Reginald Scot published a skeptical treatise arguing that witchcraft was impossible and that accusations resulted from fraud, delusion, or misunderstanding. His work challenged prevailing beliefs and provided rational explanations for supposed magical phenomena, though it was controversial enough that King James ordered copies burned.

Scot's skeptical approach influenced writers who sought to portray witchcraft as psychological phenomenon rather than supernatural reality. Shakespeare likely consulted Scot's work when crafting the ambiguous witches in Macbeth, and later Enlightenment writers drew upon Scot's arguments to critique superstition and advocate for rational inquiry.