The Witch of Edmonton

The Witch of Edmonton was written in 1621, when James I was on the throne. After the Reformation of the previous century, religious tension remained high between the official Protestant religion (Anglicanism) and Catholic traditions. A growing Puritan movement disapproved of traditional features of English culture that fell outside their rigid biblical interpretations. For instance, folklore and communal traditions often drew on pre-Christian ideas that blended or co-existed with Catholicism over the centuries. Examples of this include legendary figures such as Maid Marian and seasonal festivities such as May Day, which are both referenced in the play. The Morris dancers encapsulate these communal traditions—though Morris dancing was a relatively recent addition to village life, it was amalgamated into existing festivities and practices. The characters’ deep belief in and concern for the afterlife, meanwhile, typifies an attitude that spanned the divide of the Reformation, since Protestant ideas of the afterlife included only heaven and hell and eschewed the pre-Reformation Catholic notion of purgatory. Since the play includes these ideas, it appealed to the broadest possible audience.

The subject of witchcraft in the play also reflects the common understanding of this topic at the time. In the early modern period, witch-hunts took place across Europe, increasing during the religious tension and violence of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation.