"The Devil in the Detail" explores the rationality of magical belief on the early modern English stage. I examine how demons and demonic magic were depicted in the theatre, arguing that playwrights ascribed a sense of realism to the devil’s methods. In explaining the devil's modus operandi and exposing the limitations of his magic, the stage validates supernatural belief and depicts the devil’s craft as plausible. More broadly, this thesis is situated within the ongoing debate over the relationship between magic and scientific thought in early modern Europe, confirming that demonology was not an irrational superstition but a valid pre-science. Set against a background of witch persecution and the widespread belief that demons were a material reality, the devil was both the subject of prevalent intellectual inquiry and a popular figure on the early modern English stage, featuring in at least fifty-two plays between 1509 and 1638. Underpinning this particular brand of entertainment is a cohesive and consistent ontological framework that dictated the extent to which the devil could - and could not - operate in the material world, entirely in keeping with the dominant demonological thought of the time. "The Devil in the Detail" focuses on seven devil plays: Marlowe's Doctor Faustus (c.1590), Greene's Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (c.1590), John of Bordeaux (c.1590), Jonson's The Devil is an Ass (1616), Dekker, Ford and Rowley's The Witch of Edmonton (1621), Brome and Heywood's The Late Lancashire Witches (1634) and Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611). In each chapter, I demonstrate how these texts both adhere to orthodox demonology and emphasise the devil’s humanlike qualities. The final chapter presents the case for demonism in The Tempest.

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This dissertation investigated the dynamics, rationales and context of accounting practices in a pre-industrial setting. By focusing on the case of the General Company of Pernambuco and Paraíba (PPC), the examination could analyze a firm\'s entire lifecycle (from the birth until decline) to answer the following research question: How and why did the PPC\'s liquidation process stretch for so long? The PPC was a privately owned company whose monopoly privilege was granted by the Portuguese Crown in 1759 and suspended in 1780. Between the removal of the monopoly rights and 1813, the company \'got stuck\' in a liquidation despite using double-entry bookkeeping. The study preserves the historical integrity of the analysis using the mental frame of the PPC own time. Based on the premise that accounting cannot be isolated from the setting in which it plays a role, four context issues were chosen to answer the research question: (1) the relationship between the PPC and the Crown, (2) the organizational structure of the PPC, (3) the accounting system of the PPC, and (4) the ties between PPC\'s stakeholders. It shows how and why each factor evolved over time and contributed to the delay in the PPC\'s liquidation. The examination relies upon different archival sources, including the surviving corporate books prepared at two of PPC\'s business units. The applied research design was a case study. The Crown acted as the head of the PPC but did not exercise close control over directors. The continuity of the business was financially more attractive for the directors than the liquidation process. The corporate rules, mainly remuneration, created incentives for their behavior. The seats on the boards of the PPC were controlled by a small group of shareholders. The directors changed some accounts\' rationales for their benefit, and the accounting procedures were realized without zeal. The issued financial statements also created an unreal financial situation (overvaluation) which directors insisted on realizing during the liquidation. The PPC granted credit based on fragile criteria and without sufficient guarantees. In the liquidation, when the company needed to convert the receivables into cash, the lack of guarantees caused additional delay / Esta tese investigou a dinâmica, lógica e contexto das práticas contábeis de uma empresa luso-brasileira do século XVIII ao longo de todo ciclo de vida (da instituição à liquidação). O estudo se desenvolveu em torno da Companhia Geral de Pernambuco e Paraíba (PPC) para responder à seguinte questão de pesquisa: Como e Por que o processo de liquidação da PPC se arrastou por tanto tempo? A PPC era uma empresa privada cujo privilégio monopólio foi concedido pela Coroa Portuguesa em 1759 e suspenso em 1780. Entre a supressão dos direitos de monopólio e 1813, a empresa ficou \"presa\" em uma liquidação apesar de usar o método da partida dobrada, reconhecido na época como método perfeito para mercadores de grosso trato. O estudo preserva a integridade histórica na análise, usando o quadro mental da época da PPC. Com base na premissa de que a contabilidade não existe de forma isolada, mas se encontra imersa em um contexto social e organizacional, quatro aspectos foram escolhido para a análise: (1) a relação entre a PPC e a Coroa portuguesa, (2) a estrutura organizacional da PPC, (3) o sistema contábil da PPC, e (4) as relações entre as partes interessadas da PPC. A análise mostra como e por que cada aspecto evoluiu ao longo do tempo e contribuiu para o atraso na liquidação da PPC. O exame baseia-se em diferentes fontes arquivais, incluindo os livros corporativos escriturados por duas das unidades de negócios da PPC. A pesquisa foi estruturada como um estudo de caso. A coroa atuou com \"cabeça\" da PPC, mas não exerceu controle próximo sobre a ação dos diretores. A continuidade do negócio era financeiramente mais atraente para os diretores que o processo de liquidação. As regras societárias, principalmente, remuneração, criou incentivos para que os gestores perseguissem seus interesses. Os cargos executivos da PPC foram controlados por um grupo pequeno de acionistas. Os diretores alteraram a racionalidade de algumas rubricas contábeis em benefício próprio. Os procedimentos contábeis passaram a ser realizados sem zelo e a companhia parou de publicar balanços. As demonstrações financeiras publicadas criaram uma situação financeira irreal (superavaliação), que os diretores insistiram em realizar durante a liquidação. A PPC concedeu crédito com base em critérios frágeis e sem garantias suficientes. Na liquidação, quando a empresa precisava converter os recebíveis em dinheiro, a falta de garantia provocou atrasos adicionais

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