Rosalyn Schanzer's Witches: The Salem Witch Trials
analytical Essay
677 words
In Rosalyn Schanzer’s Witches! The Absolutely True Disaster in Salem, the author discusses how the Salem Witch trials started and how the Puritans believed the witches should be tortured or killed for being a witch. Many people were accused of being witches. Many people thought the accused should die but some were somewhat nice and didn’t think they should die just in prison. Every puritan believed them because the dad was a reverend and everyone believed him so they all accused people. The causes of the Salem Witch Trials were disease, revenge, and attention. In the book, one of the causes of the Salem Witch Trials was disease. In Sam Dean’s paper on Bon appetit it says “Cases of ergot poisoning (known as ergotism) were well-documented in medieval Europe, and often caused victims to experience the same symptoms as the “bewitched” Salem girls.” This is showing how crop poisoning caused disease which led to the Parris girls getting sick and having the weird symptoms. On pg 22 it says “He consulted with doctors and tried dosing the girls with every elixir.” This is showing how desperate Parris was to getting his children well again because of the disease. On pg 19 it says “Betty and Abigail began to twitch and choke and contort their bodies into strange abnormal shapes, crouch beneath …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how rosalyn schanzer's witches! the absolutely true disaster in salem explains how the puritans believed that the accused should be tortured or killed for being a witch.
- Analyzes how sam dean's paper on bon appetit shows how crop poisoning caused ergotism, which led to the parris girls getting sick and having weird symptoms.
- Analyzes how revenge played a role in the accusations, often the result of harsh feuds and bitter memories. the putnams signed 10 of 18 depositions against rebecca nurse.
- Analyzes how they wanted attention to be heard in court so that the people would be hung on the gallows for them to die.
- Concludes that the cause of the salem witch trials was disease, revenge, and attention. the feud with the parris’s and the nurse family caused the revenge part.
So the cause of disease was because of some bad rye grain and it made them think it was witchcraft. Then the feud with the Parris’s and the Nurse family cause the revenge part of the Salem Witch Trials. Then for attention more people went to the hangings and they faked being hurt in the court when a witch walked in all for attention. The significance of the trials were don’t make some stuff up it will kill people and make innocent people die. That is how the Salem Witch Trials were
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- The History of the Salem Witchcraft Trialsexplanatory essayDuring the time of the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692, more than twenty people died an innocent death. All of those innocent people were accused of one thing, witchcraft. During 1692, in the small town of Salem, Massachusetts many terrible events happened. A group of Puritans lived in Salem during this time. They had come from England, where they were prosecuted because of their religious beliefs. They chose to come live in America and choose their own way to live. They were very strict people, who did not like to act different from others. They were also very simple people who devoted most of their lives to God. Men hunted for food and were ministers. Women worked at home doing chores like sewing, cooking, cleaning, and making clothes. The Puritans were also very superstitious. They believed that the devil would cause people to do bad things on earth by using the people who worshiped him. Witches sent out their specters and harmed others. Puritans believed by putting heavy chains on a witch, that it would hold down their specter. Puritans also believed that by hanging a witch, all the people the witch cast a spell on would be healed. Hysteria took over the town and caused them to believe that their neighbors were practicing witchcraft. If there was a wind storm and a fence was knocked down, people believed that their neighbors used witchcraft to do it. Everyone from ordinary people to the governor’s wife was accused of witchcraft. Even a pregnant woman and the most perfect puritan woman were accused. No one in the small town was safe. As one can see, the chaotic Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials of 1692 were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
- Explains that puritan lifestyle was one reason that might have caused the witchcraft hysteria in salem.
- Explains that witchcraft began a long terrible time in the history of salem massachusetts.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials of massachusetts could have been caused by the superstition of puritans. they believed that witches could send out their specters.
- Explains that the court of oyer and terminer was set up because massachusetts's charter had left and they were waiting for a new one.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials were caused by superstition, the strict puritan lifestyle, religious beliefs, and hysteria.
- Explains that hysteria was a cause of the salem witchcraft trials.
- Narrates how giles corey's tongue rolled out of his mouth and he died. the afflicted girls of salem went crazy accusing people of witchcraft.
- Explains that the salem witchcraft trials were a terrible time in history. in 1962, governor phips ordered that no one else could be arrested because of witchcraft.
2587 wordsRead More - The Causes Of The Salem Witchcraft Trials Of 1692comparative essayFirst, the Puritan values and expectations were strict, and those who had defied their teachings would have been at a much higher chance of being accused as a witch. Second, economic struggles within Salem Town and Village had further divided the two, by crop failure and livestock death. Ultimately causing economic damages. Third, personal opinions and disputes had contributed to the trials and accusations. The law system was unfair during the trials, so when or if someone was accused the court would side with the accuser, unless of course, they were a witch themselves. In conclusion, the people who died and who were accused of witchcraft were not really witches, Salem and it’s inhabitants were under the influence of mass hysteria, personal beliefs and grudges that eventually became the chaos of the Salem witch hunts of
In this essay, the author
- Explains that many events and factors contributed to the mass hysteria and disaster of salem.
- Explains that religious beliefs of the puritans had severely influenced the trials. they believed that the devil's presence lurked near, wars and disputes were occurring in the vicinity.
- Explains that the witch hunts occurred during an economic loss, when crops had failed and the population of livestock had dropped.
- Explains that personal disputes and arguments were underlying factors of the salem witch hunts. many accusers accused individuals who wronged them in the past.
- Explains that the accused during the salem witch hunts and trials were accused for not following puritan values, or they had low social and economic standing.
- Concludes that the witch hunts in salem were not about people practicing the black arts, but about religious differences, economic struggles, and personal jealousy and hate.
1230 wordsRead More - In the book Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem, Rosalyn Schanzer describes what happens all because two girls fell ill. When Betty and Abigail started having fits, a doctor diagnosed them as bewitched. Almost immediately they accused the first witch, their slave Tituba. From there all the accusations started pouring out, Ann Putnam Jr., a friend of Betty and Abigail, became “afflicted” as well as multiple others, and soon the jails were overflowing. The first “witch” was hanged on June 10, and the last “witches/wizards” were hanged on September 22. The most likely reasons for the accusations were a thirst for revenge, boredom, and peer/parental pressure.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how rosalyn schanzer's book, witches! the absolutely true tale of disaster in salem, describes how betty and abigail were bewitched and accused tituba. ann putnam jr. became "afflicted" and the jails were overflowing.
- Analyzes how revenge is a motivation for aggression, psychological distress, and the philosophical discussion of punishment and justice in schanzer's witches!
- Explains that boredom was the second reason for these horrid accusations.
- Analyzes how parents influenced their children's decisions based on their own embitterment.
- Explains that the causes of the accusations in the infamous salem witch trials were revenge, boredom, and peer/parental influence.
761 wordsRead More - The Main Causes Of The Salem Witch Trialsanalytical essayThe Salem Witch Trials is a well-known topic taught in history classes and in English classes. It was a time in which numerous, innocent people (mostly women) were killed because they were believed to be partaking in witchcraft. There are many possible causes as to why the Salem Witch Trials occurred. These known causes stemmed from the belief that Satan is acting in the world whether it be through giving a disease or recruiting new witches to work for him, kids that were bored and brought it upon themselves to lie that they were witches to have fun, and confessions leading town officials to believe that their belief that witchcraft may exist is true since people are coming forward and confessing.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials was a well-known topic taught in history and in english classes.
- Explains that the people of salem believed that satan was the cause for all of the misfortunes the town was having. they believed it was he who caused the war with the indians, congregational strife, and brought disease.
- Explains that the salem witch trials were caused by neighbors and spouses with their past arguments. many used witchcraft as a way to get back at others.
- Explains that children in this time period did not have much to entertain themselves with like children do now. teens and children would come up with something entertaining to do and what would be more fun than taking part in witchcraft.
- Explains that before the salem witch trials began, there were still accusations of witchcraft, but no one had confessed before, giving the town officials/judges nothing to prove. tituba's confession caused mass hysteria and the massive witch hunt.
- Analyzes how tituba confessed to witchcraft, making it harder for anyone to prove that they were innocent. anne hutchinson was taken to court when the clergy took her acts of religious meetings as an attack against the church.
- Explains that the fear of satan in salem and his acting in the world was a major contributor to the salem witch trials.
1246 wordsRead More - The Trials Of The Salem Witch Trialsanalytical essayThe Salem Witch Trials took place in the summer and into the fall of the year 1692, and during this dark time of American history, over 200 people had been accused of witchcraft and put in jail. Twenty of these accused were executed; nineteen of them were found guilty and were put to death by hanging. One refused to plead guilty, so the villagers tortured him by pressing him with large stones until he died. The Salem Witch Trials was an infamous, scary time period in American history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil and the supernatural; the people of this time period accused, arrested, and executed many innocent people because of this fear, and there are several theories as to why the trials happened (Brooks).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials was an infamous, scary time period in american history that exhibited the amount of fear people had of the devil.
- Narrates how samuel parris, a successful merchant and planter, was invited to preach in salem village in 1688. his daughter, betty, became bizarrely ill and the villagers began talking about witchcraft.
- Explains that suspicions of witchcraft came to salem when betty parris' behavior was reflective of the woman in the book. samuel called a doctor to analyze the girls for illnesses, but the doctor couldn't find anything wrong with them. tituba, sara good, and sarah osborn were arrested.
- Explains that tituba, sarah good, and sara osborn were the first three to be accused of witchcraft. the putnams brought their complaint against the three women to county magistrates jonathan corwin and john hathorne.
- Explains that the examinations were arranged in the meeting house (linder) (brooks). the afflicted young girls gave descriptions of being attacked and tormented by the apparitions of tituba, good, and osborn.
- Analyzes how the magistrates, in the common practice of the time, asked the same questions of each suspect over and over. the style and form indicates that they thought the women guilty.
- Analyzes how tituba, after refuting being guilty of witchcraft, broke and claimed she was approached by a man from boston, who she stated to be satan, and was asked to do his work.
- Explains that the governor decided that there needed to be a method of convicting witches, so he made the court to evaluate the cases of witchcraft.
- Explains that the judges allowed the so-called "touch-test" and examinations of the accused's bodies for evidence of "witches' marks"
- Explains that even gossip, anecdotes, unfounded claims, and inferences were acceptable to be presented in court and used as evidence against the accused.
- Explains that bridget bishop was brought to trial for witchcraft by several people in her community, including the afflicted girls, who said that bishop physically harmed them and tried convincing them to sign an agreement with the devil.
1060 wordsRead More - Accusers In The Salem Witch Trialsexplanatory essayAll together, the Salem Witch Trials were caused by poor, little girls that want revenge and they are jealous. The little girls were under age 20 and they started it all by pretending like they were possessed and they lived on the west side of town. All together, the Salem Witch Trials were caused by poor, little girls that want revenge and they are jealous.The trials were caused basically for nothing, it all happened because little girls were
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials began in 1692, when 20 innocent people were hanged. two little girls, one of which was the governor’s daughter, acted like bridget bishop had possessed them.
- Explains that the salem witch trials may have also been caused by jealousy.
- Explains that little girls caused the salem witch trials by acting possessed. bridget bishop was the first accused of witchcraft.
- Explains that most of the accusers were poor and lived on the west side of town.
- Explains that the salem witch trials were caused by poor, little girls that want revenge and they are jealous.
422 wordsRead More - The Salem Witch Trialsanalytical essayDuring the early winter of 1692 two young girls became inexplicably ill and started having fits of convulsion, screaming, and hallucinations. Unable to find any medical reason for their condition the village doctor declared that there must be supernatural forces of witchcraft at work. This began an outbreak of hysteria that would result in the arrest of over one hundred-fifty people and execution of twenty women and men. The madness continued for over four months.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that some believed that puritan beliefs were behind the salem witch hunt, while others attributed it to petty jealousies within the community.
- Explains that the putnam family was one of the most prominent families in salem village. they voted to honor reverend samuel parris' demands and award him the ministry house, barn, and two acres of land.
- Analyzes the causes of the witch trials of salem, massachusetts. the puritans were englishmen who chose to separate from the church of england.
- Argues that the rifts and animosities contributed to rising tensions, but the village's grain may have a bearing on erratic behaviors of the residents.
2023 wordsRead More - The Puritans: The Causes Of The Salem Witch Trialsexplanatory essayThe Salem Witch Trials began in 1692, and over the course of only one year, over 200 people were accused of witchcraft and 20 were executed. The trials created a panic among the people of Salem as religious leaders and afflicted girls furiously accused their fellow man of witchcraft. At the center of all this chaos stood Abigail Williams and Elizabeth Parris. The girls screamed out in pain, had horrendous fits, and cried that they were being possessed by the devil. Local religious leaders took immediate action against these so-called witches. However, nothing could seem to heal the pain of these young girls. Medicine in Puritan society was not nearly as advanced as it is today, and it was hard to discover the true cause of Parris and Williams
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the salem witch trials created a panic among the people, as religious leaders and afflicted girls furiously accused their fellow man of witchcraft.
- Explains that elizabeth parris was the daughter of reverend samuel and his niece abigail williams. schizophrenia is a hereditary trait, and it is not uncommon for two cousins to both have the condition.
- Explains that people with schizophrenia often complain of hearing voices and seeing things that are not there. a modern case of schizophrenia caused a young girl named jani to meticulously drag her nails down her skin to ‘get the bugs off.’
- Explains that schizophrenia causes patients to have extreme difficulty communicating and hinder the thought process. williams and parris were only ten years old when the trials took place.
- Describes how samuels rushed abigail and elizabeth to multiple doctors, and dr. williams griggs diagnosed them with epilepsy.
- Explains the puritans were an extremely strict religious group who came over from great britain to fix the anglican church. they believed women were the source of all the earth's problems.
- Explains that many historians have different theories for why williams and parris started to have these fits, and why they claimed they were possessed.
- Explains that there were several other afflicted girls in the salem witch trials, but they all followed abigail williams and elizabeth parris out of boredom or because they were seeking attention.
- Opines that there is no record stating what happened to abigail williams after the salem witch trials. the religious delusion from their schizophrenia played a large role in making the girls believe they were possessed by the devil.
1362 wordsRead More - The Salem Witch Trials, Hysteria and Religioncomparative essayAt that time, Salem was a small town or village; it was a farming community that was only 550 of population. Their goal was that they want to be a model society on the hills. Not all of them were puritans because there were people that want a better life and want to live in a society out of England; their life in England were difficult. There were two groups in the village: those who were separatists and others that were puritans (those who believe in predetermination and follow the rules). Samuel Parris was a reverend that was the minister of the group of the separatist. He helped divide these two groups. The reverend Parris and his wife had 2 children living with them, who were Betty and Abigail. These two girls were the motive that the trials started. These girls screamed, rolled their eyes back into their heads, shook, twist...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that salem massachusetts became the center of a horrible tragedy, which changed the life of many people. they accused innocent people by calling them witches.
- Explains that salem was a small farming community with only 550 people. the separatists and puritans were divided into two groups.
- Explains that spectral evidence was used to convict people, making the salem witch trials different from any other trials. sarah good, sarah osborne, and tituba were accused.
- Explains that the versus is contradictory at what the bible says. they exaggerate those words, they didn't think about their actions, but they had to study the bible to do the correct thing.
- Explains that ergot poisoning is caused by the fungus claviceps purpurea, which affects rye, wheat and other cereal grasses.
- Concludes that the salem witch trials were result of hysteria. the ergot poisoning was the strongest evidence that explains the extraneous things that occurred.
792 wordsRead More - Gender and Power in the Salem Witch Trialsexplanatory essayIn his view, the girls were “under an evil hand” (Godbeer 2). Thus the quote from local Salem Village physician William Griggs in January of 1692, to start what became known as The Salem Witch Hunt and Trials. At the end of the seventeenth-century, the small village of Salem Massachusetts was predominantly Puritan and governed by Puritan laws. The Puritans were educated, middle class folk who were able to pay for themselves and their family’s way across the Atlantic.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that most of the accusers and accused witches during the salem village witch hunt and trials were neighbors of each other. the unfavorable outcomes could be broken down into three scenarios.
- Explains that the salem witch hunt and trials began in 1692. puritans were educated, middle-class folk who could pay for themselves and their family's way across the atlantic.
- Explains that in the patriarchal hierarchy of puritan new england, women were legally and economically expected to be dependent upon men. the salem witch hunt and trials was more than a religious cleansing of the community by pious people.
- Cites godbeer, richard, and goldfield, david. the salem witch hunt: a brief history with documents.
1138 wordsRead More