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Witchcraft; or, the Martyrs of Salem
Witchcraft; or, the Martyrs of Salem (1847), a play by Cornelius Mathews. [Bowery Theatre, 5 perf.] Gideon Bodish ( James E. Murdoch) comes to the defense of his morose, memory‐haunted mother, Ambla ( Mrs. Wilkinson), when she is placed on trial for witchcraft. The court is heavily influenced by the testimony of Susanna Peache ( Mrs. Sergeant), who loves Gideon and who believes that Ambla had used her occult powers to discourage the romance. After Ambla is executed, Susanna realizes that she has lost Gideon and so commits suicide. Jarvis Dane ( J. A. J. Neafie), a rival suitor of Susanna, kills Gideon to avenge her death. This often poignant and gripping blank‐verse tragedy was first presented at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre, where it was a major success. Although it failed in New York, it was popular in other cities across the country, and, apparently, in Europe as well. Whether Mathews was familiar with a similar, earlier play, Superstition, is unknown.
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Cite this article
Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Witchcraft; or, the Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Witchcraft; or, the Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WitchcraftortheMrtyrsfSlm.html Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Witchcraft; or, the Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WitchcraftortheMrtyrsfSlm.html |
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Witchcraft; Or, The Martyrs of Salem
Witchcraft; Or, The Martyrs of Salem, blank‐verse tragedy by Cornelius Mathews, produced in 1846 and published in 1852.
Ambla Bodish, a 17th‐century Massachusetts woman accused of witchcraft, is unsuccessfully defended by her son Gideon. Susanna Peache, who loves Gideon, testifies against Ambla, believing that she has used witchcraft to alienate his affections. Despairing of recovering Gideon's love, Susanna commits suicide, and he is killed by Jarvis Dane, another lover of the girl. |
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Cite this article
James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Witchcraft; Or, The Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Witchcraft; Or, The Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-WitchcraftOrTheMrtyrsfSlm.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Witchcraft; Or, The Martyrs of Salem." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-WitchcraftOrTheMrtyrsfSlm.html |
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