of Lady Frances Howard and the Earl of Essex, which involved charges of magic-induced impotence.) Middleton's Hecate has a son (and incestuous lover) called Firestone, who serves as the play's clown. She leads a coven of four other witches, Stadlin, Hoppo, Hellwain, and Puckle. The occult material in The Witch occurs in only three scenes: Act I, scene ii introduces the coven and contains abundant witchcraft exotica, to establish the macabre mood — fried rats and pickled spiders, the flesh of an "unbaptized brat," a cauldron boiling over a blue flame, "Urchins, elves, hags, satyrs, Pans, fawns...Tritons, centaurs, dwarfs, imps...", "the blood of a flittermouse [bat]," and much much more. At one point, a cat enters playing a fiddle (a role probably filled by a musician in feline costume). Act III, scene iii features the song "Come away" that was added to Macbeth, and deals with the witches' flight through the air: at one point "A Spirit descends in the shape of a Cat," and Hecate is shown "Ascending with the Spirit." Act V, scene ii contains the song "Black spirits," also inserted into Macbeth. Middleton's witches "are lecherous, murderous and perverse in the traditional demonological way, but they are also funny, vulnerable and uncomfortably necessary to the maintenance of state power and social position by those who resort to them." Middleton's choice to set the play in Italy may reflect an element of satire against witchcraft beliefs and practices in Roman Catholic societies of his era. Characters Duke Lord Governor Sebastian, contracted to Isabella Fernando, his friend Antonio, husband to Isabella Aberzanes, a gentleman, neither honest, wise, nor valiant Almachildes, a fantastical gentleman Gaspero and Hermio, servants to Antonio Firestone, the clown and Hecate's son Boy Duchess (named Amoretta, like her servant) Isabella, niece to the governor (and wife to Antonio) Francisca, Antonio's sister Amoretta, the duchess's woman Florida, a courtesan An old woman Hecate, the chief witch Five other witches, including Stadlin, Hoppo, Puckle and Hellwain Malkin, a spirit like a cat Synopsis Act I Scene 1: Urbino, Italy; The grounds of the Lord Governor's house; the day of Antonio and Isabella's wedding; a banquet laid out Sebastian has been absent from Urbino for three years, and has falsely been reported killed in war. His fiancee Isabella has just married the powerful aristocrat Antonio. According to the Renaissance custom of handfast, Sebastian regards Isabella as his wife in