The aim of this paper is to explore the representation of women in Thomas Middleton’s The Witch. Two events were symbolically associated with the play in Renaissance England: one was the North Berwick witch trials, in which James I was deeply involved. The other was the Overbury affair, which appears to have had a direct influence on the play. These events illustrate the fact that women who were regarded as witches or whores at this time were considered to possess the subversive power and the potential to overturn the existing social order. The witches that appear in the play are portrayed as whores. Additionally, male characters in the play brand all women as unchaste. Therefore, the women in the play are branded as both witches and whores in the patriarchal system, regardless of whether they are actually engaged in witchcraft. In conclusion, the witches in the play are victimized by insecure men who fear being deprived of their vested interests.
1. 서론
2. 본론
3. 결론