Torture In The Middle Ages Essay

Torturers in the Middle Ages were used to violently frighten, force confessions, punish, and to satisfy personal hatred towards the accused. (McDonald 1) Torture in the Medieval Times was today’s form of interrogation, but was used with multiple torturing devices. Torture was performed in the torture chambers or the dungeons, usually located in the lower parts of the castles. Before torture was approved the accused would have to be proven mostly guilty, but not completely, before torture was acted upon. The criminal or victims’ crime was dependent upon what they were accused of or how important they were in the society; the worse the crime the worse the torture. (Alchin 1) Torturers would use multiple torturing devices and execution …show more content…
The Breaking Wheel consisted of a large wagon wheel with gaps between the rays of spokes, which caused the bones to give in more easily. Victims were forced and strapped onto the wheel where they were brutally beaten causing various amounts of broken bones and grotesque wounds. Unfortunately, in this case, broken bones wasn't an instantaneous death. Victims would often survive multiple days, until they could no longer live. (The 10 Most …show more content…
Ordeal by combat, where the victim was obligated to battle against a bigger, more muscular man or even worse, their mother or father. Ordeal by fire, the accused would have to hold a scolding hot bar, leaving charred wounds on their hands, and if healed were not guilty. Ordeal by bread, where the victim was forced to eat a whole piece of bread and were considered guilty if they choked. Ordeal by water, intensely cold water was put into barrels and the victim was released into the water, and if they sank they were guilty. Many people believed that the not guilty people were accompanied and helped by God, proving them to not be guilty. (Sierra