Fair is Foul, and Foul is Fair: The Representation and Treatment of Witches in Early Modern and Contemporary Literature

Abstract

Women occupy a marginalised position within society in relation to the Other. Women seen as witches occupy an even more marginalised position, that of the Others, Other. This leads to the question of whether the treatment of witches in literature changed from early modern times to contemporary times. By looking at early modern plays like William Shakespeare’s Macbeth (1606) and Ben Jonson’s Masque of Queens (1609), and a recent novella by Jenni Fagan’s novella Hex, it will be explored how the treatment of witches in literature has changed. This thesis will argue that the role of the figure of the witch has changed within literature from villain to victim.