My post is late - Just like these writers' opinions on witchcraft!

I felt a huge sense of relief reading chapter 10 of K/P. Finally, the mode of thought has begun to change - sure, the Church still believes in witchcraft and magic and their prevalence, but it's recognizing that anyone can be accused of it at any time just because someone else says so, and now we're seeing an inkling of "innocent until proven guilty." There's definitely some classism going on between the "enlightened" and the lowly commoner, which is unfortunate, but at least more voices are speaking out against widespread witch hunting besides Weyer. Some of these voices openly mock witchcraft believers, telling them to "go to their grandams maids to learne more old wives tales" (p. 398) (good on you, Reginald Scot).

I did find it very strange that one of Salazar's big proposals was forbidding people to even talk about magic among themselves: "The Tribunal is to publish an edict imposing silence regarding the whole question of witchcraft" (p. 413). The people are encouraged to speak only with their confessors or the Tribunal, whether they feel guilty or accusatory. I guess I can understand why - considering the cases described in which introducing magical ideas into a community seemed to directly result in confessions and accusations - but why reduce talking about it in larger communities where the ideas had already taken root? Why not work out, publicly, why a set of evidence isn't enough to convict a person of witchcraft? Why not tell the people about the placebo effect that magic can have on a person? Why not educate the people about...oh, right, classism.

Speaking of classism (and moving on), the characters as they're shown in the first act of The Tempest really didn't inspire a lot of good feelings in me. The whole royal party putting down the boatswain and threatening to hang him was horrible! He was probably the reason that they even survived (spoiler!), so I would have treated him with the utmost respect, even in a horrible storm. And Prospero? Don't even get me started on him. He's a manipulative, mean man who didn't even want the throne when he had it; he puts his daughter to sleep so she doesn't see his machinations; he employs spirits and is cruel to them at the slightest hint of disobedience (especially Caliban); he stops his daughter from falling in love and only wants her to "his" way...the list goes on. Were it not for Ferdinand, who seems to have a slight bit of honor, and Miranda, who is too innocent for her own good, I'd be rooting for the spirits to break free and take everyone out.

I don't want to predict too much for later acts, but with their powers combined...?
Source: utopiaorbust.wordpress.com