Crime and Punishment in the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages time line is better studied and researched after a segregation of the early, middle and late periods it constituted. The early Middle Ages era begins around 1066. This period is identified by battles and conquests. Ending in 1485, the era paved the way for what is recognized as the Medieval era. Historians believe that this phase in world history began with the death of King Richard III. Thereafter, the phase around 1485 witnessed the end of the era and the beginning of a period that changed world history altogether - The Renaissance in Italy and subsequently, the whole world. The Middle Ages witnessed the reigns of the kings and wars like the Wars of the Roses and the Battle of Bosworth Field. This period was enriched by the presence of enigmatic luminaries including Joan of Arc, Geoffrey Chaucer, Martin Luther, Marco Polo and Braveheart William Wallace. The Middle Ages spans nearly five hundred years of European history. The times were violent and barbarous.

Crime in the Middle Ages:

This was an era of cruel and inconsiderate exploitation. In fact, much of the rebellion that the phase witnessed came from such aggravation. The commoners were either punished for going against the commands of the lores and knights or for thieving, to provide amidst scarcity. Rebellion against the unjust system and subsequently, treason, was a common crime way back then. When King Henry VIII took over as 'head of the church', hearsay was an offense. It was considered a sin as well, to be going against god. The other crimes in the Middle Ages, which were strongly reprimanded, included witchcraft and vagrancy. While the former was largely a part of hearsay, the latter involved wandering aimlessly. Then, there was smuggling of prized articles like silk and tobacco and highway robberies and those by outlaws. There were quite a few instances of people getting hung for counterfeiting coins and rape.

Punishments in the Middle Ages:

In this era, punishments were severe mainly arising from the threat that the crimes posed to an exploitative reign. Criminals were punished by the kings, knights, lords, sheriffs and the church. The local police were responsible for confining the criminals to an area till any trial commenced. The criminals were not fed by the authorities, and depended solely on family and friends for food and necessities. The gaols, as they were called back then, were filthy places and many of the criminals died of disease and starvation. The punishments included death, fines, public humiliation and subjection to torture chambers, depending on the criminal's social status. Torture was mostly used to extract names of accomplices, testimonies and confessions. The methods of torture that were used in this very exciting period in European history include pillory, brodequins, and execution by the wheel, quartering, hanging etc. The torture was a deliberate and systematic infliction of physical and mental pain and anguish. The devices used were designed to ensure the infliction of unbearable agony. However, when devices were not used, the methods were barbarous and included ripping out of nails and teeth, merciless beating, branding, disfigurement, limb removal and starvation. It was also uncommon for a person to be tickled to death!