Essay on Medieval Torture - 2184 Words

Torture (Latin torquere, â€Å"to twist†), in law, infliction of severe bodily pain either as punishment, or to compel a person to confess to a crime, or to give evidence in a judicial proceeding. Among primitive peoples, torture has been used as a means of ordeal and to punish captured enemies. Examination by torture, often called the â€Å"question,† has been used in many countries as a judicial method. It involves using instruments to extort evidence from unwilling witnesses. In ancient Athens, slaves were always examined by torture, and for this reason their evidence was apparently considered more valuable than that of freemen. A free Athenian could not be examined by this method, but torture may have been used occasionally in executing†¦show more content†¦It was last used in England in 1640 to compel a confession of treason. By the middle of the 18th century legal torture was abolished in France, Prussia, Saxony (Sachsen), Austria, and Switzerland. Under a papal bull issued in 1816 the use of torture was banned in Roman Catholic countries. Torture in Europe through the Ages The history of torture in Europe may seem at first to be a steady progression of barbarous tactics, leading from one social purge to the next, but this is not completely the case. Torture has been used in a progression from primitive methods to the present more modern styles. It has also developed extensively, both in severity and variety of methods used. But in the end, torture has gone full circle; modern forms of torture are more like those methods used by savages than anything in between. Overall, the severity of torture has fluctuated, growing and receding with the passing of each new time period, but eventually reverting to its original state. There are several varieties of tortures in general. Until the twentieth century, most forms of torture that were recognized as such were purely physical in nature. The breaking of bones, manipulation or mutilation of a persons body, and the application of flames or other implements of punishment were the main forms of recognized torture. The Wheel was aShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Punishments of the Medieval era1244 Words   |  5 PagesThe Punishments of the Medieval Era When Shakespeare was born in 1564, Queen Elizabeth had taken power a mere 6 years prior, and her justice system was very different from ours. In this paper, I hope to explore some of the ways punishments were different, such as how many crimes had individual punishments, often times depending on how severe the crime was. I will also go in-depth to one of the most infamous cases of the medieval period. Imprisonment was very rare. If you were in jailRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Torture1457 Words   |  6 PagesSamantha Howe YCCC English 101 10/30/17 Essay #2 Second Draft Once Upon a Torture When one thinks of torture, what is imagined? 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One of the Roman’s torturing methods was crucifixionRead MoreEssay about Torture Against Human Rights1310 Words   |  6 PagesTorture Against Human Rights Iain Banks once stated on the topic of torture, â€Å"torture is such a slippery slope; as soon you allow a society or any legal system to do that, almost instantly you get a situation where people are being tortured for very trivial reasons† (goodreads). When used in the appropriate way, torture can be very effective; however, it is often taken advantage of and is never acceptable. It has shown in the past that once a country has been accused of using torture, all credibilityRead MoreThe Truth about Torture and Enhanced Interrogations1577 Words   |  7 PagesThe Truth about Torture and Enhanced Interrogations Beaten, broken, burned, bruised, tortured. Torture is defined as a â€Å"deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical and mental suffering by one or more persons acting alone or on the orders of an authority to force another person to yield information, make a confession, etc† (Torture). Throughout history, torture has been used for extreme punishment or unreasonably hateful oppression but more recently torture has been used to force theRead MoreThe Effects Of Torture On The Society Of Modern Technology1489 Words   |  6 PagesWhen one thinks of torture, what is imagined? Perhaps they think of those wooden machines in the museums that they cannot even comprehend the use for, or the iron maiden, a cinematic favorite. Perhaps they don’t think of anything specific like that at all, for it isn’t a question often presented. Torture, regardless, is a gruesome term with gruesome connotations. In our progressive society of modern technology, it is thankful ly an issue of the past. Or†¦ is it? It’s not, we know it isn’t. As a societyRead MoreTorture Is Not Necessary?843 Words   |  4 PagesTorture can be defined as, the action of purposely inflicting physical or psychological pain on another individual in order to get information out of them. Although many may argue that torture isn’t necessary, it is necessary because by torturing we are able to save thousands of innocent lives. Torture has been around since ancient times; however, during ancient times it was much more violent than it is today. During ancient times they had torturing methods such as crucifixion, which was theRead MoreHistorical Methods of Torture and Execution Essay907 Words   |  4 PagesHistorical Methods of Torture and Execution Europe is the place to visit if this is what youre into. Many cities and towns have medieval torture museums. We liked one that we visited at Mont St. Michel in France. For those of you who cant afford to travel, check out the movie version of Edgar Allen Poes The Pit and the Pendulum starring Lance Henrickson. Dont know how historically accurate it is, but its great atmospherically. Beheading byRead MoreThe Formicarius ( Ant Hill ) Of Johannes Nider1230 Words   |  5 Pages(Levack, 2013) Nider also received testimony from a man from the Bernese territory who went by the name of Peter, a Benedictine monk, and an inquisitor from the convent at Lyons. Nider states that the judge from Bern told him stories about the torture of alleged witches and the confessions that some of them made at their trials, as well as details from various trials that presided over. Peter told Nider stories of when he not only drove suspected witches out of Bernese, but also of when he burned