Crime and Punishment During the Elizabethan Era
Like a lot of other things, crime during the Elizabethan era was much different today, Even the littlest of thievery was not shown any mercy during one's punishment. Many of these harsh punishments were meant to teach people to never commit crimes like the ones committed. There were many different type of punishments, crimes, and other suspicious people.
Thievery was a very usual scene during the Elizabethan era; one of the most common crimes was pickpocketing. What thieves would do is look for a crowded area of people and secretly slip his/her money out of their pockets.”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.”(Picard). If the person being robbed would have felt a hand in his/her purse, the civilian would often yell “Stop thief!” Hopefully triggering a guard to hunt him down. Most of the thieves were to skilled at getting away to ever be caught; as supported by this quote.” But this rarely succeeded, thieves being adept at disappearing through the crowd.”(Picard) They would blend in by getting …show more content…
Minor punishments, for crimes like poaching (only during the day), begging and forgers. The punishment for begging and possibly forging would be a lashing in the town square.” 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.”(Picard). Another minor punishments could’ve been what was known as carting.”being carried through the city in a cart, or riding backwards on a horse, wearing a placard describing the offence – an Elizabethan version of naming and shaming.”(Picard). This would publicly embarrass the victim, making him/her look like a
Like a lot of other things, crime during the Elizabethan era was much different today, Even the littlest of thievery was not shown any mercy during one's punishment. Many of these harsh punishments were meant to teach people to never commit crimes like the ones committed. There were many different type of punishments, crimes, and other suspicious people.
Thievery was a very usual scene during the Elizabethan era; one of the most common crimes was pickpocketing. What thieves would do is look for a crowded area of people and secretly slip his/her money out of their pockets.”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.”(Picard). If the person being robbed would have felt a hand in his/her purse, the civilian would often yell “Stop thief!” Hopefully triggering a guard to hunt him down. Most of the thieves were to skilled at getting away to ever be caught; as supported by this quote.” But this rarely succeeded, thieves being adept at disappearing through the crowd.”(Picard) They would blend in by getting …show more content…
Minor punishments, for crimes like poaching (only during the day), begging and forgers. The punishment for begging and possibly forging would be a lashing in the town square.” 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.”(Picard). Another minor punishments could’ve been what was known as carting.”being carried through the city in a cart, or riding backwards on a horse, wearing a placard describing the offence – an Elizabethan version of naming and shaming.”(Picard). This would publicly embarrass the victim, making him/her look like a