What impact did crime and punishment have on people lives in the middle ages?

Answer 1

It impacted their every job, their beliefs and their everyday life. They could not go against or question the Church as they knew they would be declared a heretic or a witch. If they committed any type of crime they would be guilty until proven innocent. Women could not quarrel to another woman. People could not work on sundays. If someone made bad bread or did not do their job properly they would be put in the stocks for public embarrassment. If you committed treason against the king you would be killed.

Answer 2

Crime and punishment in the Middle Ages had a significant impact on people's lives. The harsh and often brutal punishments served as a deterrent, instilling fear in the general population and discouraging criminal behavior. The harshness of punishments also reflected the belief in divine retribution, reinforcing the medieval worldview that sin and crime were closely intertwined. Additionally, crime and punishment were deeply intertwined with social and economic inequality, with punishments often differing based on one's social status or wealth.