John Proctor spoke out against the witch hysteria from the beginning. It was rumored that he attempted to beat his servant, Mary Warren, to stop her "afflictions." Many people in John's family were also accused including his wife, Elizabeth, sister-in-law, and children.
Before his trial, John wrote to ministers in Boston, describing the horrible torture going on in Salem. Though he was convicted and executed before there was any result, his letter helped convince the ministers to reconsider the nature of spectral evidence, the primary evidence used against witches in the Salem Trials. They decided that it was possible that the devil could take on the shape of an innocent person; previously, a victim's claim that they saw a "specter" of the accused attacking them could lead to conviction. John's letter, and this resulting claim, were contributing factors to the end of the trials.
Showing posts with label Witchcraft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Witchcraft. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Resources
I'm finding that this topic is a researcher's dream. There are so many sources that it's hard to know where to stop. I have especially found a number of primary resources which you will find links to in a new section on the side bar. These sources will be especially useful to the actors playing ministers and judges. I won't have time to relay all the great information in these sources to the actors but I want to share these links so you will have the chance to explore them on your own.
Malleus Maleficarum: The Hammer of Witches by Heinrich Kramer was written in the 1400s and served as a guide for witch hunters.
A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft... is John Hale's book about his participation in the Salem Witch Trials.
The Wonders of the Invisible World by Cotton Mather and Increase Mather. Increase and Cotton Mather were widely known and respected ministers in the 1600's and 1700's (Cotton Mather was a sort of role model to Benjamin Franklin when he aspired to be a minister in his early life before turning to politics). Their religious authority would have influenced the actions of the ministers and judges in the Salem Trials.
Malleus Maleficarum: The Hammer of Witches by Heinrich Kramer was written in the 1400s and served as a guide for witch hunters.
A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft... is John Hale's book about his participation in the Salem Witch Trials.
The Wonders of the Invisible World by Cotton Mather and Increase Mather. Increase and Cotton Mather were widely known and respected ministers in the 1600's and 1700's (Cotton Mather was a sort of role model to Benjamin Franklin when he aspired to be a minister in his early life before turning to politics). Their religious authority would have influenced the actions of the ministers and judges in the Salem Trials.
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