"In a commonwealth where plays and theatres were illegal, the hearings and trials of 1692 were the greatest show the villagers had ever seen."
- A Salem Witch by Daniel Gagnon
Rebecca Nurse's questioning was a spectacle. All of the townspeople gathered to see an old, sickly woman be called a witch. Not sure that's how I would want to spend my Saturday night, but let's face it... it's not like they had anything better to do.
As the quote from our reading mentions, plays and theatres were illegal in Salem. This law stems from the strict puritan religion they followed. This got me interested in what else was illegal in Salem and Puritan society as a whole.
Other things that were illegal in Puritan Salem:
- Kissing in public
- Wearing lace
- Wearing sleeves that were too short
- Wearing gold or silver (unless you were rich)
- Swearing
- Drinking
- Being lazy
- Gossiping
- Celebrating Christmas
(Sources: https://shorturl.at/cjqwD. and https://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2007/10/puritan-laws-and-customs.html)
These strict laws did not allow for much personal expression or fun. In this quote, Gagnon suggests that the sensational nature of the trials were a kind of dark entertainment for many people. Rebecca Nurse's hearing is a good example of the drama that surrounded these trials. During the questioning, the afflicted would have fits and visions. These fits built off of eachother, getting worse and worse over time. The people in the crowd were moved by these fits, some crying out of worry. Interestingly, the fits seemed to be responsive to the line of questioning. Whenever Hathorne would ease up with his questioning, the fits would get worse, causing him to take a harsher tone with Nurse. The questioning was less of a legal process and something more like improv theatre.
I think this take on the trials is interesting, but it downplays the terrible things that really happened. The people of the town were truly terrified that witches were taking over. Nurse's questioning showed that no one was safe from the devil's influence. It's possible that some in the town didn't believe anything, and saw the trials as pure drama, but most took it very seriously.
Thanks for posting about "the greatest show" in Salem, and for researching what Puritans made illegal. It was also illegal to live alone, and perfectly legal to spy on neighbors, including looking through their windows. in addition to short sleeves, it was illegal to show legs and feet. Crazy times. I appreciate your blog.
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