Crime and Punishment Research by Evelyn Dinh

Bibliography

eadinh100 — 2019-04-23 17:37:47 UTC

- Picard, Liza. “Crime and Punishment in Elizabethan England.” The British Library, The British Library, 17 Feb. 2016, <https://www.bl.uk/shakespeare/articles/crime-and-punishment-in-elizabethan-england>
- Infolinks. “Elizabethan Crime and Punishment.” Elizabethan Crime and Punishment,
<http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-crime-and-punishment.htm>
- “ElizabethanCrime and Punishment.” Elizabethan Crime and Punishment, www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-crime-punishment.htm.
<http://www.william-shakespeare.info/elizabethan-crime-punishment.htm>

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eadinh100 — 2019-04-23 17:38:19 UTC

In the Elizabethan era, crimes were committed by mostly the common people. "The crowded nave of St Paul’s Cathedral was a favourite with pickpockets and thieves, where innocent sightseers mixed with prostitutes, and servants looking for work rubbed shoulders with prosperous merchants." (Liza Picard) Everyone kept to themselves because of this, trying to hold on to the valuables that they had brought with them. If someone were to feel another trying to take their belongings, they would let out a cry to alarm the people around them, and everyone was to chase after the thief. However, the thieves were rarely ever caught.

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eadinh100 — 2019-04-23 17:38:26 UTC

There are two categories of punishments, although both are gruesome. The first category, minor punishments, were mostly reserved for crimes of incest and fornication (sexual involvement between two people who weren't married). These crimes were punishable through "carting" where the person is carried through the town on a cart or riding backwards on a horse. They were wearing a sort of sign describing their punishment. Another way of punishment was the pillory, where the person had his hands and head in a wooden plank. People could throw things at the criminal, even killing him. The second category was serious punishments. The crimes that could result in serious punishments were "buggery, stealing hawks, highway robbery and letting out of ponds, as well as treason." (Liza Picard) One form of a serious punishment was "The Rack" where the person's ligaments snap and cause horrible pain. Other ways of punishment was burning, hanging, drawing, and quartering.

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eadinh100 — 2019-04-23 17:38:36 UTC

During the Elizabethan era, many crimes were committed, such as "theft, cut purses, begging, poaching, adultery, debtors, forgers, fraud and dice coggers.” ("ElizabethanCrime and Punishment") The common people committing these crimes were taking tolls to their consequences and punishments. The punishments for these crimes were made through trials like nowadays. However, the punishments given today aren't as critical back in the late 1500s.

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eadinh100 — 2019-04-23 17:38:40 UTC

Numerous of the commoners have died relentlessly from the punishments of their crimes. Depending on the crime, the courtiers would help decide whether or not the person or people that have committed the crime to be sentenced to death. The punishments for these crimes were mostly hanging, burning, whipping, cutting off body parts, and etc. For instance, begging was a serious crime back in the Elizabethan era, and the 'poor beggars' punishment was to be beaten up. “The beatings given as punishment were bloody and merciless and those who were caught continually begging could be sent to prison and even hanged as their punishment." (ElizabethanCrime and Punishments)

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itruong101 — 2019-04-25 03:40:59 UTC