...One of the several momentous changes in the areas of law and order was relative to methods of punishment. In the Middle Ages torture was considered an acceptable and adequate form of punishment. Unfortunately, this encompassed cruel and ruthless methods such as the scold's `bridle, stocks, and pillories, and burnt at the stake (Medieval Torture and Punishment, 2018). After King John had issued the Magna Carta, to address the political crisis he faced in 1215CE from the rebelled barons, concluded the use of torturous devices and excruciating forms of execution as methods of punishment. Deliberate, callous and systematic infliction of physical and mental sufferings from torture was needed to be diminished, which is one of the main purposes of...
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...side. This epic has lead many through the depths of Medieval Christianity, displaying its importance on every society since then. With this description, man is awakened to the ethical, political, social, and philosophical aspects of Dante's time, later introducing the Renaissance era. Society in the Middle Ages consisted of two focuses; survival and God. These focuses lead many to forget the developed areas of knowledge and reason before their time. This society's people were believed to be laborers, or otherwise known as the hands of God, as displayed in their art work and literature. All actions were taken not for themselves but for God alone. This was described clearly, by Dante's witnessing of the thirteenth circle of hell containing the suicides. Those within this circle committed an act completely self centered, altering their intentions from God to themselves, leading them to a circle lower then murder. God and the church were not only a primary religious focus, but a structured hierarchy system for all society to follow. With God at the absolute highest position, his principles created an ethical map structuring nine circles of hell along with a social structure in the Middle Ages. This social structure was a fixed hierarchy where individuals never questioned there status or holding in society. People were content with their placement never wanting to move up or succeed in life. If so, it could be taken as a selfish act where one cares more for themselves then God. They believed...
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...The time period between 400 AD and 1400 AD was a dark age for Europe, a time of cultural decline, yet also a time of loss of education. In document A, it shows that "During the early Middle Ages, from 476 to about 1100, European civilization slipped back into semi-barbarism." Also in Capitulary of Aix-la-Chapelle concerning Adulterers of Money, 817. "Concerning false money, we have ordered that he who has been proved to have made it shall have his hand cut off." (Document C) Lastly, in Abbey of Xanten Records, 853: "A great famine in Saxony so that many were forced to live on horse meat." (Document C) In the example of document A, the sentence it reads that during most of the period between 400 AD and 1400 AD, civilization turned back it's clock and turned to semi barbarism. The definition of semi barbarism is "The quality or state of being half barbarous or uncivilized" which explains itself on one of the reasons on why the period between 400 AD and 1400 AD would be considered a Dark Age....
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...Renaissance Punishment/Torture Torture devices were used all throughout the Middle Ages as a way to punish criminals and get a confession from someone. The word torture comes from the Latin word ‘tortura’ ultimately deriving from the word ‘torquere’ meaning “to twist”. The torture and punishment depended on the victim’s crime and social status. Torture was the most common form of punishment in the Middle Ages, only being abolished in England in 1640. Torture reached its peak around the 12th century. From the mid-18th century it was the most common method used and was allowed by the Roman Catholic Church. Torture wasn’t exclusively for criminals, it was also used by the Knights Templar, a member of a religious and military order founded by Crusaders in Jerusalem about 1118 and suppressed in 1312; the Spanish inquisition to punish a person who speaks disrespectfully of sacred things, and liars. The well-known torture devices are the Head Crusher, Cat’s Paw (or Spanish Tickler), Knee Splitter, Scavenger’s Daughter, Judas Chair, Spanish Donkey, Choke Pear, Lead Sprinkler, Breast Ripper, and Crocodile Shears. With the Head Crusher the device was a helmet like hat they placed on top of the victims head and the chin was placed above a metal bar, then the device would slowly turn compressing the skull tightly. First the teeth are destroyed, shattering and splintering into the jaw. Then the eyes are squeezed from the sockets. Lastly the skull fractures and the contents of the head...
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...The Holy Rule of St. Benedict, is a set of rules written by St. Benedict in the middle of the sixth century. The Holy Rules of St. Benedict governed the behaviors and livelihoods of monks and nuns for much of the middle ages. There is a total of seventy-three chapters with hundreds of rules that outline what makes a good nun or monk certain to go to heaven. These rules include standard Christian practices, but also includes laws that are rather unnecessary and excessive to me. Personally, I could not live like a nun in the middle of the sixth century under the Holy Rule of St. Benedicts. I am a Christian, but even I see some of the laws as something I could not do, and not because of todays’ societal norms, but because of my own ethics. For example, chapter 5 titled Of Obedience, suggests nuns are supposed to lead a narrow way of living. In a sense, not living their life according to their desires and wants, but according to the judgement of an Abbot and the Lord. I simply cannot do that. As a Christian, I love the lord, but I cannot simply live mindlessly for the will of another person. I believe that everyone should live the way they want to live. If someone wants to be a nun, I guess they have chosen to give up their free will for an Abbot. I cannot imagine a life lived that way, because a life to me without free will is not a life at all. In addition, chapter seven titled “Humility”, a nun cannot be too quick to laugh under the tenth degree of humility. I think this law is...
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...Culture to Darkness What was first the chicken or the egg? To this day no one really knows it remains unsolved but what we can say proudly is that we have found the perfect way to identify the middle ages. Ew Look at the years 8700 BCE to 2000 BCE we don’t call it year 8700 BCE to 2000 BCE it was named specifically The Stone Ages, so why shouldn’t the middle ages be named as well because of its experiences? The middle ages were years where many Europeans became uncivilized and began to lose their culture and morals this happened between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance when culture began to fade away by the second causing darkness to arise and take over. So it would seem appropriate to title the middle ages as a time of cultural decay and decline but others beg to differ. Believe...
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...used authority figures to show their full power to potential criminals throughout history. Justice and hell is directly related to heaven and is heavily influenced by the church doctrine of sin and punishment. In Dante’s epic work, he takes us through a journey of hell to show what that experience was like. The overall experience, sin, and punishment offers the stories detail in many diverse ways allowing stories to be compared to the medieval code in the middle ages to how Dante describes it. There are differences and similarities when using Cantos V, XI, and XII. Roman traditions accounted further to the application of the doctrine, however brutality and punishment in regards to the medieval code was effectively portrayed in Dante’s stories. The crime should equally fit the punishment when using the punishment system since “each sin has a debt” that had to be paid back (Shuger 567). Myers also mentioned “organs or parts involved were treated as being responsible” (Myers 42). The...
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...to Prof: Hannosour M. Cali Title Chapter IV Fruition of Punishment and Penalty Corporal Punishment is derived from a Latin word meaning body. It meant physical punishment and in the past it was very common. In the past corporal punishment was by no means limited to children. It was used on adults as well. Flogging has been a common punishment since ancient times. Jesus was flogged before crucified. In England from the Middle Ages Whipping was a common punishment for minor crimes. In the 18th century whipping or flogging was a common punishment in the British Army and Navy. This punishment Meant beating a person across the backside with birch twigs. Once a common punishment in schools it could also be imposed by the courts for minor offences. Birching civilians was banned in Britain in 1948 (except in prisons where it was used until 1962). Meanwhile for thousands of years until the late 20th century teachers beat children. In the Ancient World the teachers were strict and often beat the pupils. In the Middle Ages Discipline was also severe. Boys were beaten with rods or birch twigs. Punishments in Tudor schools were still harsh. The teachers often had a stick with birch twigs attached to it. Boys were hit with birch twigs on their bare buttocks. Public humiliation is the dishonoring showcase of a person, usually an offender or a prisoner, especially in a public place. It was regularly used as a form of punishment in former times, and is still practiced by different means...
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...HistoryMain article: History of criminal justice The modern criminal justice system has evolved since ancient times, with new forms of punishment, added rights for offenders and victims, and policing reforms. These developments have reflected changing customs, political ideals, and economic conditions. In ancient times through the Middle Ages, exile was a common form of punishment. During the Middle Ages, payment to the victim (or the victim's family), known as wergild, was another common punishment, including for violent crimes. For those who could not afford to buy their way out of punishment, harsh penalties included various forms of corporal punishment. These included mutilation, branding, and flogging, as well as execution. Though a prison, Le Stinche, existed as early as the 14th century in Florence, Italy,[18] incarceration was not widely used until the 19th century. Correctional reform in the United States was first initiated by William Penn, towards the end of the 17th century. For a time, Pennsylvania's criminal code was revised to forbid torture and other forms of cruel punishment, with jails and prisons replacing corporal punishment. These reforms were reverted, upon Penn's death in 1718. Under pressure from a group of Quakers, these reforms were revived in Pennsylvania toward the end of the 18th century, and led to a marked drop in Pennsylvania's crime rate. Patrick Colquhoun, Henry Fielding and others led significant reforms during the late eighteenth and early...
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...Introduction In the article “The Case Against the Death Penalty,” which appears in Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints, Eric Freedman argues that the death penalty not only does not deter violent crime but also works against reducing the crime rate. Freedman says, “The death penalty not only is useless in itself, but counterproductive . . . ” (140). This paper will analyze Freedman’s article from the viewpoints of a middle-age working man, a poor person, and a politician. Summary Freedman argues that the death penalty does not deter crime. In his article, he argues that states that use the death penalty have crime rates nearly indistinguishable from those states that do not have the death penalty. He also adds that criminal cases in which the death penalty is sought are much more expensive to investigate and try, thus denying much-needed funds to programs that have been proven to reduce crime. A Middle-Age Working Man A middle-age working man would probably agree with Freedman’s point of view with relation to the financial aspect of capital punishment because Freedman talks about how much more the death penalty costs than life imprisonment. He says, “In Florida, each execution costs $3,200,000, six times the expense of life imprisonment” (141). The workingman would probably be amazed at how much the execution actually costs compared to how much life imprisonment costs. The workingman would probably wonder why the death penalty is even sought when life imprisonment...
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...article “The Case Against the Death Penalty,” which appears in Crime and Criminals: Opposing Viewpoints, Eric Freedman argues that the death penalty not only does not deter violent crime but also works against reducing the crime rate. Freedman says, “The death penalty not only is useless in itself, but counterproductive . . . ” (140). This paper will analyze Freedman’s article from the viewpoints of a middle-age working man, a poor person, and a politician. Summary Freedman argues that the death penalty does not deter crime. In his article, he argues that states that use the death penalty have crime rates nearly indistinguishable from those states that do not have the death penalty. He also adds that criminal cases in which the death penalty is sought are much more expensive to investigate and try, thus denying much-needed funds to programs that have been proven to reduce crime. A Middle-Age Working Man A middle-age working man would probably agree with Freedman’s point of view with relation to the financial aspect of capital punishment because Freedman talks about how much more the death penalty costs than life imprisonment. He says, “In Florida, each execution costs $3,200,000, six times the expense of life imprisonment” (141). The workingman would probably be amazed at how much the execution actually costs compared to how much life imprisonment costs. The workingman would probably wonder why the death penalty is even sought when...
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...different to what it was in the Middle Ages. Today work is apart of everyday life, and therefore creating a rewarding standard of living. Not only is work needed to sustain the needs of an individual or family, people pride themselves on their work ethic, no matter what line of work they are in. “The fall of the Roman empire marked the beginning of a period generally known as the Middle Ages.” Whilst there are many positive aspects of work in recent centuries, in Medieval times workers were referred to as Peasants. Peasants were people who lead a tough and rigorous lifestyle. Men worked long hours in fields, planting seeds, and taking care of livestock, while women were delegated the household chores. Whilst this may sound comparable with today’s lifestyle, peasants had a poor standard of living because they were under the rule of the Lord. This meant they had to give back to the Lord. The church required 10% of everything the peasants produced. They believed in the Lord but work was still perceived as punishment by God for man’s original sin. Work was heavily despised due to the risk of death. Work in crops was standard for male peasants and if those crops failed, they were given harsh penalties. They were forces to eat grass, nettles and other plants. Many starved to death. Whilst work was potentially life threatening on a daily basis for peasants, it was the only way of life they were accustomed to. The higher level of society in the middle ages lived off the peasant class...
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...that Korean parents tend to discipline their children by corporal punishment. In addition, they also found that report status, referral source, living arrangement, victim’s relationship to perpetrator, and chronicity of abuse...
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...HISTORY Name Class Date During the early Middle Ages, magic was seen as a science that was practical and required certain intensive study and skills. Magic was, therefore, part of the culture, and there were professional magicians who were found all over even in king’s courts. The magicians even could take apprentices. They were a significant part of the society. As the European society became more self-conscious and articulate, the notion that magic was a science began to fade and was linked with heresy and other negative thoughts like sorcery. The society came to reject the notion of safe and learned magic. There was even a purge to get rid of all magicians that were in England. If one were caught, practicing magic, spiritual and temporal punishments was accorded to them. The magician became to be treated and known as the latter day witches. The book looks into the complex that came from the transformation from the magician, to the witch and the various laws that came into effect during the Medieval times about the two. The book aids us in placing our understanding of medieval magic that was later known as witchcraft. Although heresy was part of the bad image that magic was furnished with hearsay, another was the long-standing Christian teachings that were about magic especially the learned magic that was rampant during the time. This led to later developments of magic turning into witchcraft. The earlier magic was tied to the culture and the way a people...
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...and strategy, with a focus on the death penalty and habeas corpus. Freedman says, "The death penalty not only is useless in itself, but counterproductive . . ." (140). This paper will examine Freedman's article from the viewpoints of a politician, middle-age working man, and a poor person. In Freedman's article, he argues that the death penalty does not deter crime. He also argues that states that use the death penalty have crime rates that are nearly identical from those states that do not have the death penalty. He also states that criminal cases in which the death penalty is wanted are much more costly to investigate and try, thus denying much-needed funds to programs that have been proven to diminish crime. A politician is likely to disagree with Freedman because he believes a price tag should not be put on doing the things that are right. In Freedman's article he stated, "In Florida, each execution costs $3,200,000, six times the expense of life imprisonment" (141). A politician would see this costs as very high and taken out of context but, beneficial to his pockets. He would most likely look into the statistics of how the death penalty has actually been a crime hindrance. He would see this as a proof the capital punishment is a deterrent, and it should...
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