The Witch
by Elizabeth Shafer, Thomas Middleton

Name: The Witch
Brand: Elizabeth Shafer
SKU: 9780713639452
Rating: 3.25 (149 reviews)

Highlights

British

What readers are saying

Readers have mixed feelings about 'The Witch', with some praising its intriguing themes and humor, while others criticize its convoluted plot and lackluster ending. Many enjoy the unique blend of genres and the representation of early modern society, yet find the play challenging to follow. Overall, it seems to be a polarizing experience for those who engage with it.

Intriguing themes and humorCaptivating witch scenesInteresting early modern representationConvoluted plotUnsatisfying ending

Synopsis

The Witch (1615/16?), categorised by its author as 'a tragi-comedy', pits the intrigues of a group of Italian aristocrats against the malevolent practices of Hecate and her witches' coven, leaving the audience with the impression that human malevolence is by far the fiercer and more effective.

This edition sets the play into its dramatic and literary contexts, ranging from Shakespeare's Macbeth and Middleton's own later tragedies to Reginald Scot's sceptical Discovery of Witchcraft and King James's virulent Daemonologie.

It also argues that Middleton wrote it as a topical satire to capitalise on the scandal involving Frances Howard, who obtained a divorce from the Earl of Essex on the grounds that he had been sexually incapacitated by witchcraft; she was also rumoured to have tried to poison him.

Middleton exposes his noble characters precisely by letting them get away with murder.