Witchcraft and Ghosts
By: Kai-Lou Yue, Anupama Balasubramanian, and Nancy Wang
Welcome aboard the Medieval Time Travel 3000. Today we will be flying to 17th century England. While the quote below from Shakespeare's renowned play Romeo and Juliet may not refer directly to witchcraft or ghosts, it does provide a glimpse of the aura of superstition which permeated the Elizabethan Era. In our flight today, we will be visiting many notable landmarks that represent the Elizabethan times at its greatest--as well as at its worst. First, we will tour the Globe theater. It was here where Shakespeare conducted his most memorable plays, such as "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth", and "Hamlet", many of which were influenced by the Elizabethan belief in superstition and fate. From there, we will circle out to the witch trials, our most important point of the day. There, we will observe the condemnation of a witch and the punishments inflicted on those who were guilty.
While riding on the Time Traveler, take caution for the chamber pots emptying around near us! Additionally, be sure to secure your seat belt at all times. To begin your exploration, select one of the choices below. Thank you for choosing Medieval Time Travel 3000. On behalf of the crew, we wish you an enjoyable flight!
While riding on the Time Traveler, take caution for the chamber pots emptying around near us! Additionally, be sure to secure your seat belt at all times. To begin your exploration, select one of the choices below. Thank you for choosing Medieval Time Travel 3000. On behalf of the crew, we wish you an enjoyable flight!
Away from the light steals home my heavy son,
And private in his chamber pens himself,
Shuts up his windows, locks far daylight out
And makes himself an artificial night:
Black and portentous must this humour prove,
Unless good counsel may the cause remove.
--Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare 1.1)