“Beggary and Want” of Youth: The Devils of Poverty and Old Age in The Witch of Edmonton

Abstract: 

This paper examines medical treatises and witchcraft trials alongside an exploration of The Witch of Edmonton, arguing that witches--as well as their crimes--were cultural constructions shaped by the early modern fear of poverty and post-menopause.

Presenter Information
First Name: 
Hilda
Last Name: 
Ma
Institution: 
Saint Mary's College of California