King James I

His reign, his times, & superstitions in England

1566-1625

Was King James VI of Scotland

Became King of Scotland when he was 13 months old, succeeding his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots

Became King of England and Ireland as King James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns in 1603

Succeeded Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch of England and Ireland

England and Scotland had separate parliaments, judiciary, and laws – both were ruled by King James I

“Golden Age”

King James I continued the “Golden Age” of Elizabethan literature and drama

Writers such as William Shakespeare and Sir Francis Bacon contributed to a flourishing literary culture•James was a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company

James himself was a talented scholar and the author of works•He sponsored the translation of the Bible that was named after him: the Authorized King James Version

Witchcraft

His interest in the study of witchcraft began when he visited Denmark, a country that actively participated in witch hunts

Attended the North Berwick witch trials, Scotland’s first major prosecution of witches•Implicated 70 people of witchcraft•Agnes Simpson: accused of using witchcraft to send storms against the King’s ships on his return from Denmark

– Was strangled and burned at the stake

King James I became obsessed with the threat of witches

In 1597, he wrote the Daemonologie•Approves and supports the practice of witch hunting•"The fearful abounding, at this time in this country, of these detestable slaves of the Devil, the Witches or enchanters, hath moved me (beloved reader) to dispatch in post, this following treatise of mine, to resolve the doubting both that such assaults of Satan are most certainly practiced, and that the instrument thereof merits most severely to be punished.“•Provided inspiration and background material for Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth

Superstition and “The Scottish Play”Often considered bad luck to mention Macbeth by name while inside a theater (unless performing)•Shakespeare is said to have used the spells of real witches in his text, angering the witches and causing them to curse the play.

To say the name of the play inside a theater is believed to doom the production to failure, and perhaps cause physical injury or death to cast members

Rituals to “dispel” the curse:•Spin around three times as fast as possible on the spot, accompanied by spitting over their shoulder, and uttering an obscenity•Leave the room, knock three times, be invited in, and then quote a line from Hamlet