HIST 3130 Lecture Notes - Petty Treason, Seditious Libel, Basilikon Doron
27 Nov 2013
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Document Summary
. in medieval england the social order mirrored the hierarchy of the church and the state. Age, economic status, gender all play a role in determining one"s place in the natural order. Threat of disorder: upsets the natural order and threatens to undo the fabric of society. Treason attacks the heart of the social order. gendered punishment: men were hung, drawn or quartered. the attack of a subordinate against their supporters. Like high treason, petty treason undermines the social fabric of early modern britain. Women were 10 times more likely to be prosecuted for petty treason than men. Although petty treason involved killing, it was not considered to be a crime of murder until after the 1630s. no justification for the crime of treason, petty or high. Women convicted of petty treason are burnt at the stake. Crimes of speech because there was no freedom of speech for attacks against the hierarchy, speech can be bad if it shows an intent.
