Heavenly Necromancers: The Magician in English Renaissance Drama

Traister, Barbara Howard. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1984.

I only read the first chapter at present, since the other chapters focus particularly on portrayals of plays I still need to get around to reading. Anyway, just a few notes here.

The first part of the chapter discusses the philosophical lineage of magic - natural magic being often adopted by Neoplatonists, particularly in Italy. The earlier generation of Roger Bacon and Albertus Magnus recognized it, and three practitioners were around in the 16th century - John Dee, Henry Cornelius Agrippa, and Giordano Bruno. They often insisted on the positve potential of magic, even if it had little practical application beyond summoning an angel or demon.

There is also a romantic lineage to magic. The spellcasters in the romances are mostly evil or absent, used to throw difficulties into the plot, but good ones occasionally appear. If they do though, they are usually paired with an evil caster, like Merlin-Morgan.

The author doesn't distinguish a third lineage well, but it is stated - there were village healers and the like who were around. I insist on separating the popular literary and nonliterary.

One more thing, with particular pertinence to Renaissance drama:

"The disguises, of course, are associated with role-playing; in many ways the magician is an actor. Even more, however, he is a director, a presenter of spectacular shows for the discomfort, edification, or entertainment of spectators" (24). 

This might explain the seemingly random appearance of the Conjuror in The White Devil as he shows Brachiano the murders of Camillo and Isabella that he has just arranged. These are accompanied by dumbshows on stage. Thus, the conjurer turns into the director who is embodied for this scene.