• Lecture

Wicked Books: Witchcraft at the Library

Alicia Meyer (Penn GSWS and English) and John Pollack (Kislak Center)

Homecoming Weekend 2022

 

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October 22, 2022, 11:00am - 12:00pm
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Class of 1978 Orrery Pavilion, 6th floor, Van Pelt-Dietrich Library

Hosted by: Kislak Center

The three witches from Macbeth Act 1, 1798 image published by Boydell

From medieval Europe to modern cinema and Harry Potter, "the witch" seems always with us. How have different cultures invented and depicted the figure of the witch, and why? Alicia Meyer (Penn GSWS and English) and John Pollack (Kislak Center) will investigate historical representations of witchcraft and what they reveal about gender, race, sexuality, and power. Their presentation will be followed by time for participants to examine rare items from Penn's Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Image: Jason Stow, engraver, “The three witches,” engraving illustrating Macbeth 1:3, based on a painting by R. Westall for Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery, London, 1798 (Furness Theatrical Image Collection).