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THIS is an inquiry into a certain kind of episode found in earlier literature that I call magic because it centers on a confrontation between two people (or sometimes between one person and a group) in which each side makes use of or calls upon some supernatural power in order to defeat opposing side. It would obviously be impossible to survey all these contests in literary archive, and so I have limited inquiry by beginning with oldest examples of contest that have come down to us, then proceeding to a few treatments of it in early modern English drama, and concluding with an examination of its transformation and decline in Shakespeare. The best known of ancient contests is recorded in Exodus 7:9-12, where Lord tells Moses that must order Pharaoh to release children of Israel, and that When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh and it shall become a serpent. And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh . . . and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called and sorcerers: now magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.1 This contest continues into plagues that Moses, following directions of Lord, brings down on Egypt. After first plague, when makes rivers run with blood, we are told that the magicians of did so with their (7:22), which is same locution used for serpents and apparently means that they were able to duplicate his feat. And after second, when covers land with frogs, this is made explicit: the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon land of Egypt (8:7). But after third, when turns dust into lice, we find that the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not, and therefore the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is finger of (8:18-19). And after sixth plague, when turns ashes into boils breaking forth with blains, the magicians could not stand before Moses because of boils; for boil was upon and upon all Egyptians (9:11). This marks end of contest and their complete defeat, for we hear no more of them. There is another contest of this kind in Genesis 41:1-39 that is initiated by an earlier pharaoh. He had a dream that troubled him, so he sent and called for all magicians of Egypt, and all thereof to interpret it (8), but not one of them could do it. Then sends for Joseph, who is able to explain its true meaning. Moreover, Joseph repeatedly attributes both Pharaoh's dream and his own correct interpretation of it to God worships (16, 25, 28, 32), and at end this pharaoh agrees with him (38, 39) and makes him chief officer of government of Egypt. The theological stakes are even clearer in a later contest arranged by Elijah between him and 450 prophets of Baal that is played out on Mount Carmel before King Ahab and assembled people of Israel in 1 Kings 18:1940. The Baalim sacrifice a bullock on their altar and pray to Baal to respond, but nothing happens; and then Elijah sacrifices another bullock on his own altar and prays to Lord for a response, whereupon fire descends from heaven and consumes sacrifice. Thus Elijah wins contest and orders people to slay 450 prophets of Baal, and let not one of them escape (40). There are three of these contests in book of Daniel, each of which pits Daniel against opponents who are variously called magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, soothsayers, sorcerers, and wise men of Babylon. The first two (2:1-49 and 4:4-37) are very similar to Joseph's contest in Genesis: in both of them King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that troubles him and sends for his magicians and like, who cannot interpret it, and then sends for Daniel, who can. …
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