The Witch of Edmonton

Elizabeth Sawyer is the titular witch of the play. This positions her as the tragic protagonist or anti-hero, though her bloodthirsty desire for revenge against the people who wrong her also gives her character an antagonistic quality. Titling the play The Witch of Edmonton directs the audience’s attention to the theme of The Role of the Witch in the Community. This choice also reflects Elizabeth’s relative societal insignificance since she is of low status—this is why the title refers to her as “the witch,” centering her role in the play rather than her individuality as a person whose name is important. In the character list, she is referred to as “Mother (Elizabeth) Sawyer, the Witch” (27), and Young Banks also refers to her as “Mother.” This encapsulates the complex position of older women in society: Elizabeth is simultaneously a maternal figure offering experience and guidance and a marginalized, distrusted outcast.

Elizabeth’s character is based on the real figure of Elizabeth Sawyer, who was executed earlier in 1621 for witchcraft. The playwrights draw on Henry Goodcole’s pamphlet “The wonderful discovery of Elizabeth Sawyer, Witch” as a primary source. For example, the physical presentation of the character as being “deformed […] buckled and bent together” (2.