Pearson Edexcel · A-Level · History
Course version: 9HI0 · Version from Sept 2015
The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750 - 1…
Full specification wording
Paper 3, Option 33: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750 - 1 Changing attitudes to witchcraft in Britain: The impact of notable sceptic publications, c1580–c1750: Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584, Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel 1599, Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark 1656, John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft 1677 (key development: the publication of Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691).
This topic examines how sceptical publications between c1580 and c1750 challenged witch beliefs.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 9HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 2 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
This topic examines how sceptical publications between c1580 and c1750 challenged witch beliefs. Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) argued that witches were deluded and that biblical witch references were mistranslations, attacking persecution. Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel (1599) exposed exorcism as fraud, undermining demonological evidence. Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark (1656) rejected the witch stereotype and blamed accusers' ignorance. John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677) used natural philosophy to question spectral evidence. Balthasar Bekker's The Enchanted World (1691) denied the devil's physical power, a key development linking scepticism to the decline of witch prosecutions.
What earns the marks
- Explains how Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) challenged the biblical and legal basis of witch persecution by arguing that witches were deluded rather than empowered by the devil.
- Analyses how Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel (1599) discredited exorcism and demonological evidence, thereby weakening a key proof used in witch trials.
- Assesses Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark (1656) as a restatement of sceptical arguments that attributed witch accusations to ignorance, fraud and medical misunderstanding.
- Evaluates John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677) for using natural philosophy and medical explanations to question spectral evidence and confessions.
- Explains why Balthasar Bekker's The Enchanted World (1691) is treated as a key development, since it denied the devil's physical power and influenced elite opinion across Europe.
- Connects the cumulative impact of these publications to changing attitudes, including the decline of prosecutions and the rise of educated scepticism, while noting limits such as continued popular belief.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Treating the publications as a single cause of the decline of witchcraft prosecutions.
Put it right: Present them as contributing to elite scepticism alongside legal, social and economic factors.
Confusing the arguments of different authors, for example attributing Bekker's denial of the devil's physical power to Scot.
Put it right: Match each author to their distinctive argument and date.
Assuming that sceptical publications immediately ended witch trials.
Put it right: Explain that popular belief and local prosecutions persisted, and that impact was gradual and uneven.
Exam tips
- Anchor each publication to its date and author, and use it as evidence in an argument about changing attitudes rather than listing titles.
- When assessing impact, distinguish between elite and popular audiences, and between immediate and long-term effects.
- Use the key development status of Bekker's The Enchanted World (1691) to frame a judgement about the chronology of scepticism.
Try the lesson
The start of the Paper 3, Option 33: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750 - 1 Changing attitudes to witchcraft in Britain: The impact of notable sceptic publications, c1580–c1750: Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584, Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel 1599, Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark 1656, John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft 1677 (key development: the publication of Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which sceptic author published The Discoverie of Witchcraft in 1584?
Listen
This topic examines how sceptical publications between c1580 and c1750 challenged witch beliefs. Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) argued that witches were deluded and that biblical witch references were mistranslations, attacking persecution. Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel (1599) exposed exorcism as fraud, undermining demonological evidence. Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark (1656) rejected the witch stereotype and blamed accusers' ignorance. John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677) used natural philosophy to question spectral evidence. Balthasar Bekker's The Enchanted World (1691) denied the devil's physical power, a key development linking scepticism to the decline of witch prosecutions. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Explains how Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584) challenged the biblical and legal basis of witch persecution by arguing that witches were deluded rather than empowered by the devil. Analyses how Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel (1599) discredited exorcism and demonological evidence, thereby weakening a key proof used in witch trials. Assesses Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark (1656) as a restatement of sceptical arguments that attributed witch accusations to ignorance, fraud and medical misunderstanding. Evaluates John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft (1677) for using natural philosophy and medical explanations to question spectral evidence and confessions. A common slip: Treating the publications as a single cause of the decline of witchcraft prosecutions. Instead, present them as contributing to elite scepticism alongside legal, social and economic factors. Exam tip: Anchor each publication to its date and author, and use it as evidence in an argument about changing attitudes rather than listing titles.
Put the events in order
Put these events in the order they happened, earliest first.
- 1. Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel published
- 2. Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft published
- 3. Balthasar Bekker's The Enchanted World published
- 4. Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark published
- 5. John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft published
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Scepticism and demonology
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The role of print culture
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Elite versus popular belief
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The decline of witchcraft prosecutions
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See every definition
- Scepticism and demonology
- Sceptical publications between c1580 and c1750 challenged witch beliefs, and Harsnett's work exposed exorcism as fraud, undermining demonological evidence.
- The role of print culture
- Notable sceptic publications, including Bekker's The Enchanted World in 1691, contributed to changing attitudes and the rise of educated scepticism.
- Elite versus popular belief
- The publications contributed to elite scepticism, while popular belief and local prosecutions persisted, so their impact was gradual and uneven.
- The decline of witchcraft prosecutions
- Bekker's denial of the devil's physical power is a key development linking scepticism to the decline of witch prosecutions, alongside legal, social and economic factors.
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Test your understanding of Paper 3, Option 33: The witch craze in Britain, Europe and North America, c1580–c1750 - 1 Changing attitudes to witchcraft in Britain: The impact of notable sceptic publications, c1580–c1750: Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft 1584, Samuel Harsnett's A Discovery of the Fraudulent Practices of John Darrel 1599, Thomas Ady's A Candle in the Dark 1656, John Webster's The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft 1677 (key development: the publication of Balthasar Bekker’s The Enchanted World 1691).
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