Hung in front of a crowd, stoned in the middle of a courtyard, or guillotined, methods of crime and punishment in the Elizabethan era were very different from the practices that are executed in today’s day, varying all the way from different types of crimes to their types of punishments and the laws that have been implemented to prevent them from happening as frequently. From 1558 to 1603, people endured these horrendous punishments for typical crimes that would serve nothing more than a fine in today’s day and age. The Elizabethan Era was composed of varying crimes, harsh punishments, and strict laws.
The types of crimes in the Elizabethan Era varied from minuscule offenses such as fornication, to things of a higher degree such as plotting to overthrow the queen or denying …show more content…
This was the sad reality for many poor civilians living in that time. People would be arrested and tortured for begging. “Theft for anything over five pence would result in hanging” (Johnson). Five pence in U.S dollars is eight cents. Eight cents. Steal eight cents and you end up dead. That was the crazy reality back then. Laws back in the Elizabethan Era were very different than the laws implemented in today’s society. The laws and punishments back then were by far the most cruel and unethical out of all eras in history. It is safe to say that drastic changes have been made and people’s moral values have changed; For example, women’s rights. Back then, women had little to no freedom and absolutely depended on men to get by. Elizabethan women could not vote, could not go to university, and had to be tutored at home, since their was no school for girls. It was a mans world. John Knox wrote, "Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” This is how women were always thought of. It is safe to say that people’s thoughts have evolved and have reflected and shown through new laws for equality in
The types of crimes in the Elizabethan Era varied from minuscule offenses such as fornication, to things of a higher degree such as plotting to overthrow the queen or denying …show more content…
This was the sad reality for many poor civilians living in that time. People would be arrested and tortured for begging. “Theft for anything over five pence would result in hanging” (Johnson). Five pence in U.S dollars is eight cents. Eight cents. Steal eight cents and you end up dead. That was the crazy reality back then. Laws back in the Elizabethan Era were very different than the laws implemented in today’s society. The laws and punishments back then were by far the most cruel and unethical out of all eras in history. It is safe to say that drastic changes have been made and people’s moral values have changed; For example, women’s rights. Back then, women had little to no freedom and absolutely depended on men to get by. Elizabethan women could not vote, could not go to university, and had to be tutored at home, since their was no school for girls. It was a mans world. John Knox wrote, "Women in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.” This is how women were always thought of. It is safe to say that people’s thoughts have evolved and have reflected and shown through new laws for equality in