Witchcraft in 16th-17th Century Spain

Schimmel/Conrades Science Center 163

Witchcraft a well-known and celebrated subject in our current society, a superstition that spread through Europe in the XV century, and eventually it reached the rest of the globe. During this time, people actually believed witches were real and that they were to blame for everything that went wrong. Many women were accused and punished horribly, but due to social, cultural and scientific advancements and growth in our society, there has been a change in public opinion, and the witch has become a mystical being, one that only exists in our imaginations and in movies, one that no one has to truly fear. The class this film/research was a final project for explored the historical context along with multiple texts containing different kinds of witches. The purpose of this project was analyzing and showcasing the play, “Entremés de las Brujas,” written by Francisco de Castro in 1742. This play is particularly important, as it completely focuses on witchcraft and everything related to it, something that two centuries prior to its publication caused terror in Europe. The end product was a film that was both a documentary and a theatrical presentation of the play. Through the course of the short film, the elements of witchcraft present in the play are analyzed, the historical context is provided, and then an adaptation of the play is provided. While organizing the project, it was decided that the movie would include sections in English and sections in Spanish—it was a Spanish class—, keeping in mind the needs of our audience. It was a collaborative effort, and it was showcased during the exhibition held for the rest of the projects.