How did Judge Hathorne abuse his power?
A combination of Judge Hathorne’s inclination towards cruelty and pride caused him to abuse his power during the Salem Witch Trials. The overpowering was evident in his aggressive questioning and desire to make the accused admit that they were guilty.
Was the Salem witch trials mass hysteria?
Women accused of being witches were slandered and denied rights. In January 1692 mass hysteria erupted in Salem Village, Massachusetts, when the specter of witchcraft was raised after several young girls became unaccountably ill.
What are examples of mass hysteria?
An outbreak of fatal dancing fits among members of the same community, men suddenly gripped by the sickening fear of losing their genital organs, and teenagers having mysterious symptoms after watching an episode of their favorite TV series — these are all instances of what we often refer to as “mass hysteria.”
Who was the most famous witch hunter?
Matthew Hopkins
What does a witch hunt mean today?
In current language, “witch-hunt” metaphorically means an investigation that is usually conducted with much publicity, supposedly to uncover subversive activity, disloyalty, and so on, but with the real purpose of intimidating political opponents.
How much did Matthew Hopkins get paid per witch?
Between the years 1644 and 1646, Hopkins and his associates are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 300 women. And in the days when an average farm worker’s wage was just 6 pence a day, it is estimated that Hopkins may have collected fees of around £1000 for his gruesome services.
Why did the witch hunts end?
Rich intellectuals intervened to protect themselves as well as innocents, and the subsequent reform of the systems of law made it more difficult for witch-trials to be brought and witches to be found guilty, bringing about the initial decline of the witch-hunts.
Which animal is traditionally associated with witches *?
Most of 16th Century Europe began to believe witches were evil, and many were trialled, tortured and sentenced to death. Since witches were at one with nature, it was common for them to have a cat as a companion.