Historical Representations of the Witch

Shakespeare's 3 witches from Macbeth

1st Witch:

Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

2nd Witch:

Thrice and once, the hedge-pig whin'd.

3rd Witch

Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!

1st Witch:

Round about the cauldron go:

In the poisoned entrails throw.

Toad, that under cold stone

Days and nights has thirty-one

Sweated venom sleeping got,

Boil thou first in the charmed pot.

All:

Double,double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and cauldron bubble.......

The Three Witches from "Macbeth" (1827) by Alexandre-Marie Colin

Durer:

1500 - Albrecht Durer 

Witch Riding Backwards on a Goat - Engraving 

(Petherbridge, 2013. p.42)

Depicting a hideous old crone riding a goat and holding a broomstick. ‘The shrieking old hag rides backwards on the goat with her broom and spindle between her legs, her wild hair streaming out in her direction of travel. The goat is an embodiment of the Devil, and also a symbol of lust…Even Durer’s usual monogram is reversed. Witchcraft is understood to be the reversal of normal ethics and religious practices. Cupids that promote love are here related to an old hag whose sexuality belongs to the Devil, also a sign of perversity. Lines of rain and hailstones in the corner remind us that witches are committed to raising storms and spreading destruction.’

Durer 2:

1497 - Albrecht Durer

The Four Witches - Engraving

(Petherbridge, 2013. p.22)

‘This extremely famous and widely distributed print established a late Renaissance precedent for depicting witches as nude young women, whose very beauty and desirability can be a threat to men, especially when they congregate as a coven.’ Contrasting image to the example above. Demonstrates the two main stereotypes.