Project Gutenberg 2004-07-12 Public domain in the USA. 179 Spalding, Thomas Alfred 1850 Elizabethan Demonology An Essay in Illustration of the Belief in the Existence of Devils, and the Powers Possessed By Them, as It Was Generally Held during the Period of the Reformation, and the Times Immediately Succeeding; with Special Reference to Shakspere and His Works E-text prepared by Imran Ghory, Stan Goodman, Linda Cantoni, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "Elizabethan Demonology" by Thomas Alfred Spalding is a scholarly treatise written in the late 19th century. The work explores the prevalent beliefs in demons, devils, and the supernatural during the Elizabethan era, particularly in relation to the works of William Shakespeare. The book delves into the historical context, examining how these beliefs shaped societal views and the production of literature during the Reformation and its aftermath. At the start of the essay, the author sets the stage for a deep exploration of Elizabethan thoughts related to demonology, arguing that understanding these beliefs is crucial for comprehending Shakespeare's works. Spalding introduces the challenges of interpreting older literature without a grasp of the historical and cultural context that influenced its creation. He emphasizes that misinterpretations can arise from modern perspectives, leading to a distorted understanding of characters and themes. The tone he adopts stresses the importance of a thorough engagement with Elizabethan societal beliefs, which serves as the foundation for the new insights he hopes to offer about Shakespeare's portrayals of supernatural elements in his plays. The opening establishes the book's intent to bring readers closer to the authentic beliefs that shaped one of the greatest literary figures in history. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 52.6 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Devil in literature Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Knowledge -- Occultism Demonology in literature Demonology -- England -- History -- 16th century Reformation -- England BF Text Category: Literature - Other Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750) 297287 2025-08-05T17:18:06.776326 text/html 297303 297122 2024-11-06T05:10:12.680143 2023-10-06T07:00:01.071269 text/html text/html 192847 2025-08-05T17:18:13.090247 application/epub+zip 195733 2025-08-05T17:18:09.492294 application/epub+zip 177816 2025-08-05T17:18:08.403281 application/epub+zip 342959 2025-08-05T17:18:15.883253 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 325469 2025-08-05T17:18:12.427291 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 219248 2022-09-06T23:01:51.863940 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 274281 2025-08-05T17:18:06.466332 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 254441 2024-10-28T19:56:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 18103 2025-08-05T17:18:16.004234 application/rdf+xml 13076 2025-08-05T17:18:08.905271 image/jpeg 3452 2025-08-05T17:18:08.654273 image/jpeg 191110 2025-08-05T17:18:06.799310 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog