Abstract
Witchcraft literature is ubiquitous across time and cultures, present in almost every literary tradition. Over the centuries, the treatment and perception of witches changed drastically, especially on the European continent and British Isles. In 1492, Spain underwent the Inquisition where anyone deemed unclean—anyone not Catholic, specifically Jews and Muslims—were persecuted, converted, or executed. Though there were comparatively few witchcraft cases in Spain compared to the rest of Europe, this time period begot Fernando de Rojas’ La Celestina, or La tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea, which hinges on the lovers Calisto and Melibea as well as their dealings with local witch, vendor, and elder Celestina. Celestina is not treated as a monster or a caricature; rather, she is the only character in the entire work that successfully navigates her world and is the only character that seems real and recognizable. The British also underwent witch trials and persecution of “others,” and in 1621, the play The Witch of Edmonton appeared on stage. The witch of Edmonton (Mother Sawyer), like Celestina, is a real human who grapples with societal abuse, her own morality, and the Devil—in this case, the Devil appears in the form of dog Tom. The significance of Celestina’s and Mother Sawyer’s humanity is that these works become satirical and didactic, holding a mirror to the faults of society in different ways. La Celestina tells the reader of the inherent hypocrisy of a community and scoffs at the aristocracy who are afforded their luxuries by their birth rather than talent. Mother Sawyer teaches us more than she shows; she demonstrates the dangers of opening oneself to the Devil and shows how the Devil can infiltrate any community. Ultimately, these two tragicomedic plays serve to illustrate how the women persecuted and ostracized in Spanish and English societies were simply women rather than the monsters they were made out to be.