King James was a scholarly fellow, but he was also very superstitious, believing in witchcraft, necromancy, possession, demons, werewolves, fairies and ghosts. He wrote about all these things in a book called Dæmonologie (1597). He also considered witchcraft to be a branch of theology. This intense interest in witchcraft grew after his marriage to the fourteen-year-old Anne of Denmark, as the Danish were caught up in witch mania at that time, believing that witches existed and were agents of the devil.
Witch Mania
After he became King of England in 1603, James revised the witchcraft act (An Act against Conjuration, Witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked spirits) and the penalties became more severe. Most convicted witches were hanged. The witchcraft act was not repealed until 1736.
Shakespeare's play Macbeth (1606), was written during the reign of King James, at the height of the witch accusations and trials. James was also a patron of Shakespeare’s acting company. The strong presence of the witches in the play Macbeth is directly related to the topical nature of witchcraft at that time, and perhaps, to Shakespeare's desire to gain greater favour with the king, or perhaps, even as a work of political propaganda.
Books To Read
How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God, by Michael Shermer.
