Crime and Punishment

a) Who controlled law making and the deciding of punishments? On what basis
did they decide if punishment was necessary?
The monarch generally controlled law-making, and used his knights to enforce them.
They decided if punishment was necessary on the size of the crime, this varied from
stealing firewood to murder treason or witchcraft.

b) Witchcraft was one charge. What kinds of things were blamed on witches?
What were the punishments?
For the charge of witchcraft, was very serious, people believed they were followers of
the devil and use powers to bring suffering and unhappiness onto people. Many things
were blamed on witches like natural disasters, famine, plague, drought, and a bad
harvest. Many people accused others of witchcraft to get revenge or because of
jealousy. The punishment for witchcraft is public humiliation to burning at the stake.

c) List 9 crimes and provide example of the punishments that would have been
imposed for each.
-Crime: Women nagging their husbands Punishment: They were tied to a ducking
stood and ducked tree times in the river while people watched
- Crime: Women gossiping Punishment: They had to wear the scold’s bridle.
- Crime: Baker cheating customers Punishment: Dragged through the streets with
bread tied around their neck.
- Crime: Stealing firewood from Lord’s forest Punishment: Pay a fine, or perform
extra work.
- Crime: Your animals damage someone else’s crops Punishment: Pay a fine, or
perform extra work:
- Crime: Stealing or cheating Punishment: Whipping or other mutilation, such as
cutting of a hand.
- Crime: Witchcraft Punishment: Burnt alive
- Crime: Murder Punishment: Public execution
- Crime: Treason Punishment: Public execution

d) Explain the trial system if any they had. What was the assumption made
about been accused.
To decide whether a person is guilt or not, they used trial of combat of ordeal. A trial
of combat was the defendant and his accuser were expected to fight to the death, if the
defendant died he was guilty, but if he won people though God had rewarded the
innocent person with victory. Trial by ordeal was two ways, one was trial by water,
the accused was thrown into ‘holy waters’ of a river or lake with their arms and legs
tied, if he sank he was innocent, or floated a sign of guilt. Trial by fire was the
accused put his hand in boiling water, fire or hot iron, if it hadn’t healed in three days
you were guilty. People assumed that you were guilty until proven otherwise.

e) What conclusions did you make about the effectiveness of the punishments
during these times in terms of justice?
I think the punishments in these times were very effective, in which they made people
very scared to do any wrong, but in terms of justice the trials to find if someone is
innocent are complete unfair and crazy.

f) How would the 9 crimes listed in question C be punished today?

The crimes would be punished much differently today, from the minor, which would
be ignored or get off with a warning, to the major, which would just result in jail time.