Thomasin

*"O most merciful father: I here confess I have lived in sin. I have been idle of my work, disobedient of mine parents, neglectful of my prayer. I have, in secret, played upon thy sabbath and broken every one of thy commandments in thought... followed the desires of my own will, and not the Holy Spirit. I know I deserveall shame and misery in this life, and everlasting hell-fire. But I beg thee, for the sake of thy Son. Forgive me. Show me mercy. Show me thy light."*
―Thomasin[src]
**Thomasin** is an English Puritan living in New England.

## Biography

### Background

*"We had glass windows in England. We have not been hither so long that you can forget that?"*
―Thomasin to Caleb[src]
Thomasin is born in England to William and Katherine. She is later followed by three younger siblings, Caleb and the twins, Jonas and Mercy. At some point the family, along with their pet dog, Fowler, emigrate to America, where they find home at a plantation in New England.

### Banishment

*"Thomasin! Come."*
―Caleb to Thomasin[src]

Along with the rest of her family, Thomasin is brought before the governor of the plantation due to a religious dispute. She watches as her father argues with the governor, stating that they left their home and kinsmen and travailed a vast ocean for the pure and faithful dispensation of the Gospels and the Kindgdom of God. He declares the dignitaries to be false Christians unfit to judge him and the governor accuses him of dishonoring the law of the Commonwealth and the Church with his prideful conceit. William refuses to back down and the governor banishes the family from the plantation, much to Thomasin's shock and fear. As the rest of her family leave, Thomasin remains stunned and is reminded by Caleb to come with them.

The family then leave the plantation with what little they can fit on the back of the carraige pulled by their horse, Burt, while Thomasin stares back at the plantation. They travel for some time before finding a fertile stretch of land at the edge of a forest where they can set up a farm. Kneeling, they join hands in prayer.

### Samuel's Disappearance

*"Where is Sam? Where's Sam? Where is that little man?"*
―Thomasin to Samuel[src]

Several months pass, during which the family build their farm, acquire several livestock and welcome a new baby boy, Samuel. One morning, Thomasin prays and confesses that she has lived in sin, being idle of her work, disobedient of her parents and neglectful of her prayer. She admits that she has secretly played upon the Sabbath, broken each of the Ten Commandments in thought and followed the desires of her own will and not the Holy Spirit. She states that she knows she deserves all shame and misery in life and everlasting hellfire, but begs God for forgiveness and to show her His mercy and light.

She is later tasked with looking after Samuel for a while and takes him to the edge of the forest, where she lays him down and plays peek-a-boo with him. They have fun and laugh together, but at one point when Thomasin uncovers her face, she is shocked and terrified to find Samuel gone. She looks up and sees grass moving swiftly back and forth as if something has moved past it at great speed. She desperately cries out for her baby brother and runs towards the forest.

### The Silver Cup

*"Thomasin, where hast thou put the silver cup?"
"Is't not on the shelf?"
"Nay."
"In the six board, then."
"T'aint there neither. It has been disappeared for some while. Didst lose it?"
"I haven’t touched it."*
―Katherine and Thomasin[src]

Over the course of the next week, Samuel is not found. Katherine falls into a deep depression, unable to sleep and crying constantly. Thomasin feels an immense sense of guilt and is plagued by nightmares. One morning, Caleb finds her stirring in her sleep and wakes her. He tells her to sleep, reassuring her that all will be well. She rises some time later and as the twins play, Thomasin finds Katherine lying in her bed, praying and sobbing. She goes to the brook and fetches water in a bucket, but has trouble balancing it on her head and spills some. She then checks the chicken coop and finds an egg, but accidentally drops it and finds blood within.

Thomasin later shovels dung out of the sheep shed. She tells the twins to come and help her, but instead they chase the billy goat, Black Phillip, around the yard and sing to him. Consumed with guilt, she returns to the spot where Samuel disappeared and reflects upon it. Hearing a commotion, she returns to the farm and finds that William and Caleb have returned from the forest and the former has fallen onto a pile of dung after wrestling Black Phillip back into his pen. Katherine chides Thomasin for not keeping watch of the twins, to which she replies that she did and asked them to help her, but they ignored her. Katherine orders her to take William's dung-stained rags to the brook and wash them. As the children continue their disobedience, William orders Thomasin to take the twins inside, which she does.

Thomasin takes William's rags to the brook and sets about scrubbing them. Caleb arrives to collect water for Kathrine and she notices him glancing at her. She asks him why he is dallying and when he does not reply she playfully splashes him. She asks him what is the matter and comforts him by holding him close. She comments that she has seen no apples since they left England and wishes for one, pretending to take a bite out of his head. They laugh and he tickles her.

They are alarmed when they hear a twig snapping, but it turns out to be Mercy playing a trick. Mercy pretends to be a witch and Thomasin tells her off for playing while she works like a slave. Mercy tells Thomasin that Katherine hates her and Thomasin threatens to tell on her for leaving the farm. Mercy replies that Black Phillip has told her she can do what she likes and that it is Thomasin's fault she cannot leave the yard, as she let a witch take Samuel. Caleb replies that a wolf stole Sam, but Mercy insists that it was a witch. Thomasin tells Mercy that she is the witch and that she gave Sam to the Devil. She pins Mercy down and threatens to eat her if she displeases her and warns her not to tell their parents. Caleb pulls Thomasin off and Mercy runs away. Caleb tells her off for telling horrible fancies and she tells him to leave her alone, as she hates his pity and does not need it.

Later that night, William leads the family in prayer as they sit down for supper. Katherine asks Thomasin what she has done with her father's silver cup and Thomasin asks if it is on the shelf. Katherine replies that it is not and Thomasin suggests that it is in the six board, but Katherine states that it is not there either and has been disappeared for a while. She asks Thomasin if she lost it and Thomasin affirms that she has not touched it. Katherine does not believe her and coldly asks if a wolf has stolen it too. They hear the goasts bleating and Katherine chides Thomasin for not bedding them down before supper. Thomasin goes outside to the goat pen and finds it open. She is preplexed to see a hare with an unusually sharp stare in among the goats.

As the family are in bed that night, Thomasin and her siblings overhear a conversation between their parents. Katherine calls out to the children and they do not reply. They listen as Katherine tells William that Thomasin has begun to mature into a woman and is now old enough to leave and serve another family. She tells him that due to their corn being infected with ergot, they will starve if they do not take drastic action. William ultimately gives in, promising to take Thomasin to the village the next day and give her to the Tildens or the Whytings.

### A Search for Food

*"Running away, then?"
"No."
"Lie not to me."
"I don't."
"Then what? Tell me! I’ll wake mother and father."*
―Thomasin and Caleb[src]

In the early hours, Thomasin follows Caleb to the stable and finds him saddling up Burt. She demands to know what he is doing, asking if he is running away. He replies that he is not and promises her that if she goes back to sleep and keeps silent, she will not need to leave to serve another family. She asks to go with him and he refuses, but she threatens to wake William and Katherine and he allows her to come along.

Thomasin rides on Burt as she and Caleb travel into the wood with with Fowler, where they find a dead rabbit in one of the traps William has set. Thomasin tells Caleb that they had glass windows back in England, but he does not believe her. She recalls Fowler laying on the floor in the sun and that one day he lay on the table and William joked that they would eat him. Caleb replies that he remembers that day, but not the glass windows. Suddenly, Fowler begins to bark. He has spotted a hare, the same one that Thomasin saw in the goat shed. Burt begins to panic and Fowler chases after the hare. Caleb pursues them and tells Thomasin to stay with Bert, but the horse runs off and she falls from his back and is knocked unconscious.

Thomasin regains consciousness in the evening. She hears William calling out for her and Caleb and runs towards his voice. Once she reaches him, they gratefully embrace and he asks her where Caleb has gone. They return to the farm and once night falls, Thomasin stands in the corner as Katherine asks what is the matter with her. William and Katherine argue about how they should go about finding Caleb and Katherine demands that Thomasin tell her why they went to the wood. Thomasin explains that she promised Caleb she would tell no one, but Katherine states that she does not care. Thomasin begs that she be allowed to find favor in her mother's eyes and Kathrine reples that she will if she tells her. Seeing that Thomasin is beset upon, William admits that he took the silver cup and sold it. He begs Katherine and Thomasin for forgiveness.

Thomasin and the twins watch as their parents argue and Katherine strikes William across the face. Afterwards, Thomasin treats her father's wound and asks Katherine if the goats have been bedded down yet. Katherine replies that they have not and Thomasin offers to do it to please her. Kathrine tells her to come closer and finally shows her some affection be kissing her on the forehead and telling her to hurry back. As Thomasin sees to the goats in their shed, she hears a noise outside. She investigates it and finds Caleb leaning naked and delirious against the pen. She catches him as he falls and calls to William. She aids Katherine as she tends to him, holding a bowl to collect his blood as the corner of his eyebrow is cut with a knife.

### Witchcraft

*"I am no witch, father!"
"What did I but see in my house?"
"Will you not hear me?!"
"I prithee, confess -"
"Why have you turned against me?"*
―Thomasin and William[src]

The next morning, Thomasin milks Flora, one of the nanny goats, as Mercy asks Black Phillip if Thomasin has made Caleb sick. She asks the twins what they are saying and the reply that the goat has told them that she is wicked and that she made Caleb sick by putting the Devil in him. Thomasin states that she would never hurt any of them, but Mercy reminds her that she beat her and threatened to eat her, which Thomasin insists was a jest. They tell her that their parents will find out that she is a witch. Thomasin squeezes Flora's teat and blood squirts out, shocking them all. Thomasin recoils and kicks the bucket away.

William calls upon the twins and Thomasin urges them not to speak of Flora's teat producing blood. As the family search for unspoiled crops, Mercy sings of Black Phillip, continuing to do so as Thomasin and Katherine repeatedly tell her to stop. They hear Caleb screaming in the house and rush in, where they find him sweating profusely and screaming about a female tormentor. Thomasin holds the twins back as William forces Caleb's mouth open with the handle of his knife to remove an obstructing object. Caleb spits out a bloody apple and Katherine cries out that he is bewitched. The twins accuse Thomasin, recalling her jest to Mercy and Flora's udder producing blood.

William refuses to believe them, but orders Thomasin to kneel. He demands to know if she loves the Word of God, the Bible and prayer. She replies that she loves them all and he believes her, declaring that while they are all children of sin, he has raised no witch. He orders them all to pray, but the twins state that they cannot remember the prayer. Thomasin orders them to pray, but they fall to the floor, screaming and convulsing. Caleb screams about animals performing sexual acts on his female tormentor and begs Jesus Christ to save him. Thomasin and her parents join hands and pray. Caleb falls silent before blissfully and estatically declaring his love for Jesus. He lies down and goes still, after which Katherine attempts to revive him only to discover that he is dead. Devastated, Thomasin orders the twins, who now lie still, to get up, but they do not respond. She leans towards Caleb, but Katherine angrily shouts at her to leave.

Thomasin runs out into the yard and cries. William follows her and holds her close, telling her of the plans he had for the farm. He asks her to tell her the truth. She is hurt and shocked that he does not believe her, but he is convinced that she bewitched Caleb and made the twins forget their prayer. He assures her that her soul belongs to Christ and that any deal she made with the Devil has no effect, to which she insists that she made no bargain and is not a witch. He begs her to confess and she reveals that she knew of his and Katherine's plan to rid the farm of her. She slates him for allowing her to take the blame for the silver cup's disappearance when he was responsible. She calls him a hypocrite and rails on his inability to feed his family, stating that he is good for nothing but chopping wood. He calls her a bitch and pushes her to the ground. Sick of the constant blame heaped upon her, she tearfully and furiously tells him that it is the twins who have made covenant with the Devil, who is none other than Black Phillip.

Thomasin screams as William drags her back into the house. Katherine orders that she be removed from the house, but Thomasin insists that she in no witch and William takes her side. He tells her to repeat her accusation, but Thomasin states that she cannot be certain. At his urging, she accuses the twins. William demands that the twins wake and accuses his children of lying and attempting to play him for a fool. He threatens to kill Jonas and the twins wake. Thomasin asks him if he sees now and he locks her and the twins in the goat shed with Black Phillip. Thomasin begs him not to keep her in there with them, but he refuses. He states that he will free them at dawn, when they will set off for the plantation, and urges them to think on their sins.

In the shed, the children ask each other if they are witches and that all reply that they are not. Thomasin asks the twins if Black Phillip really speaks to them and they do not reply, while the goat simply sits there grunting to himself. Later that night, William chops wood outside the shed and Thomasin hears him break down and confess that his pride is to blame for his family's misfortune. She is moved to tears as she hears her father tearfully beg Christ to save his family, even if it means his own damnation.

Late in the night, Thomasin and the twins are woken by a loud noise as an intruder enters the goat shed. They see a naked figure leaning beside Flora, slurping and biting at her teat. As they approach, the figure turns and cackles at them, revealed to be a hideous old woman. They all scream in terror.

### Living Deliciously

*"What dost thou want?"
"What canst thou give?"
"Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously?"
"Yes."
"Wouldst thou like to see the world?"
"What will you from me?"
"Dost thou see a book before thee? Remove thy shift."
"I cannot write my name."
"I will guide thy hand."*
―Black Phillip and Thomasin[src]

The next morning, Thomasin wakes to find the goat pen broken open, the twins gone and the nanny goats slaughtered. She sees William staring at the scene in shock and screams when Black Phillip charges at her father and gores him. She sobs as the goat backs away and rises up onto his hind legs, hopping about in a mocking fashion. William grabs an axe to kill the beast, but after a moment her throws it down. Thomas screams as Black Phillip charges at William again, knocking him into the pile of firewood and causing it to collapse on him. Once the goat leaves, Thomasin approaches her dead father and touches his cheek.

Thomasin screams as Katherine grabs her by the hair and demands to know what she has done. She demands to know where the twins are and Thomasin protests her innocence, stating that she does not know what she saw and that their attacker came from the sky. Katherine sees blood on Thomasin's hands and becomes convinced that she is a witch. As Thomasin begs her to believe her, Katherine accuses her of making covenent with the Devil, bewitching Caleb and William and killing the twins. She pins Thomasin to the ground and attacks her while Thomasin repeatedly declares her love for her. Thomasin grabs a nearby billhook and slashes Katherine's forehead. Katherine is shocked, but she quickly gets over it and begins to strangle Thomasin while letting out manic cries. Left with no other choice, Thomasin slashes Katherine several more times and cries as her dead mother collapses on top of her.

Thomas pushes Katherine's corpse off of her and stands up in a state of shock. She stares out toward the wood before going back into the house. Removing her bodice and skirt, she wraps a blanket around herself. Sitting down at the table, she rests her head and falls asleep.

Thomasin is woken hours later by the sound of ringing bells. Night has fallen and when she goes outside, she finds Black Phillip waiting for her outside the goat shed. He goes outside and she follows him in. She conjures him to speak to her as he did to the twins, but he does not reply. She asks if he understands her English tongue and demands that he answer her. He remains silent and as she turns to leave, he asks her what she wants.

Astonished, she asks what he can give. He asks her if she would like the taste of butter, a pretty dress and to live deliciously. She replies that she would and he asks if she would like to see the world. She asks what he wants from her and he asks if she sees a book before her. Thomasin looks down and sees a book lying open on the floor with several names written in it. Black Phillip steps towards her, transforms into a tall, darkly handsome man and orders her to remove her shift. She does so and he steps behind her, gripping her shoulder with his gloved hand. She tells him that she cannot write her name and he replies that he will guide her hand.

The naked Thomasin is led into the wood by Black Phillip, who is now a goat once again. As they travel deeper and deeper into the forest, she hears voices chanting in Enochian. They eventually reach a clearing, where she finds several naked witches writhing and chanting around a bonfire. Upon finishing their chant, the witches cackle and float into the air. Thomasin then notices herself beginning to float and laughs hysterically as she rises up towards the treetops.

## Personality

*"I promised."
"I care not."
"Let me find favor in your eyes."
"Child, tell me and thou wilt."
"I... I..
"Speak!"*
―Thomasin and Katherine[src]
Thomasin is initially a kind and loving girl who stays loyal to her family despite her fear as they are banished from the plantation where they lived. She adores her siblings and is overcome with guilt when her baby brother Samuel goes missing under her watch. Her brother Caleb is very close to her and they comfort each other during difficult times. Though she loves her parents William and Katherine and her twin siblings Mercy and Jonas, her relationship with them grows sour when they blame her from Samuel's disappearance and accuse her of being a witch. The constant blame they heap upon her eventually drives Thomasin past her breaking point and causes her to make accusations of her own. The mistreatment by her family and their eventual deaths, including Thomasin herself killing Katherine in self-defence, causes Thomasin to pledge her loyalty to the Devil. Finally free her to follow her own desires, she laughs hysterically as she becomes a witch.

## Religion

*"Look me in the eye, daughter. Dost thou love the word of God?"
"Yes."
"Love you The Bible? Love you Prayer?"
"Yes! Yes!"
"We are children of sin all, yet I tell thee, I have raised up no witch in this house. Let us pray, then we need fear nothing. We shall never lie open to the wicked one. Pray for thy brother."*
―William and Thomasin[src]
Thomasin is initially a Christian, praying to God for forgiveness of her sins and declaring her love for the Bible and prayer. However, constantly being misblamed by her family drives her towards the Devil, leading her to sign her name in his book and bind her soul to him for eternity.

## Behind the Scenes

* Thomasin is loosely based on Elizabeth Knapp, a teenage girl who lived in Massachusetts in the 17th Century who was believed to be possessed by the Devil.
* Stephannie Hawkins was a stunt double for Anya Taylor-Joy in the role of Thomasin.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Eggers, Robert, *The Witch*, A24, USA, February 19, 2016
2. ↑ The Witch: Robert Eggers Explains ‘Butter’ and ‘Living Deliciously’ | Den of Geek