Product Description

From "Macbeth" to "The Wizard of Oz", from the hysteria of witch trials to emblems of 20th-century female empowerment, no matter how she is portrayed, the witch is an enduring source of fear and fascination. In this study, Diane Purkiss investigates the diverse interpretations and meanings attributed to the figure of the witch, encompassing a wide range of cultural norms which include Canonical literature, such as Shelley and Yeats, visual arts, fairy tales, folklore and real-life witch stories. Also considered are pornography and sado-masochism, film, from the classic Swedish "Haxan" to "The Witches of Eastwick", and the stage, including Shakespeare and Jonson.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #349668 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Crucial to the understanding and study of witchcraft
Diane Purkiss's book is indispensible to the study of witchcraft at an acedemic level. It looks at witchcraft from a feminist perspective; concentrating on ideas such as maternity and how other historians have approached the study of witchcraft. It covers both the early modern period and twentieth century representations; managing to look at the study from an original angle, such as how witches are portayed in poetry. Making it useful to the study of history, gender and English. It can sometimes become quite theoretical and does require a fair amount of concentration, but is very enjoyable acedemic read.