The Renaissance, Religious Reformations, religious wars, and oversea expansions lead to changing attitudes in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The Protestant Reformation raised the status of women, but at the same time reformers like Martin Luther believed women should be domestic figures and stay out of the public area. As a result of the strong religious feelings from the Reformations, people became insecure with certain women, like widows and midwives, and developed the idea that they were witches and conferring with the devil. This insecurity and confusion launched the Great European witch-hunt. A witch-hunt is the searching for witches, which often resulted in the trial and persecution of women allegedly practicing witchcraft. …show more content…
During this time period of confusion and insecurity, many people referred to religious leaders and reformers for answers. One such reformer was Martin Luther, the father of the Protestant Reformation. In one such sermon, he said that some women were “the Devil’s whores” who stole things for the Devil and caused plagues and storms (Doc 5). Contemporaries were convinced by what Luther was saying because it explained the things that were happening to them and gave them some comfort. In the end, women became the scapegoats of the societies’ adversities like bad harvest or animal dying in the area. Another person who had strong opinions on the witch-hunt was Manfred Rohrbach, a German Court Physician. Rohrbach claimed that lonely and ugly women, or those accused of practicing witchcraft, are “scapegoats in society” and “pay for our fears and ills” (Doc 6). As a physician, Rohrbach would rely on science and logic, rather than jumping to conclusions that women were the source of sicknesses. These two sources proved that people’s inability to explain what was happening led to women becoming scapegoats and the witch-hunt …show more content…
The religious reforms stirred up extreme religious thoughts and made people rely on their religion for answers. The religious leaders and reformers urged their followers to persecute witches and support the witch-hunt. One such leader was Pope Innocent VIII, the pope in 1484. Pope Innocent VIII said that people who do not believe in the Catholic faith are “giving themselves over to the devil” and that these “fallen souls” should be imprisoned and punished (Doc 3). As pope, he would mostly want to look good in front of his people especially to attract followers back to Catholicism. Therefore, he said this to appear to be persecuting witches. Another religious leader and reformer who associated religion with the witchcraft, was John Calvin. John Calvin is the father of Calvinism and founded the city of Geneva. Calvin believed in Scripture and so he quoted Scripture saying that an army of demons have been casted off and that they have to be gotten rid of (Doc 7). This is saying that Calvin considers witches and devils sinful, and that he supports persecuting witches. As a Protestant, Calvin believes that the authority lies in Scripture alone, so he would naturally agree with what the Scripture is saying. Another example of Calvin trying to get rid of sinful things is the Geneva Consistory he set up to monitor the private morals of his citizens in Geneva. Calvin is
In both The Crucible and in modern day witch hunts, witch hunts are caused out of fear or for personal gain. Jill Schonebelen wrote a research paper on Witchcraft allegations, refugee protection and human rights. Throughout this article, it mentions the persecution of witches today in communities around the globe, mentioning the flashbacks of similar strategies that were used in the past, doing different types of tortures. In Modern days, recent generations have abandoned wonderful traditions. Rather, recollecting others with distasteful memories such as witchcraft.
Kamensky claims that women were the targets of witch hunts for being outspoken but she does not examine other parts of the hunt. Religious beliefs and people who did not want to admit their role
Accused and Betrayed Throughout the late 1600’s women had been accused of being a part of witchcraft. In this time women went through many disgusting torture treatments and got charged with many different things. When a women had been accused she would be “treated” with many different types of torture until they had died or had admitted to doing witchcraft. Some of the tortures were called: “The Garotte”,” Dunking the Witch”, and “The Boots”.
This quote demonstrates how an individual could be reproached of something they did not commit and has not a single clue what a “witch” is, but still has what he or she has to say be eradicated from the situation. One recognizes how false accusations results in mob hysteria; furthermore, people fearing the trials in the judicial system, too, created such
Alexia Mendez Ms. O’Brien AP Euro 1 November 2017 Witchcraft DBQ Starting in the fifthteenth century, a witchcraft craze occurred. People, left and right, mostly women, were being accused of being a witch. These people, innocent or not, once accused were put into prisons where they were questioned and tortured until they would confess being a witch.
Many innocent people died in the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. If you were accused of being a witch or one with the devil, you would be sentenced to death or put in prison. The only one to blame for the deaths of the individuals is the Puritan Society. Without their absent minds, none of the deaths would have happened. The Puritan Society is very religious, therefore they believed strongly in going to church and most importantly in God.
The Protestant Reformation had a huge impact in all Europe in the sixteen century, but which ones were the factors that lead to it? It is very important to highlight that the European Christianity was falling into a noticeable corruption of its popes and some other high position members. Robbery, and even warriors were among of some factors that took the Cristian Church to a declining path. One of these examples was the Pope Julius II, which one won the nickname “the warrior pope” because he led armies against people. Furthermore, the church was not the only factor promoting this reformation, some other social changes were occurring with the masses in Europe; many of the peasants were being free especially in the western Europe.
Calvin has opposing views to the (hand me down) aspect of the Catholic religion. Calvin believes that the pastors are not sent forth with a licentious and lawful authority but have a duty to the church and must be faithful to their
Many Women were killed from persecutions of witchcraft in the late 15th century to the 17th century. There are many reasons for the persecutions, during that time period there was the Reformation, and the Thirty Years War. The Reformation was a fight over that was caused because the church was lying to the people who went to catholic churches and saying that you need to pay to get rid of your sins, and the Thirty Years War was a war over religion that lasted thirty years. Factors in the late 15th century and the 17th century that led to witchcraft persecutions were The Reformation, and the Thirty Years War. Document 1 was written by Johan Weir, who was a Belgium physician, believed that women had small brains and men needed to help the women.
John Calvin was a French Theologian who and was the leader of the Protestant Reformation (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). He first had studied to become a priest then became fascinated with theology and started to study it (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). The church taught that if you are not a part of God than you will not go into heaven. John Calvin believed that all people are flawed and corrupt so because of this they can not understand or take part in his salvation (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras). John Calvin’s moral was everyone should live a moral life and hope that God will save them (John Calvin, World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras).
Tituba, the slave of Reverend Parris, is the first to admit to dancing with the devil. Based on the background knowledge of the time, slaves were not considered part of the class system, so she was not valued as a community member. Tituba is conscious that she is in danger, “she is also very frightened because her slave sense has warned her that, as always, trouble in this house eventually lands on her back” (Miller, pg. 6). Tituba attempts to tell the truth about Abigail when she says, “You beg me to conjure! She beg me make charm” (Miller, pg. 44) but realizes that her word against Abigail will not stand.
However, she was still accused of a witch because her outstanding reputation as “Puritan perfection” intimidated the supremacy of male in the Puritan society. Rebecca’s success and prosperity, and links to those opposed to the Putnams and Parris also provoked her opponents’ jealousy, anger and revenge, and caused her to be the victim of witch hunt (Hill 90-91). In Salem society, women were discriminated, expected to be no authority and wealth, and viewed as easier to be controlled by the devil and inferior to men (Mammone). Therefore, even though Rebecca was an innocent and respectable woman, she could not prevail over men in a male dominated society.
During the time of Protestant Reformation within the Church, John Calvin, an influential religious reformer throughout Europe, having studied Martin Luther's teachings, decided to establish his own religious sect which has been described as a "theocracy." John Calvin being one of the most indisputable reformers in Church history, was very strict on upholding the teachings of Christ stated within the Scriptures as being the teachings of how to live our own lives of faith. According to Calvin, he explains that the Church is, "a society of all the saints, a society spread over the whole world, and existing in all ages, yet bound together by the one doctrine and the one Spirit of Christ." (16). Hinging off this theme of a Church of Saints, Calvin
These ideas prompted many Catholics into finally correcting the church themselves and seeking Reformation. Martin Luther became the leading figure of the Reformation because he had openly challenged the authority of the Pope and attacked the practice of indulgences in his “Ninety-Five Theses” letter. Several other prominent Theologians such as John Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli seized upon Luther’s beliefs and Reformation swept across 16th century Europe, leading eventually to
“‘Round about the cauldron go; in the poison’d entrails throw. Toad, that under cold stone days and nights has thirty-one swelter’d venom sleeping got, boil thou first i’ the charmed pot” (Shakespeare). This is an excerpt quote from Act 4, Scene 1 in the well-known play, Macbeth by William Shakespeare written in 1606. He wrote it about three hags who gave a prophecy to Scottish General Macbeth saying he will become King. This lead to horrible consequences by the fault of witches known with wicked abilities. Witches are evil ones usually depicted as women who have magical powers.