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MLA CITATION

Alchin, Linda. Elizabethan Crime and Punishment. N.P., Feb. 2018, http://www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-crime-punishment.htm Accessed 23 April 2019.

Picard, Liza. Crime and punishment in Elizabethan England. N.P., 15 Mar. 2016, https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/crime-and-punishment-in-elizabethan-england Accessed 23 April 2019.

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Punishments were harsh during the Elizabethan Era because it was considered high treason to defy the government, which at the time was basically the Queen, Queen Elizabeth. The article articulates how “To deny that Elizabeth… was to threaten her government and was treason, for which the penalty was death by hanging. But first, torture, to discover any fellow-plotters” (Picard). Harsh punishment was enforced upon people who rebelled against the crown and in order to find other perpetrators who could possibly upset the crown later on. As a result, Queen Elizabeth suppressed rebellions and prevented future threats to her government and power.

Furthermore, punishments during the Elizabethan Era were harsh in order to dissuade people from committing crimes, even the smallest ones. The people who were punished were used as examples of what would happen if one were to commit a crime. To give an example, the article explains that “Traitors were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered… After various other horrors, the corpse was cut into four pieces and the head was taken off. The quarters were nailed up in various places in London, and the head was displayed on a pole fixed over one of the gateways into the city” (Picard). This placement forced others to see the horrible punishments and fear the outcome of any crimes they committed or would possibly commit in the future, effectively bringing them into submission. They realized how they could be the one hanged at any time if they committed a crime, stopping much of it and creating a peaceful time in the Elizabethan Era.

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Crime and punishment in Elizabethan England were especially harsh in this time which is known for its large amount of violence and gore. Some everyday activities today could be deadly crimes in this era such as simply begging. In today’s standard, it is deemed polite to donate spare change to those in need; however, in Elizabethan England, it was considered vulgar and impolite to be begging and was outlawed with the punishment being a beating “until they reached the stones that marked the town parish boundary.” (Alchin, Linda) The death penalty in the United States is rarely given as a punishment and is very secluded away from the public eye. In contrast, Elizabethan England delt some of the harshest punishments and the death penalty could be given for stealing.
Not only was the death penalty frequent, but the execution was also an event which common folk would come to watch. A common type of execution was through the guillotine with an executioner. After the beheading of the criminal, “the severed head was held up by the hair by the executioner, not as many people think to show the crowd the head, but in fact to show the head the crowd and to its own body!” (Alchin, Linda) Thievery was looked down upon extremely and death was almost always a punishment; however, an interesting highly valuable item was bird eggs which if stolen could result in hanging. Over many centuries, human morals and laws have changed dramatically, and maybe in the future, our laws and punishments will be seen as highly immoral.
Scroll right for second two paragraphs on the right.