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Witchcraft was believed in for a very long time, people were considered horrible and

evil if they were thought to be practicing witchcraft. This created problems for many
innocent people, mainly women and young girls. In Macbeth witchcraft was very much
relevant, the three witches in the play have a big role in Macbeths story. The articles “In
1647, the Capital Crime was Witchcraft” and “Witchcraft Legal Aid in Africa” add to this story
by showing why people believed in witchcraft and was added to Macbeth.

In the first article “In 1647, the Capital Crime was Witchcraft” by Alvi Salzman
mentioned that 350 years ago, witchcraft was the crime most likely to result in a death
sentence. Witchcraft was taboo and very unwelcome. Witches were thought to have
supernatural powers. Many people thought that they were the reason for unexplained
sickness or odd weather. “Witch-hunting reached its peak in Connecticut in 1662, when the
Hartford witch hunt began, eventually resulting in accusations against at least eight people,
at least three of whom were executed. It was touched off by a woman named Ann Cole,
who began having "ts" in which she shook and spoke of the devil” says Salzman,
however in the mid-1660s these practices stopped and witch-hunts were made illegal

In Macbeth, the witches gave him a prophecy that said he would be king of Thanes
and Cawdor where there was already a king. This started a chain of events where he killed
Duncan with his wife so he could become king right away. The witches were unhappy with
the way things went and how self-centered he was. The Main witch decided to pull tricks on
Macbeth for what he’s done, they start making spells when he demands to speak with them
so they can give him more prophecies for his own benefit. Once again the witches didn’t like
that. After this Shakespear enforced the idea that witches are evil because they told
Macbeth what to look out for but they couldn’t be trusted because they were going to trick
him. Many people when Shakespear feared witches because they were known as devil
worshipers so they had to be evil. In the story as they were brewing their potion they
repeated the line “double double toil and trouble” showing that they were up to no good.

In the second article “Witchcraft Legal Aid in Africa” by Chi Mgbako the writer shows
us how witch hunts and witchcraft accusations are still relevant and harmful today, as well
as showing how some people still have the beliefs that witchcraft is bad. “ Accusations of
witchcraft in Africa have gained increasing attention because of the severe impact they
can have on the lives of those accused, including imprisonment, deprivation of property,
banishment from villages and in some cases physical violence” Mgbako explains. People all
over the world are still in fear of witches and what they could possibly do, they think all
witches want is to spread evil and harm to others and its endangering other people’s lives
because of it. Mgbako and his team traveled to Africa to help spread awareness of what the
accusations they are giving are harmful. This has so far helped and many people in those
villages have learned, it was made illegal to accuse someone of witchcraft.

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