Punishment In The Elizabethan Era Essay

People would not be able to get away with such a cruel action towards another human in the time of the Elizabethan era. Why in the world were punishments for crimes so brutal during the Elizabethan era? Torture at that time was used to punish a person for his or her crimes, intimidate them and the group to which he or she belongs, gather information, and/or to obtain a confession. There were many torturous forms of punishment in the Elizabethan era that ranged from burning, or stretching, hanging, to suffocating a person accused of a crime.
One popular form of punishment during the 16th century was burning (Alchin 1). This was typically reserved for government traitors or a person that spoke against religion. The accused criminal was burned on a stake, and this was trusted to be one of the most dreadful ways to die. Some executioners …show more content…
It was a huge deal for someone to commit a crime, even if it was the smallest crime possible. “Executions were committed in front of thousands of people” (Achin 1). “These punishments were often committed to the poor and desperate people” (Alchin 2). The poor stole from the wealthier people or people that may have had more than them because they did not have enough to live. These actions caused them to be killed immediately, even if they were poor with nothing like many of the people at this time. Even though now it is a terrible thing to be done to people, it was a habitual thing to do at that time. The ways that the leader chose to kill people were some of the most cruel but effective ways. They did not suffer tremendously, but it was thought as a way to show other people that this is what happens when the laws were not obeyed. The Elizabethan era was not a time to mess around in. Anything said or acted upon that the ruler did not approve of was an automatic death penalty, which was provided in a very relentless