, short stories and books about 400 years ago and his works have been timeless. Two of Shakespeare’s most celebrated works are the play titled Macbeth and the novel titled Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare’s upbringing in a middle class family and lack of adequate education predisposed him to a challenging life which motivated him to write as a way to express to future generations the turmoil and tragedies of the ancient ...

The 17th century was riddled with strong beliefs in the supernatural and the presence of Satan on Earth in colonial North America. Witchcraft was majorly used by peasants with particular charms associated with evil spirits and demons for prosperity in their agricultural activities. There was in fact literature on the same written around the same time. For instance, Joseph Glanvill in 1668 claimed proves of the existence of these powers in witches and ghosts in a treatise titled “Against Modern Sadducism”. This and other works by the likes of Cotton Mather, a minister at the Boston North Church, raised the fears of ...

The aim of this essay is to present you with an analysis of ‘Arthur Miller’s Play ‘Crucible’. The analysis of this play is to present you with a portrait of the historical context in which the play was written as well as the meaning underlying its plot in relation to its author’s profile. Arthur Miller is an author whose plays have been received with great enthusiasm on behalf of his readers / audience. It is commonly acknowledged that Miller’s plays have been talking to the hearts of their audience since they seem to depict through their ...

Salem witch trials refer to a series of trials and executions of people who were allegedly involved in witch practice. All these incidents of witch practice took place during seventeenth century in newly established colonies of New England, Massachusetts. Puritans used to inhabit in these colonies and their theocracy is blamed for such trials that took place in an organized manner. This paper intends to discuss Salem witch trials, role of puritans in these trials and several other related aspects. Puritanism is a part of Christian belief that emerged in the England at some point in seventeenth century. Puritans were ...

Introduction

Witch hunt is a term that originated from the medieval act of people actually seeking out suspected witches and accusing them of colluding with the devil to cause misfortune among the people. Most of the victims targeted by these persecutions happened to be innocent civilians and as such, often died for accusation they were not familiar with. This led to the development of the popular and modern application of the phrase witch hunt as the investigation, supposedly meant to uncover subversive activities but in actual sense used to harass and undermine those deemed to be of a dissenting view from the ...

Persecution has been a round for sometime and can be traced historically from the time of Jesus to the present time. Christians were persecuted for their faith in the hands of the Jews. Many Christians have been persecuted in history for their allegiance to Christ and forced to denounce Christ and others have been persecuted for failing to follow the laws of the land. The act of persecution is on the basis of religion, gender, race, differing beliefs and sex orientation (Davis 220). Persecution is a cruel and inhumane act that should not be supported since people are tortured to death. ...

The evolution of racial slavery in America was a slow process, which commenced with both white and black servants occupying an almost equal position in their master’s home. Since no rules or regulations governed the state of slavery in the nation, both races could acquire freedom. It later, however, became evident that this could not be the case for black servants. The growing animosity and white racism between the planters and the servants made it impossible for the black servants to gain their freedom. By 1641, Massachusetts legalized slavery, and with it came a set of rules to govern the ...

Zombies have long been thought of as creatures of myth and lore. The fear of death is common in most all cultures and zombies play right into that fear making them a source for legends, movies, and popular culture. Despite Hollywood style zombies we now think of, zombies actually have a rich history stemming from religions such as Voodoo. By looking at the origins of zombie legends one can better understand their cultural meaning. I propose that there is scientific evidence supporting that it is possible for zombies to exist, just not in the traditional Hollywood means. By looking at both ...

Social and Religious Equality

Introduction America was discovered in the last decades of 16th century. During the early part of 16th century America was still an unknown land for many. At present, America is a land of social, religious and political equality but it was a different scenario in America during the 17th century. Religious equality was not there in the 17th century America. Most of the early people who settled in the country were Puritans. After the first colony was established in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1620, it became a trend for colonial rules in America (Varon, 2001). America in the 17th century had ...

Othello, considered as one of the most painful Shakespearean tragedies (Bradley 176), is a fine demonstrator of a man’s mental vulnerability when temptation begins to penetrate his mind, blurring his judgment. In the book Shakespearean Tragedy, Othello is not only a noble hero who is brought down by fatal jealousy, perhaps, because he has married before his time “But, I pray you, sir, Are you fast married? (II, 10-12), according to Iago, but also a protagonist of domestic tragedy that is characterized by repetitive themes, such as love and hate, intrigue and jealousy, revenge and suspicion, self-interest, racism and judgment (Hunt 55). ...