Trajectory of Reinvention of Witches: Its Politics, Appropriation and Popularization

Abstract

The archetype of witches has been an alluring instrument to inject ideologies through literary forms, the portrayal of which has taken a trajectory over the centuries- from negative to positive to neutral roles in its invention and reinvention through particularly, several popular drama series in the contemporary scenario, streamed over multiple over-the-top (OTT) platforms, wherein the representation of witches has become a sensational theme. This study intends to explore the divergence from Arthur Miller’s socio-political concerns in The Crucible (1953), to the contemporary creative adaptations of this subject matter in six popular American television/web series that have experimented with artistic freedom, through an analysis of the antagonistic, antifeminist, feminist perspectives as well as the saviour complex imposed on such fictional characters, through a new historicist angle, since such tales are a fusion of history and imagination. These narratives produce a counter ideology, though they may not be free from the chains of social conformity, appropriation, romanticized normalization, and the traps of culture industry. However, they blur the barriers between high and low culture, thereby revolutionizing the world of art.