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Crime and punishment in elizabethan england
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In the Elizabethan Era crime and punishment was Unmerciful, Unfair and had inhuman treatment.
Crime and punishment in the Elizabethan era where split into two different classes. The upper class consisted of the nobility,courtiers, and the Royal family etc. The lower class consisted of every one else.( Elizebethean-era.org.uk)Crimes and punishments would vary between each class. If someone was in the upper class they could be charged with a more sever crime than the lower class. Punishment would dramatically be different if both an upper and lower class people committed the same crime. For example if someone were in the upper class and they Murdered some one they could be charged a death sentence. If a lower class person murdered someone they would be tortured then killed if not already dead. Many crimes that an upper class person did where not common for the lower class and same for the upper class.
The Plot to over throw the Queen or anyone in the Royal family is the highest form of treason(Tomecek.com). If anyone had reasons to believe that you had a conspiracy to over thrown the queen you were tortured and punished without a fair trial or any trial at all. And if someone had a conspiracy to overthrow the queen they were hanged, before dead taken down dragged throw the city by a
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horse than chopped into four pieces and put on display for every one to see. Conspiracy a towards the queen in the Elizabethan era where very high because of her religion. Many of the people that wanted to kill her where all Roman Catholic she was Protestant(Elizibithi.org). Smaller crimes today like theft, poaching, begging where taken seriously in the Elizabethan era.
All three of these crimes could get a person a death sentence and/or torture. At this point in human history there were many crimes people could get away with. The reason for this was because of corrupt government and bribery. There are many crimes that are very hard to get away with and if caught there was a sever punishment waiting. For example if someone was was caught stealing birds eggs you would get a death sentence. (Elizebethean-era.org.uk)If caught begging the person was whipped or put on the pillory the next time caught begging you where hanged or
beheaded(Elizebethan-era.org.uk) In the Elizabethan era any crime had a severe punishment for it. There where no legal trials or any trials at all. Without the trials any person that committed or were accused of a crime where treated unfairly. If someone was in prison they did not have to feed you take care of you they could leave you there to die. All punishments were gruesome and inhuman Evan the little crimes if caught had a big punishment waiting.
Crimes was mostly committed by the lower class, the ones who were poor and unable to work. The working class however were not thieves because they are able to afford the necessities of life. Highwaymen, murder, and theft of property were all common crimes committed by males unlike females whose crimes were infanticide, prostitution, and theft. The Ordinary of Newgate’s Account describes how “William Spiggot was indicted for four several Robberies on the High-Way, and found Guilty, with Thomas Cross otherwise Phillips, and William Burrows” (Ordinary’s Account, 4). As described in the lectures those offences were considered crimes without qualification because they were crimes with victims. Social crime was considered a victimless crime, and has no capital punishment tied to it. Highwaymen were hanged for their crimes because they robbed on the King’s highway and that was considered a capital crime. Crimes committed by people like Ethrinton Wrathan who “was condemned…for breaking open the Warehouse of John Hide, Esq; and taking thence 1080 Yards of Sail-Cloth, value £90.” (Ordinary’s Account, 4) This offence was punishable by death due to the reason that any crime over a shilling was a capital crime. Crime was considered a bad path to go on due to the reason that it was easy to commit crime again once that path was
It was believed that everyone and everything was designed for a certain place and purpose, and some classes are given partial treatment based on their place in society, thus causing worse punishments and increase in crime rates. Anyone accused of capital crimes were given the right to a trial, although their legal defense was minimal. However, in most cases involving the state, the courts would ignore evidence. Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), for example, was accused of treason in 1603. Even though many believed that the charged were fabricated, and he had a convincing defense, he was found guilty and condemned to death. (Harrison) Cases like this weren’t uncommon with the prolonged expectations of poor social classes. The nobility, ranked immediacy under royalty, was seen as better in every way, including felonious acts. Continuing, it is stated that “most property crime during Elizabethan times, according to The Oxford Illustrated History of Tudor & Stuart Britain, was committed by the young, the poor, or the homeless” (Harrison). The escalated level of crime is reason that the lower classes were so poor and mistreated. They lived under an invisible but heavy pressure to commit minor crimes such as petty theft and pick pocketing in order to survive on the
In February, 1587, Queen Elizabeth had ordered her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scotts, to her execution to eliminate all possibilities of any threats to her throne. This event would reflect the relentless violence and unforgiving punishments of the judicial system in Elizabethan Era. Criminals during Queen Elizabeth’s reign in England, known as the Elizabethan Era, were subject to harsh, violent punishments for their crimes. England was separated into two social classes, which were the nobility, and the commoners. Within each class, the punishments were defined by the class and type of crime that had been committed. Under the Tudor rule, the punishments dating back to the middle ages were revived. Such gruesome punishments were carried out to strike fear into the hearts of the English citizens and lower crime rate. There were a wide range of crimes that a person could be prosecuted for, and even included the act of witchcraft and alchemy. Of course, today the American court system would find prosecutions of witchcraft and alchemy ridiculous. However, in the Elizabethan Era, people accused of even the most petty of crimes would be immediately placed in prison to await their sentences, often resulting in death. Public executions were a common practice, and were often a form of entertainment for a crowd of spectators. Often considered as the “Golden Age” in English history, England’s court systems became an essential part of society because cruel punishments were severe enough to strike fear into English citizens as well as demonstrating the influence and power of Queen Elizabeth’s rule.
“Crime was met with violent, cruel punishments.” For something as simple as stealing an apple a commoner would lose their hand. They did this for embarrassment. If someone saw them with one hand, they would know you had stolen. “Many executions were witnessed by hundreds of people.” An execution only happened if a threat was made on royals or murder. An execution day was many commoners favorite day. They got the whole day off of work. On these days the whole town would gather and watch as the criminal got his head chopped off. Everything in this time had more painful punishments, but not because of their lack of technology; but because the leaders wanted you to learn your lesson. If someone lost a hand for stealing, they would most likely not do it again.
...ments. Through the public humiliation of hundreds of criminals, public squares became lively areas full of excitement and joy. Even if it did not effectively deter crime, the cruel and unusual punishments of the Elizabethan Era helped citizens keep occupied. When punishments were not deadly, they were still painful enough to strike fear into the citizens of England. Obviously, the Elizabethan Era was a very violent time in England.
The lesson is situated in the fourth week, and is the eleventh and second last lesson in the unit outline.
Criminals were not dealt with in private. They were displayed in towns and the middle of the marketplace for all the people to see. Many were witnessed by hundreds of people. Commoners treated punishment days as “exciting” days out("Elizabethan Crime and Punishment" 1). The crowds of people who gathered for the public punishments and executions could be considered twisted individuals. They relished these days. For example, theft resulted in public hanging for all of the people to watch. Often times crimes were falsely accused and the crowds knew it, but nothing could be done. Small crimes, such as stealing bird eggs would result in a death sentence. It was the terrible price starving people had to pay because the government made begging illegal("Elizabethan Crime and Punishment" 1). Many crimes resulted in brutal beatings. Beatings and executions were definitely not an issue, the only question was the type of beating a person would get or how they a would be executed("Elizabethan Crime and Punishment" 1). A lot of times the Upper class was exempt from punishment unless it was a serious crime. Unfortunately, the Commoners did not get that valuable treatment because they were almost always in trouble. With any evidence of relationships with evil spirits condemned a person to death by hanging, burning, or drowning. More punishments included: beheading, pressing, and the drunkard's cloak. The drunkard’s cloak was basically a big barrel
"During the Elizabethan era, crimes of treason and offenses against the state were treated with the same severity that murder is today” (Beyer 1). Some crimes in the Elizabethan era wouldn’t even be considered crimes today. Punishments were not extreme. Minor crimes such as begging would result in public beatings until they ran to the town’s border. If any simple crimes were repeated, they would be sent to jail, or possibly hanged.
The Elizabethan Era is the period of time over which Queen Elizabeth I reigned over England and Ireland. The crime and punishment techniques that were once considered normal and necessary are now considered violent and cruel. Crimes were met with punishments and executions witnessed by many people. The lower class and upper class had separate crimes and punishments with levels of extremity.
Six social classes in the Elizabethan Era : Monarch, Nobility, Gentry, Merchants, Yeomen, and Laborers.
To begin, there were many various crimes that the commoners committed in the Elizabethan Era. A few of the common crimes were theft,
People were even punished harshly for trivial crimes such as stealing a loaf of bread. . This was considered a serious offence in this time period. These crimes were mainly executed people who had no job. So they resorted to these crimes to get a pay.
Crime is something that needs to be punished but during the Middle Ages the punishments were meant to reflect the crimes that were committed. Because the punishments were very effective but were not very reasonable todays world had to change those extreme punishments. Crime should not be taken lightly but it should not be punished as harshly as it was during the Medieval Times. So, because the punishments were very effective but weren’t very reasonable today’s world had to change those extreme punishments. People of the Middle Ages were convicted of anything.
Punishment has changed a lot in today’s world compared to the ancient and medieval times. Some might say that the punishment that is
person knew that a particularly painful punishment was in-store for them, they would not commit the crime. This led to the creation of such punishments as beatings, torture, banishment, death, fines, and public humiliation.