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Elizabethan Superstition

There is no explanation for certain things that happen, but things that do happen to us, Elizabethans believed, have an influence on us and the way we behave. Elizabethans believed in superstition as an explanation for some of the things that happen. They also believed that superstitions were passed down from generation to generation. It is easy to see, that superstition was a big theme in Shakespearean plays.
Not all Elizabethans believed in superstitions, however. Members of the Catholic church did not believe in superstitions because they felt that anything pertaining to the supernatural was evil and wicked, especially witches. Catholics thought strongly that magical practices were sinful. People who practiced Catholicism often accused old, ugly men and women of being evil witches. They would be brought to trial if accused of putting curses on people. If the witches were found guilty, they ...

Posted by: Rebecca Wyant

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