The Puritan belief and lifestyle plays a major role in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. The story takes place in Puritan New England, and opens with a scene presenting to the audience that a young woman named Hester Prynne has committed adultery. Wearing her punishment proudly, a scarlet letter “A” on her breast, Hester continues to live in New England where she raises her daughter and creates an embroidering business for herself. All the while, in the heart of the town, Hester’s lover and the child’s father, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale silently suffers and is ultimately overcome with guilt from his secret sin until the point of death. Throughout the story, references to witchcraft and a witch’s link to Satan is expressed. Several …show more content…
The article titled “Witch Trials: 4 Real Medical Illnesses That Were Mistaken For Witchcraft And The Devil” written by Elana Glowatz described four illness that show symptoms similar to ones present in accused witches. Under the section titled “Mental Illness”, a finding published by the National Institute of Health said that many of the convicted witches or people allegedly possessed by witchcraft most likely displayed visible mental distress. Basically, symptoms of mental illness were present in the accused witches. There are specific possible disorders that could have symptoms similar to those present in circumstances concerning witchcraft including epilepsy, ergot poisoning, encephalitis lethargica, and mental illnesses like schizophrenia. (Glowatz). An article from the Psychiatric Times titled “Witchcraft or Mental Illness?” included similar findings when the author, Beatriz Quintanilla stated that “Hysteria and epilepsy were the 2 illnesses most frequently confused with witchcraft or demonic possession”. Both of these mental disorders can express symptoms of convulsions, seizures, loss of consciousness, or tremors, which have been confused with witchcraft in the past (Quintanilla). Many disorders were not understood well enough by anyone during this time for proper diagnosis to be …show more content…
During this time, Puritanism was very prominent, along with the belief in God. Puritanism had strict rules and views that were followed by many people. According to the reference article “Mental Illness and Psychiatry”, all behavior was considered or created by the will of God, but deviant behavior was considered as an illness brought on by the devil. In the same way, Beatriz Quintanilla wrote in her article “Witchcraft or Mental Illness?” that witchcraft is linked to devious powers. This article first introduces the belief that madness or symptoms of odd behavior were considered a message. The Great Plague altered this perspective, and encouraged people to believe that illness was a supernatural force that physicians could not treat. Since certain forms of illness did not appear preventable or treatable by the doctors at the time, people incorporated their religious beliefs into the reasoning. Since God created everything, the destructive aspects were thus created by supernatural forces beyond anyone’s
There was never any solid evidence to prove that these women were actually witches or practicing witchcraft. The evidence that was used included dreams and visions which cannot be established as hard evidence. The only ones who could validate the evidence of these visions were the ones that were afflicted; there were no true witnesses throughout the trials. No one could prove that the women who were accused were the ones afflicting the two young girls. This however goes back to an earlier point that in the 1600s there was not much knowledge on mental illnesses such as the ones
Considering that witchcraft and communism were unsuitable practices during these times, it caused people to go insane because of the growing hysteria and accusations
Paragraph 3: Reports of children being bewitched Women who are accused of being witches Types of cures performed Analysis: A fever in Salem Secondary source: (Carlson, Laurie M. A fever in Salem: a new interpretation of the New England witch trials. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 2001.) Two young girls start feeling ill and blame a slave, Tituba of bewitching them.
Over 100 individuals were suspected to be witches in result to weird behavior before a disaster happens. The puritans set fairly high standards on themselves and others. True puritans could show their commitment by going to church and working their hardest. They also believed God was not the only powerful force among their community.
Witchcraft. The Epidemic In the summer 1692 the town of Salem, Massachusetts spiraled into a witchcraft epidemic, 19 people were hanged and 1 person was pressed to death. People started to get marks and rashes on their body and when a doctor couldn 't even explain it they started accusing people of witchcraft. Bridget Bishop was the first victim of hanging during the epidemic. Then after that it went downhill.
In 1692, several young girls in Salem, Massachusetts took this search too far. Due to the lack of scientific knowledge at the time and the fact that historically Europe experienced many witch hunts, it is understandable how the townspeople of Salem would jump to conclusions about what was really going on. Although there is evidence that the Salem witchcraft hysteria was caused by the physical state of the girls, who were supposedly possessed but likely poisoned, the most likely cause of the hysteria in the late 17th century was a power struggle for young women who were bored and curious. The girls who were thought to be “possessed” in Salem were preadolescent children who were plagued
"The story of witchcraft is primarily the story of women . . . ." Karlsen argues for the relevance and importance of women’s roles in the panic of witchcraft fear in 17th Century American society. She subtly contests that specific interests were at work in the shaping of witchcraft accusations; book elaborates that a specific type of woman risked accusation based on her demographic representation in society. Karlsen further elaborates on her theme with,
Mental Illness in Salem Witch Trials Introduction Witchcraft is the practice of magic and the use of spells and the invocation of spirits. According to Salem Witch Trials, 2015, the Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem, Massachusetts claimed to have been bewitched by several adults in the town. More than 150 people were accused and hung, including men, women, and children (Salem Witch Trials, 2015). There were three girls in particular that sparked the trials: Abigail Williams, Betty Parris, and Ann Putnam. Also stated in Salem Witch Trials, their behaviors changed drastically; they began to hallucinate, shout in church, have fits, not eat, not wake up, attempt to fly, and feel as if they
Review of Literature The religiously motivated Salem witch trials of 1692 left a permanent stain on Massachusetts’ history, but one overlooked factor could have sparked the tragic ordeal. The trials are best summarized as an inexplicable and unforeseen frenzy of accusations, aimed at the social pariahs of the community, that led to multiple deaths in a previously tranquil place. An intense type of food poisoning known as convulsive ergotism provides a seemingly simple, yet understandably deceptive to the ignorant, explanation. Due to optimum conditions for the disease, the correlation between the bewitched and the expected symptoms, and the religious fanaticism of the time, one can conclude ergotism was an influence on the Salem witch trials.
Witches practice witchcraft which grants access to let witches have communication with the devil. Furthermore, “the culmination of the mythology of witchcraft came about from the 15th to the 18th centuries in the depiction of the witches Sabbath” (Carroll). Witchcraft is talked about and defined in the book, The Element Encyclopedia of Ghosts & Hauntings, saying, “Witchcraft is an ancient art that utilizes the powers of nature and the mind to bring out desired effect” (Cheung 539). In addition to that, witchcraft works by using certain combinations of natural elements to draw certain energies.
In the Salem Witch first instance of witchery is Betty/Elizabeth Parris, along with Abigail Williams when they started to scream and giggle uncontrollably, along with delusions, vomiting, muscle spasms, screaming, and writhing. William Griggs, a physician, diagnosed witchcraftery to the women. Soon, fueled by resentment and paranoia, more and more women were accused of being witches, while the community and system of justice piled up. The Trials had lasted from 1692 to 1693. Some women acted peculiar because of a fungus called “Ergot” that grew on cereals and wheat.
Three deranged girls, from 1692 Salem; Massachusetts, precipitated the mass hangings of twenty innocent people accused of witchery for the reason that of their adept prowess at acting, their marital status and jealousy of the newfound eastern wealth. As a result of their skills in deception, the accusers were able to dupe the jury to convict people of witchcraft. For example, Document C describes the three girls’ reactions once their target entered the vicinity. “As soon as she [Bishop] came near, all(afflicted girls) fell into fits.”
The Salem Witch Trials accusing others of a feared crime showed definite evidence that mass hysteria was to blame. Salem was a religious settlement, following Puritan beliefs (Miller, 6). A large fear for everyone in Salem was the touch of the Devil (Miller, Arthur). According to Puritan beliefs, if a man or woman was touched by the Devil he would convince them to do witchcraft. Once word was mentioned the Devil had possibly touched Salem, the fear spread.
This was more commonly found in women more so than in men, this is able to be seen in (Document N and E). While looking at the two tables in (Document E) it is divided into two subjects The Accused and The Accusers, in each table we see the majority of each table is centered around women. A majority of the people that consumed bread and showed the symptoms could be seen as a witch, the symptoms were usually a crawling of the skin sensation, hallucinations, delirium, etc. If you were seen in public seeing things that weren 't there or scratching your skin as if things were on your body you could potentially end up being seen as a witch and killed. This evidence helps explain the hysteria and the hangings because it showed that everyone was on high alert at all times everyone around them could be seen as a someone to blame or as a
Punishment of Puritans for their sins occurred harshly and frequently, and these punishments ranged from fines, branding, and severe whippings to hanging and death. Many of these penalties involved public humiliation of some kind, which made it extremely difficult for townspeople to accept by their peers after they had sinned. Because the Puritans believed religion was immensely important, the community was often reluctant to allow citizens that exhibited sinful behavior to achieve redemption (Cox). However, in the case of Hester Prynne, an adulterer in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter, the townspeople eagerly made amends with her. This novel narrates the life of Hester Prynne, who committed adultery and courageously accepted the repercussions